I camped at Cyprus when I was a young boy. I remember asking my parents why we were going on a hike – not something we typically did while camping. They told me that there would be caves and that we’d have to watch out for rattlesnakes, which made it seem exotic.
I was disappointed that we never saw a rattler — it turns out they’re quite shy. I was also disappointed that the caves weren’t dry and deep the way they were in movies, but I was also struck by the beauty of the landscape along the coast and have remembered it all these years.
I tried to return with my family about eight years ago on the way back from a trip to Manitoulin, but the park was full and we slept elsewhere. We ended up exploring Cabot Head instead of the Cyprus Lake area. In the intervening years I’ve never been organized enough to book a site in the summer because of the long wait times. This time we planned ahead and booked the first weekend after the summer season.
A week before the trip my wife broke her toe, making hiking a less than comfortable prospect. We almost cancelled the trip, but in the end I decided to come alone.
The bridge on the Georgian Bay Trail is currently under construction and officially closed, but is still very easy to cross. I took the Georgian Bay Trail to the cliffs so that I could visit the sinkholes, and took the Horse Lake Trail on the way back. Both trails are very easy until you reach the bay where the terrain becomes more rugged.
I still didn’t see a rattler, but there was a garter snake sunning himself in the sinkholes and I think I heard a rattle on the boardwalk on the return trail where others had reported seeing a snake.
The features at Indian Cove and the grotto were as spectacular as I remembered. The only surprise was the number of people. My memory (perhaps inaccurate) was that we only encountered the odd hiker, but this time the cove and grotto were crowded with people dressed more for a beach than for a hike.
When I was a boy my parents wouldn’t let me attempt the more adventurous climbing that I saw some of the hikers doing. It was great to return as an adult, since now I was ‘responsible’ and able to decide where I could and couldn’t climb. The cliffs are incredibly easy to climb, and I was able to visit all kinds of neat nooks and crannies. I remembered one of the more impressive caves from when I was a boy, and it is now a virtual cache. I did choose to heed the signs at the trailhead and not practice cliff diving, but there were several people who did.
It would be fitting if this spot were more isolated, the reward near the end of a long hike along the Bruce trail, so that it could be enjoyed quietly. But it’s hard to begrudge the crowds (myself included) the opportunity to easily enjoy such a spectacular spot.
After exploring the area I continued west along the Bruce trail. There are some spectacular views from the cliffs, and some dangerously precarious looking overhangs. There were still a fair number of people on the trail, so I kept hiking until I couldn’t see anyone, around Loon Lake. I would have liked to continue, and kept saying “just a bit further” to myself but I eventually had to turn back. I followed the coast to the East of the cove which is another spectacular spot. Despite being late in the day there were still quite a few people coming along the base of the cliff from Horse Lake Trail.
While the cliffs at Cyprus aren’t the tallest on the escarpment, they are some of the most beautiful. The water is an amazing shade of blue, and the access is easy enough that this is a very attainable family outing. I was pleased to see many children creating memories that will last a lifetime, telling their parents what an amazing place this was. Truly one of the jewels of Ontario.