Misery Bay offers over 15 km of hiking trails, a boardwalk and a bird viewing platform overlooking the wetland.
Coastal Alvar Trail – Rating: Moderate – Length: 8km (loop)
The Coastal Alvar Trail is a large looping trail that takes in the natural features in the eastern side of the park. It travels from the Visitor Centre, past old glacial beaches and dolostone pavements as it makes its way to the present day shoreline. From there, the trail travels almost 3.5km along the Lake Huron alvar coastline until it intersects with the Mac’s Bay Trail. At that point, the Coastal Alvar Trail turns north along a glacial shoreline ridge as you make your way back to the Visitor Centre.
Inland Alvar Trail – Rating: Easy – Length: 5km (loop)
The Inland Alvar Trail takes you through stands of mixed forest, old glacial beaches and a variety of open alvar pavements. This smaller looping trail offers a number of interpretive segments including the habitat associated with most of the parks rare and threatened plants including Lakeside Daisy (Manitoulin Gold), Blazing Star, Hill’s Thistle and Pitcher Thistle. There is also a short “spur” that will allow the hiker to connect with the Coastal Alvar Trail.
Misery Bay Trail – Rating: Moderate/Difficult – Length: 5km (loop to trail head)
The Misery Bay Trail begins where the Coastal Alvar Trail hits the Lake Huron coastline. The trail crosses the bayhead wetland along a beautiful sandy outwash as you make your way to the western side of the park. Being that the wetland is so fragile please stay on the trail! Once on the western side of the park the trail features two trail loops that take you through the largest open alvar pavement in the park. Old glacial beaches, alvars, glacial boulders, rare and interesting plants, glacial striations, grykes and erratics are just some of the things you will see.
Mac’s Bay Trail – Rating: Easy – Length: 2km (return to trail head)
Mac’s Bay Trail extends off the easterly portion of the Coastal Trail and travels to Mac’s Bay Conservation Reserve as it makes its way through shady cedars, across disturbed alvar and along a scarp before coming out on the Mac’s Bay shoreline. The shoreline is open and marshy and is a great place for birding. Features associated with the trail include small alvars, grykes, erratics, the glacial shoreline ridge and of course Mac’s Bay Conservation Reserve.
Link to trail map:
https://www.ontarioparks.com/pdf/maps/miserybay/park_map.pdf
We would also direct you to read our DISCLAIMER and our TRAIL USERS CODE.
Region(s): Manitoulin DistrictNearby towns and cities: Gore Bay
Trail feature tags: alvar | Boardwalk | Interpretive signage | Lookout | nature trail | provincial park
MISERY BAY PROVINCIAL NATURE RESERVE TRAILS characteristics
Length: 4 TrailsDifficulty: Difficult (Trail classifications)
Trail surface: Boardwalks and Natural
Trail use: Hiking
Accessibility Notes: None
Fees: Park entrance fees
Flora & Fauna:
Not reported yet
Amenities: picnic areas, washrooms
Attractions: Alvar, Boardwalk, Interpretive Signage, Lookout
Contact:
Phone: 705-966-2315
Find it: 10 minutes west of Evansville on Highway 540 and then south on Misery Bay Rd.
GPS Coordinates (main trailhead):
Latitude: 45.7999890
Longitude: -82.7260470