Parking
Start at the Berm Lake trail access in Achray Campground; campground parking is available near the trail. Lot capacity and overflow arrangements are not documented.
Overview
About Berm Lake Trail
Why go
- A boardwalk and short shoreline views on one manageable loop
- Numbered stops explain the east-side pine forest
Heads up
- Rocky, rooty footing and a rolling climb make it rougher than a stroll
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Algonquin map
Full mapElevation223–265 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
4 active Algonquin alerts
- ClosureProvoking Falls Bridge ClosedThe Provoking Falls bridge on the Highland Backpacking Trail is closed because of safety concerns; the bridge has been removed. - Use the posted reroute, which adds 2.5 km.Official details
- CautionLow Water on Backcountry Canoe RoutesOntario Parks currently lists low-water alerts for six backcountry canoe-route sections: - Varley Lake from Carl Wilson Lake - Latour Creek north of Rosebary Lake - Carcajou Creek north towards…Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Algonquin Tour Guide
Your drive to Berm Lake Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Algonquin Provincial Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Algonquin audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Achray and the Jack Pine Site0:00 / 0:34
“You're coming up on Achray, with sandy beaches on Grand Lake and a short walk into Tom Thomson's painting story.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Algonquin Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- A Turtle’s Shell Through Winter
- When a Lake Mixes
- When a Pond Becomes a Meadow
- Life Beneath the Snow
- 107 audio storiesacross Algonquin’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Moose, Eastern Wolf, Black Bear, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 39 trails, 66 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Berm Lake Trail
A moderate loop around Berm LakeBerm Lake Trail is a 4.
Berm Lake Trail is a 4.5 km loop from Achray Campground, circling the lake through the pine and oak woods of Algonquin’s east side. Allow about 1.5 hours. The map board at the trailhead shown in a recent photo labels it 4.3 km, while the current park listing gives 4.5 km; plan for the longer figure. A valid Algonquin Park permit is required.
Wet ground, roots and shorelineA narrow boardwalk carries the first stretch over wet ground before the path enters deeper…
A narrow boardwalk carries the first stretch over wet ground before the path enters deeper forest. Expect roots and rocks underfoot, rolling hills, and one longer climb around halfway. The trail narrows beside Berm Lake, where openings give you short views across the water. Nearby connector paths lead toward the longer Eastern Pines route; stay on the Berm Lake loop for this outing.
The forest lessonThe loop’s interpretive theme is pine forest ecology.
The loop’s interpretive theme is pine forest ecology. Numbered stops pair with a printed trail guide and explain the kind of pine and oak forest typical of the park’s east side. Take time at them; the walk is as much about the forest as the lake.
Starting at AchrayStart and finish at Achray Campground.
Start and finish at Achray Campground. Parking and toilets are available at the campground, but there are no toilets along the loop. Dogs are allowed on leash, no longer than 2 m. The rocky, rooty footing makes this a moderate walk rather than a smooth-access path.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Algonquin
1,237 sightingsMooseMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
245 sightingsEastern WolfMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
331 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
604 sightingsLoonMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
110 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
192 sightingsRiver OtterMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Algonquin. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
