Fall mountain climbing at Rainbow Falls Provincial Park

The start of the boardwalk on the Rainbow Falls Trail

Todays’ publish is from Allison Spadoni, superintendent of our North Shore Cluster parks, Rainbow Falls Provincial Park, Neys Provincial Park, and White Lake Provincial Park.

Ah, fall!

It’s the best time of 12 months for getting exterior and tackling a number of the longer hikes in your bucket checklist!

What makes the autumn season such a good time for mountain climbing?

Effectively, whereas the times are nonetheless comparatively lengthy and heat, the temperatures have begun to drop, making it extra comfy to work up a sweat whereas mountain climbing open air.

The black flies and mosquitos are gone for the 12 months and the autumn colors make some already spectacular views much more particular to soak up. What extra might a hiker ask for?

One vacation spot value including to your mountain climbing bucket checklist is the Casque Isle Climbing Path, a rugged 53 km part of the Voyageur Path situated between the Township of Terrace Bay and the Village of Rossport. Parts of this path additionally journey via Rainbow Falls Provincial Park.

Breaking down Casque Isle

The path itself is damaged into 5 segments.

Every phase has unbiased entry factors off Freeway 17, making the path and its particular person segments very accessible to customers.

view of lookout — Rainbow Falls Path Lookout #2 (Wilson, Channel, Quarry, and Healey Island)

The path is designed to accommodate each newbie and superior hikers, and could be tackled over a number of days or damaged down into smaller (however nonetheless difficult) day hikes.

One of many segments alongside the path, the Schreiber Channel phase, is a 13 km part that runs via Rainbow Falls Provincial Park, a smaller leisure class park providing two distinct campgrounds:

The bigger Whitesand Lake Campground (closed for the season September 14, 2025) is situated on the hotter inland waters of Whitesand Lake.
The Rossport Campground (closed October 14, 2025) could be discovered nestled in alongside the rugged shores of Lake Superior.

The Schreiber Channel phase of the path winds alongside the park’s principal roadway till it reaches the Rainbow Falls Trailhead, situated simply previous the park’s West Seaside Day Use Space.

Taking in Rainbow Falls

The Rainbow Falls Path is a 1.1 km (2.2 km return) linear route that features a collection of stairs and platforms that run alongside the park’s namesake — the Rainbow Falls cascades.

After crossing a bridge that spans the river, the path leaves the river and climbs to an outlook providing lovely panoramic views of Lake Superior.

Whereas the Rainbow Falls part of the path ends at this lookout level, the Schreiber Channel phase of the path (which features a hike via one other protected space, Schreiber Channel Provincial Park) continues alongside a route that options a number of different nice lookout factors together with Twin Harbours, Flint Island, Winston Level Lookout, and Selim Lookout.

Go to this fall!

Whether or not you intend to finish the whole path, or just wish to discover unbiased segments, Rainbow Falls makes an ideal stopover, serving as a base camp for Casque Isle hikers throughout every campground’s open season.

Slivers of an indigo lake surrounded by thick forest, changing colour for the fall — Whitesand Lake from Rainbow Falls Path Lookout #1

Whereas hikers are welcome to make the most of the (restricted) first-come, first-served campsites situated alongside the path itself, having fun with the park campgrounds’ creature comforts of a sizzling bathe, bagged firewood, and a spot to cost an digital gadget can actually be welcoming on the finish of a protracted day on the path!

Establishing base camp on the park additionally eliminates the necessity to carry your sleeping and cooking gear in your again all day, making it simpler to discover all this lovely path system has to supply!

After the park campgrounds are closed you may nonetheless plan day hikes via the park alongside this route.

Some issues to recollect

When planning your journey, take a look at the Fall Colors Report, so you may take within the trails segments and their spectacular views throughout peak fall colors!

At all times bear in mind to plan your journey accordingly and hike inside your skills.

For extra data on the Casque Isle Path system, please take a look at Casque Isles Climbing Path Membership – Voyageur Path Affiliation.

Get out and benefit from the joys of mountain climbing. We all know you’re going to fall for mountain climbing this season.

Rainbow Falls Provincial Park is situated a 2 ¼ hour drive from Thunder Bay and 20 minutes from Terrace Bay.