Our discovery of Ontario takes us from the famous and stunning Niagara Falls to Bruce Peninsula National Park. After Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, we arrive at the shores of a third Great Lake in Canada: Lake Huron, with its crystal-clear waters that would make the most beautiful beaches of Bali jealous (and we know what we’re talking about!).
Monday, May 23, 2022
Woke up at 6:30 AM under a brilliant sun and a cloudless blue sky. The day promises to be splendid, and we are eager for new adventures. Today, we’re heading to the Bruce Peninsula, which separates Lake Huron from Georgian Bay. This Great Lake is the third-largest lake in the world, a true inland sea. The Bruce Peninsula National Park is located at the tip of the peninsula. Entry is paid, parking is paid, camping is paid, firewood is paid. There’s plenty to spend a fortune on! Fortunately, we have the annual Parks Canada Pass! Eager to spend a peaceful night, and knowing that it’s almost impossible to find a wild spot on the peninsula, we book a campsite.
🥾 Burnt Point Loop Trail – 5 km (3 miles)
We start with a loop trail that takes us through the peninsula’s forest. Apparently, there are bears, eagles, and rattlesnakes here! We can’t wait to see them… or maybe not 😀. The trail leads us to our first viewpoint over Lake Huron, and we’re left speechless. No one had told us that such places existed in Canada! Incredibly clear water, a white pebble beach, and an inland sea that is actually a lake. Unbelievable!
The spot is calling for a swim! We head to test the water and… horror! It’s freezing. Well, we’ll pass on the swim for now and settle for admiring the view.
After a quick meal near the service center, where we meet some Montreal neighbors (same car sticker, they live on the next street over!), we then head to discover our evening spot, a campsite in the woods with picnic tables and a campfire site. Perfect! We leave the Jeep there and set off for a second trail.
🥾 Georgian Bay and Grotto Trail – 5 km (3 miles)
This trail takes us to a… heavenly spot. We have no other words, and no one ever said the water has to be warm to make a place paradise! Some brave souls try swimming, but it’s not for us. Water here, too, is incredibly clear. The highlight of the trail, besides the stunning location, is the natural cave.
The trail then leads us to the high cliffs, where we overlook the sea… Oops, I mean the lake!
Back at the campsite, surprise! An infraction notice is stuck to our windshield! We’re “illegally parked.” Now that’s a good one! Our annual pass is hanging from the rearview mirror, and our camping permit is placed on the dashboard… Was the security guy blind or what? We head to the service center to clear up the situation. After inspecting the paper and our multiple documents, the young guy at the front desk, a bit puzzled, informs us that it was a mistake. Thanks for the trip!
Reassured, we head to the restrooms for a hot shower, we hope. With no one in sight, we discreetly slip into the men’s showers together. Well, we only have one bar of soap! The water is lukewarm, but it does the job. At least the facilities are super clean and spacious! With $40 for a night of camping with no services, $15 for park entry, and $12 for parking, we know where the money goes! However, no water wastage here. After five minutes, the water shuts off automatically. Oh no! Rémi is still washing. He presses the button, but nothing happens. We have to admit the water is cut off. They could have at least given us a warning 😆.
The situation makes me laugh so much. I peek my head out of the stall. No one. Discreetly, I move all our stuff to the neighboring shower. After a quick glance left, then right, Rémi, naked as the day he was born, joins me. We burst out laughing. Five minutes later, Monsieur is shampooing his hair and says, “With my luck, watch, the water’s going to cut off.” And bingo! The water shuts off again. We have to change showers once more! Luckily, there’s no one around!
After this eventful shower, we set up our camp. We deploy the rooftop tent and start a fire. We toss a few potatoes into the embers. Our setup impresses the local campers. “Holy shit, what is this?” We proudly show them around. Later in the evening, the security guy comes back! He stops, gets out of his car, and walks onto our campsite. Are we about to get another ticket? Indeed, he’s not happy because we didn’t display our little paper at the entrance of the site. Well, well! That explains our ticket 😒
We enjoy a very pleasant evening by the fire. On the menu: vermicelli soup, baked fire-roasted potatoes, and anchaud fom Périgord! Thank you, Odile and Philippe, for enhancing our humble potatoes with this delicacy!
Tuesday, May 24
6:30 am, the sun filters through the trees, but it’s not warm. Temperatures must have dropped to around 0°C overnight. Everything is very damp. We have breakfast at our campsite, then pack up. We make a stop at the restrooms for a quick wash, then head to the campground’s yurts to fill up on water. By the time we reach the start of our morning hike, it’s already 9:30 am!
🥾 Singing Sands Trail – 4 km (2.5 miles)
A beautiful fine sand beach, a lovely lake and a morning stroll. No one in sight. In short, a great trail!
At 1:30 pm, we have a rendezvous with the ferry that will take us across Lake Huron. After a quick stop at the local convenience store and a picnic in the boarding lot, here it comes! Its bow lifts to swallow the cars. So impressive!
First big ferry crossing for Jeepy. Besides admiring the scenery, we also take advantage of the 2-hour crossing to work, me on my writing, Rémi on the photos.
In the evening, after several hours on the road, we finally park our wheels by a secluded lake, after 3 kilometers of dirt track. The place is very pleasant and the weather is extremely nice, a real delight! Setting up the rooftop tent, cooking, dinner, dishes, quick wash, admiring the sunset: just an evening as we like them.
After discovering the immense Lake Huron at Bruce Peninsula National Park, we then set off to explore an even larger lake! Indeed, we are now heading to Lake Superior, the largest lake in the world.
