Posted on

Lion’s Head Lookout

This was a short hike that I took on my way back from camping at Cyprus. I chose the area because I was looking for an interesting Geocache and a good hike to close out the weekend. Unfortunately I DNFd both caches in the area: ”Lions Head Lookout” and The Trial Series #3” but the hike and views were both more than worth the trip. I only explored a small fraction of the trails in the area which criss-cross the Lion’s Head Provincial Nature Reserve but the small area that I did see was so stunning that I’d like to come back to see the rest.

I had seen the cliffs at Lion Head before, and thought that a hike would be nice but wouldn’t afford great views since I’d be standing on the most interesting thing to look at, but I learned how wrong I was.

The trailhead parking is fortunately halfway up the cliff, and starts out by sharing a private road. The first half kilometre is quite plain, but the trail becomes steeper at first, and then increasingly rugged until it is quite challenging. It is always quite clearly marked, but there is a lot of very convoluted rock to cross making for a rewarding hike.

There are two significant potholes on the side of the trail, one that broke through the rocks at the bottom to create a vertical chimney. Standing at the bottom and looking up at the tiny hole at the top is an interesting sight. A series of 3 more large potholes dot the rock ledge near the first lookout , and several potholes of various sizes can be seen bisected by the edge of the cliffs.

The first lookout is recessed and affords an impressive view of the bay, the shore below, and the walls of the cliff to either side. As the trail continues it seems that each successive lookout is more impressive than the last. Each one juts out a little further from the cliff face, affording a better view of the cliffs behind.

After a weekend of exploring the escarpment I was actually starting to feel overwhelmed by the relentlessly stunning scenery. I snapped a lot of pictures at first, but by the time I reached the final lookout I had given up, realizing that the pictures would not do the view justice. The trail continues around the tip of the isthmus, but it came to an end for me at a lookout that hangs out from the face of the cliff far enough to afford dizzying views of the cliff faces in both directions. With the sun low in the sky and sparkling on the water the overall effect was overpowering. There was almost no direction I could look without seeing something amazing. The only time that I have seen such an overpowering view was after climbing Mount Caroline Livermore on Angel Island in San Fransisco Bay.

I must admit that I did the area disservice by turning around when I did, but I was already late and had to head back, but I will return. This is an area that can only be properly experienced directly – no pictures or description will do justice to the impact of the scenery.

Posted on

Cyprus Lake Hike

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.