Orphan Lake

If ever there was a trail that I longed to get back to...

The Orphan Lake Trail is a 4.5 mile loop through some of the prettiest terrain in Lake Superior Provincial Park. The path leaves the Trans-Canada in the south end of the park. It climbs to a beautiful overlook of its namesake lake, which is landlocked some 400 feet above Lake Superior. From the overlook it follows Orphan Lake for a bit, crosses a burned area from the 1990's which offers beautiful views, and then makes the steep descent to the lakeshore. After a brief time along Superior the trail turns back inland past what, in warmer seasons, is a series of nice cascades and then makes the STEEP climb back to Orphan Lake past some impressive cliffs.

I had snowshoed this trail in 2010 and swore I'd return that year to experience it in the summer...a year and a half later I finally got the chance to fulfill that promise...

Trailhead GPS Coordinates: 47.490125, -84.810591

Route Type: Lollipop Difficulty: HARD

Hike Length: 4.5 miles Hike Duration: 2:30

Trailhead Temp: 62'F Trail Traffic: 1-5 people

Min. Elevation: 600' Max. Elevation: 1,020'

Total Vertical Gain: 800' Avg. Elevation Gain / Mile: 178'

Lake Superior Provincial Park -- Orphan Lake Trail (10-4-11)

Trans Canada Highway
As always, the drive up to the park was almost as enjoyable as the hike...
Trans Canada Highway
Highway 17 as it rounds the north shore of Agawa Bay...
Trans Canada Highway
Entering the rugged hills of Lake Superior Provincial Park...
Orphan Lake Trailhead
Back again...no snowshoes required this time!
Orphan Lake Trail
The first part of the hike follows a very wide, well-traveled trail...
Orphan Lake Trail
I was a bit disappointed to discover the colors were a bit past peak, though in places they were still quite enjoyable...
Orphan Lake Trail
Starting the loop...I'd head left here and return by way of this path in about 4-miles...
Orphan Lake Overlook
Orphan Lake...this is actually a 'perched' lake, sitting 400 feet above Lake Superior, less than a mile away over the ridge in the distance...
Orphan Lake Trail
Beyond the overlook the trail quickly narrows and becomes more rugged as it drops down to the lake...
Orphan Lake
The placid shore of Orphan Lake...
Orphan Lake
Nature's mirror...the surrounding forest reflected in the water of the lake was stunning...
Orphan Lake
Orphan Lake...three and a half miles down the trail I'd be climbing back to the lake via the far ravine and then following the opposite shore...
Orphan Lake Trail
A little Garter Snake enjoying what could be the last warm days of fall...
Orphan Lake Trail
Entering the burned ridge...this is a harsh climate for forest recovery, it has been 13 years since the fire and, with the exception of a few small saplings, it is still a fairly barren place...
Orphan Lake Trail
Looking over to Orphan Lake from the burned ridge...
Orphan Lake Trail
Passing through a pretty grove of young aspen...
The Burned Ridge
A short, but steep, side trail leads to the crest of the burned ridge...
The Burned Ridge
Ever so slowly, the forest is being reborn...
The Burned Ridge
After an invigorating climb the views, particularly to the north, opened up...
The Burned Ridge
A panoramic shot looking north from the top of the burned ridge...my next destination, the Baldhead River, sits 500' below...
The Burned Ridge
A quick look around from atop the burnt ridge...
The Burned Ridge
A closer look at the Baldhead Rivermouth...
Orphan Lake Trail
Now for the descent...
Orphan Lake Trail
The climb down to the big lake is as rugged as any trail in the area...the key thing to try not to focus on is that, eventually, you're gonna have to regain the elevation...
Orphan Lake Trail
A bit of welcome sunshine trickles in through the dense overstory...
Orphan Lake Trail
Heading towards the light...
Orphan Lake Trail
A half mile below the burned ridge the trail quite literally dumps you out, here, on a beautifully barren, rock-strewn beach...
Baldhead Beach
Looking south along the beach...peace and relaxation absolutely washed over me with every crash of the waves along the empty, rocky shore...paradise...
Baldhead Beach
Natural refreshment...Lake Superior style...
Baldhead Beach
A look at my last dry moments...bending down to get a shot of the rocks, Lake Superior reared up and nearly gave me an impromptu bath...
Baldhead Beach
The shot I was trying to get in the previous pic...before I was so rudely attacked...
Baldhead Beach
Natural selection...sort of...there was a noticeable dividing line between the finer gravel near the waterline and the much larger stones, which require larger waves to move, father inland...
Baldhead Beach
The view to south along the shore is much like the view north...stunningly rugged and empty...
Baldhead Beach
Out at the end of the rock spit...such a cool spot...
Baldhead Beach
Baldhead Point to the south...
Baldhead Beach
My original intent was to wade across to the left-hand shore and explore down the shore a bit but crossing the river would have required more of a swim than a wade...
Baldhead River
After far to short a time I had to turn my back on the shore and head inland via the river...
Coastal Trail
The short walk up the river was quite pleasant as the trail frequently broke along the bank...no doubt a great place to bring a fishing pole!
Coastal Trail
This was the part of hike I was most looking forward to...during my winter visit here the waterfalls were quite frozen...
Coastal Trail
Its always nice to have the sounds of water as accompaniment on a hike...
Baldhead River Cascades
Climbing a tree to get a picture...that's a new one...
Orphan Lake Trail
At the top of this climb I remembered I left my pole back by the tree I climbed...so I got to climb it twice...woohoo!
Baldhead River Cascades
It would have been nice to spend an hour or so exploring here but time was short so I had to settle for a quick run through...
Baldhead River Cascades
It seemed like the larger cascades were just a bit out of reach...
Baldhead River Cascades
This has got to be a wild place during the spring snowmelt...of course, I wouldn't want to be standing here...
Baldhead River Cascades
A crossing my mother wouldn't have approved of...
Baldhead River Cascades
The striations in the rock here were quite incredible...
Baldhead River Cascades
Like a miniature version of some of the formations I've seen out west...