Frontenac Provincial Park is situated above an ancient granite ridge linking the Canadian Shield to the Adirondack Mountains and consists of forests, wetlands, marshes, lakes and granite outcrops. The park contains canoe routes through 22 lakes, over 100km of connected backpacking and hiking trails and four season interior camping on 48 campsites. The park is open year-round and provides great hiking opportunities in every season.
We’ve been to Frontenac three times:
- April 2023 – 1 day (Doe Lake Loop and Arab Lake Gorge)
- April 2022 – 1 day (Dedication Trail North Loop)
- April 2021 – 1 day (Doe Lake Loop and Arab Lake Gorge)
- November 2020 – 1 day (Dedication Trail South Loop)
- February 2020 – 2 days (Bufflehead Trail)
Hiking Trails
Frontenac offers over 100 km of hiking and backpacking trails, many of which are interconnected. Below are some of the trails that we’ve hiked:
(1) Arab Lake Gorge Trail (1.5km loop, rated easy) – the first part of the loop is along a wooden boardwalk that winds through a wetland and runs parallel to the side of a gorge. The path then leads through the forest, up the side of the gorge and eventually leads back to the Park Office.
A more detailed description of the hike can be found here
(2) Bufflehead Trail (8km, rated moderate) – the trail meanders through the forest, around beaver ponds and over the barren granite forming part of the Canadian Shield. It is especially scenic in the winter and is often used for snowshoeing.
A more detailed description of the hike can be found here
(3) Doe Lake Loop (3km loop, rated easy to moderate) – the trail winds through the forest and wetlands and follows the shore of South Otter and Doe Lakes and other beaver ponds. It forms a loop back to the trailhead. Along the way, there’s a short detour that leads to the abandoned Kemp Mine. The trail originates at the Park Office and can be hiked all year-round.
A more detailed description of the hike can be found here
(4) Dedication Trail North Loop (8.6km, rated moderate) – the trail is part of the larger Cedar Lake Loop. The trail meanders through the forest, along rocky ridges and passes by a bunch of lakes, ponds and wetlands.
A more detailed description of the hike can be found here.
(5) Dedication Trail South Loop (9.8km, rated moderate) – the trail is part of the larger Cedar Lake Loop, but you can break it up and hike either the North or South Loop. The Dedication Trail South Loop weaves through the forest, passes by lakes, ponds and other marshy areas.
A more detailed description of the hike can be found here.
Camping
We have yet to camp at Frontenac, however, there are 48 interior campsites located amongst 13 clusters. All campsites within the park can be accessed by hiking trails all year-round. Some of these campsites can be accessed by canoe as well, with the exception of cluster 12. Each campsite has a tent-pad, fire-pit, picnic table, privy, and food locker. Due to the clustered campsite design you can usually see the neighbouring campsite. Reservations are strongly recommended between May and October and are available on a first come first serve basis from November to April.