10 of the Best Hiking Trails Near Timmins, Ontario
The town of Timmins, Ontario—located in the province’s northeast—was built on mining. However, there are a lot of reasons to visit and explore the natural areas in and around town that have nothing to do with work!
Yes, Timmins is a place to play. Surrounded by vast tracts of wilderness in all directions, and with easy access to provincial parks, Timmins is blessed with a multitude of hikes from short family-friendly jaunts to deep-woods epics.
Here are 10 of our favourite hiking trails near Timmins:
Wintergreen Trail
Length: 1.3 km
Elevation gain: 28 m
This trail is one of four possible trails at Kettle Lakes Provincial Park, just east of Timmins. It’s an easy to moderate 1.3-kilometre loop with exceptional views of Island Lake. This is just one of the park’s 22 spring-fed small lakes, each formed 10,000 years ago after the glacier retreated and half-submerged icebergs melted to form small, deep “kettle” lakes. The forest is made up of jackpine, spruce and rare red pine.
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Kettle Trail
Length: 2 km
Elevation gain: 62 m
This trail is one of four trails at Kettle Lakes Provincial Park. It’s a moderate two-kilometre hike on top an glacial esker and alongside the Kettle bogs. Unique boreal species are found here, and the place is alive with birdsong. It’s an interpretive trail with various stops along the way to educate hikers on the region’s flora and fauna.
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Archie’s Rock
Length: 1km
Elevation gain: Minimal
The trail leads to a fascinating geological formation made up of a cluster of huge boulders stacked on top of one another during the last ice age. It’s believed the formation was created by the melting of the glaciers. The mound of rock is surrounded by dense bush and can be reached by a one-kilometre path, off Little Star Lake Road, near Highway 101. It’s a gentle walk—until you get to the rock pile.
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Saw Lake Trail
Length: 2.8 km
Elevation gain: Minimal
This is one of the many trails Ivanhoe Provincial Park has to offer. The park is located between Timmins and Chapleau. It’s a 2.8-kilometre loop, heading up and over esker ridges and along the sandy shore of Saw Lake, a small glacial lake that has a greenish-hue. The forest around you is made up of mature boreal jackpine and spruce, and carpeted with an assortment of northern plants such as golden root, bunchberry, wintergreen and blueberry.
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Esker Trail
Length: 8 km
Elevation gain:
This is the longest trail in Ivanhoe Provincial Park. The eight-kilometre loop follows one of the most accessible elongated eskers in Ontario. The walk is incredibly scenic with stunning panoramic views along the way. You’ll be above the treetops at times, overlooking the clear green-hued kettle (glacial) lakes. It also provides the best view of Ivanhoe Lake anywhere in the park. Short side trails also lead you to the secluded Axe and Canyon lakes.
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Grassy River/High Falls Trail
Length: 1.4 km (varies depending on start point)
Elevation gain: Varies (depending on start point)
This is Timmins’ pride and joy. High Falls along the Grassy River plunges 40 metres, with two major drops. The upper falls is more abrupt, with the river crashing over a sharp ledge. The lower falls is still impressive, tumbling along iron-rich boulders. The trail is a 1.4-kilometre loop through a dense jack pine forest. It’s an easy walk except for the viewing section along the falls. The access is south of Timmins and can be reached by a series of backroads off Highway 144 and Dalton Road. Road conditions are quite good until you near the end. You may choose to walk the rest of the way—two kilometres—to reach the access.
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Gillies Promenade Trail
Length: 2.5 km
Elevation gain: Minimal
This trail is part of Gillies Lake Conservation Area, set in the centre of Timmins. It’s a popular place to hike, with a 2.5-kilometre loop that circles Gillies Lake. It has an urban wilderness setting feel to it; plus a well-crafted boardwalk, interpretive storyboards educating hikers on the lake’s unique natural and cultural history and wireless hotspots set up along the way. The trail is also the hub for the entire community trail network, linking to other trail systems: Scout Rock, Golden Springs and Lion’s Walk trails.
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Tamarack Trail
Length: 1 km
Elevation gain: Minimal
This trail is part of Hersey Lake Conservation Area. It’s a self-guided one-kilometre interpretive trail that highlights some of the unique plants and animals of the northern forest, as well as the human history of the area. It’s a loop hike along a gently rolling terrain, around the pond-like Tamarack Lake. The forest is mostly jackpine, spruce and some stunning tamarack. Access is just off Highway 655, north of Timmins.
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Porcupine Lake Trail
Length: 8.5 km
Elevation gain: Minimal
The town of Porcupine, just east of Timmins, has a trail network consisting of two sections—the Porcupine Lake Trail and the Bart Thompson Trail. The Porcupine Lake section, known by some as the “south loop” is a figure-eight loop that skirts the shoreline of Porcupine Lake. It’s a 8.5-kilometre stroll along a gravel path and some boardwalks over the wet areas. The access is located on Bruce Avenue in the White Waterfront Park in South Porcupine. Viewing areas are located along the way and you pass by Whitney Cemetery, the burial place of 40 people who lost their lives in the 1911 fire, which destroyed the community.
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Bart Thomson Trail North Loop
Length: 10 km
Elevation gain: Minimal
This is the second section of the Porcupine trail system. It’s a 10-kilometre hike through an urban wild area and accesses Porcupine Lake in several areas. Various species of waterfowl can be spotted, along with beaver and muskrat. The trail takes you through both upland and lowland forest, alongside unique geological rock formations and several small steams and ponds.
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