Parking
Use the Western Uplands trailhead at Oxtongue River Picnic Ground, Highway 60 km 3.0. Parking, washrooms and a picnic area are available there.
Overview
About Western Uplands Backpacking Trail
Why go
- Lake-to-lake camps break up a substantial forest route.
- The Highway 60 circuit is the shortest of the three loop options.
- A marked route and trailhead facilities support trip planning.
Heads up
- Steep climbs and uneven, muddy footing can make a loaded pack slow going.
- The full circuit requires backcountry camping permits and advance site planning.
- The highway access can be vulnerable to spring flooding.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Algonquin map
Full mapElevation413–550 m
TrailheadWestern Uplands Backpacking Trailhead / Oxtongue River Picnic Ground, Highway 60 km 3.045.46318, -78.79779
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
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 Western Uplands Backpacking 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
Western Uplands and Oxtongue River Picnic Ground0:00 / 0:27
“Western Uplands trailhead and Oxtongue River Picnic Ground are ahead.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Algonquin Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- From Woodland Sketch to Canvas
- West Gate
- Whiskey Rapids Trail
- Tea Lake Dam Picnic Ground
- 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 Western Uplands Backpacking Trail
Take the inner loopThis is the 32 km (20 mile) Highway 60 loop, the shortest of three connected route choices.
This is the 32 km (20 mile) Highway 60 loop, the shortest of three connected route choices. It returns to the Oxtongue River Picnic Ground trailhead and is best planned as an overnight backpacking trip. A valid backcountry camping permit is required.
Across the bridge to the lakesThe route crosses the wooden Oxtongue River bridge and enters forest.
The route crosses the wooden Oxtongue River bridge and enters forest. One three-day itinerary reached Maple Leaf Lake about two and a half hours after starting, then camped at Maggie and Ramona lakes before walking back to the trailhead. Your daily distances depend on the campsites you reserve and your pace.
Rough, hilly walkingExpect long wooded stretches and rolling ground, with steep climbs, side slopes and sharp turns.
Expect long wooded stretches and rolling ground, with steep climbs, side slopes and sharp turns. Hikers also report rocky, rooty footing, muddy or boggy patches and stream crossings; wet weather can slow progress. Carry a map and plan for a loaded pack.
Campsite planningReserve your backcountry sites before setting out.
Reserve your backcountry sites before setting out. Your choice changes each day's mileage: camps on Maggie Lake's west side add a detour, while the more direct itinerary passes the lake's east side. Use the park's route map to match your reserved sites to the loop.
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.
