Parking
The Highland Backpacking Trailhead is off Highway 60 at km 29.7, near Mew Lake Campground; use the signed Highland parking area.
Overview
About Highland Backpacking Trail – Provoking Lake Loop
Why go
- Lakeside campsites make a rewarding overnight option.
- Reaches Provoking Lake without taking the full outer Highland circuit.
Heads up
- At 13.4 miles on rolling, rough tread, this is a full-day commitment.
- Rocks, roots, wet crossings and campsite spurs demand steady footing and navigation.
The route gives you forested shoreline, rocky islets and lakeside campsites rather than one single summit view. At a clear shore opening, frame the water with pine branches or rocks to catch the reflections. If you camp, reserve a site ahead; Ontario Parks says a valid camping permit is required to use the trail.
Parkwolf’s verdictThe lake is the payoffMap & elevation
The route
Loading the Algonquin map
Full mapElevation400–518 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 Highland Backpacking Trail – Provoking Lake Loop, 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
Highland Backpacking Trail0:00 / 0:23
“The Highland Backpacking Trail is ahead, a route for a planned trip camping beside forest lakes.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Algonquin Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Bat Lake Trail
- Lake of Two Rivers Store and Cafe
- Hemlock Bluff Trail
- Killarney Lodge
- 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 Highland Backpacking Trail – Provoking Lake Loop
A full-day lake circuitThis is the first Highland loop around Provoking Lake, a backcountry circuit of about 21.
This is the first Highland loop around Provoking Lake, a backcountry circuit of about 21.5 km (13.4 mi) from the Highway 60 trailhead. It is the shorter choice beside the 35 km outer loop, but still a long, challenging hike. Plan a full day on foot, or split it with an overnight at one of the lake campsites.
Keep to the first loopFollow the marked Provoking Lake circuit at junctions; campsite spurs branch away from the main…
Follow the marked Provoking Lake circuit at junctions; campsite spurs branch away from the main tread, and the longer Highland route continues beyond this loop. The western connector uses a stretch of the flat Old Railway Bike Trail before rejoining the Highland footpath. Carry a current map or offline route so you can tell the loop from nearby paths.
Rough footing, steady paceExpect repeated climbs and drops, roots, rocks, stream crossings and narrow boardwalk or log…
Expect repeated climbs and drops, roots, rocks, stream crossings and narrow boardwalk or log crossings. Wet ground can turn muddy and slippery, and the park describes the trail as challenging. Dogs are allowed on most park trails but must stay on a leash no longer than 2 m; check posted signs at the trailhead.
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.
