Chutes Provincial Park is located on the Aux Sables River and is the only provincial park between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie. It has a rich history of logging and was named after a logging chute which was built at the main falls to reduce the risk of logs jamming up the river. Chutes offers a few activities on and near the river, including hiking, swimming, fishing and camping.
We’ve been to Chutes twice:
- September 2021 – 1 day
- July 2020 – 1 day
Hiking Trails
The Twin Bridges Trail (6km round trip, rated moderate) is the only trail in the park. The trail can be hiked in smaller sections and there are options to scale up or down. It meanders through the forest and follows the shore of the Aux Sables River and Seven Sisters rapids. Along the way the trail crosses two bridges and contains three viewing platforms.
A more detailed description of the hike can be found here
Activities and Attractions
Chutes also provides:
- A scenic overlook of the main falls located near the start of the Twin Bridges Trail. There are a few interpretive signs here which explains more about the history of the area and how the park was created.
- A picnic area with a sheltered section near the main falls and swimming area.
- A small sandy beach located within a bend in the river below the main falls.
Camping
Chutes offers over 130 campsites for car camping, most of which are close to the Aux Sables River. There is a radio-free zone in Campground C, and the sound of the main waterfall can be heard from a few of these sites. For both our visits to Chutes, we’ve stayed in the radio-free zone and found the sites to be quite spacious.
