Pigeon River Provincial Park: Middle Falls (Blog Hike #647)

Trail: Middle Falls Trail

Hike Location: Pigeon River Provincial Park

Geographic Location: southwest of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada (48.01846, -89.61032)

Length: 1.3 kilometers (or 0.8 miles)

Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)

Date Hiked: July 2017

Overview: A short out-and-back through an abandoned campground to the scenic Middle Falls on the Pigeon River.

Park Information: https://www.ontarioparks.com/park/pigeonriver

Hike Route Map: http://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=632972
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: From the Ontario Travel Information Centre at the US/Canada border, take Provincial Highway 61 north 2.5 kilometers to Ontario 593 and turn left on Ontario 593.  Drive Ontario 593 west 1.6 kilometers to the unsigned gravel Middle Falls parking area on the left.  Park here.

The hike: Tucked flush against the Pigeon River, which forms the United States/Canada border in this region, Pigeon River Provincial Park is Ontario’s piece of adjacent Grand Portage State Park in Minnesota.  The Ontario park was established in 1960, 29 years before its American counterpart.  The two parks straddle the Pigeon River, which has two major waterfalls within the parks’ boundaries: 125-foot High Falls and 20-foot Middle Falls.

            The provincial park is solely a day-use park, and it has no amenities other than the Ontario Travel Information Centre.  What Pigeon River Provincial Park lacks in amenities it makes up for in solitude and scenery.  Anglers enjoy casting their lures in the Pigeon River and Lake Superior, both of which can be accessed from the park.  The park lies in a transition zone between lowland and boreal forest, so birders spot a wide array of woodland songbirds here.

            For hikers, the park offers 5 trails that total just over 7 kilometers.  Trails access either of the Pigeon River’s two waterfalls from either country, but the easiest hike to High Falls starts in Minnesota while the easiest hike to Middle Falls starts in Ontario.  Thus, if you want to hike to Middle Falls, you can either hike 3.5 miles on muddy trails in Minnesota or 0.8 miles on a former campground road in Ontario.  This hike describes the latter option.

Middle Falls Trailhead

            From the parking area, head southwest on a two-track dirt road that passes through a gate.  A small blue sign tells you that Middle Falls is 0.7 kilometers away.  This sunny dirt road with some tall grass in the middle is the old campground road, and you will follow it almost all of the way to Middle Falls.

            The Pigeon River can constantly be heard to the left, but at 0.4 kilometers you reach your first good river view.  A picnic table and fire ring mark this point, and Middle Falls can be seen upstream from here.  Although this area is no longer an official campground, the fire ring showed signs of recent use on my visit.

Riverside picnic table

            Continuing southwest, you pass an abandoned concrete foundation on the right before reaching the old asphalt parking area at 0.6 kilometers.  Some white parking lot stripes can still be seen on the asphalt.  Ontario 593 can be seen and heard uphill to the right.

            The trail now becomes single-track as a brief and slightly rocky descent brings you to a fantastic view of Middle Falls.  Though only 6 meters high, the river provides plenty of water to fall, and the surrounding rocks frame the main falls nicely.  If you see hikers sitting atop the rocks to the left of the waterfall, they got here the hard way through Minnesota, and their view is not as good as yours.

Middle Falls

The trail ends at the waterfall, so after enjoying the waterfall you must retrace your steps along the old campground road to the parking lot to complete your hike.  While you are in Canada, consider hiking the Boardwalk Trail, an easy route that starts at the Ontario Travel Information Centre and leads to the shore of Lake Superior, or try Ontario’s trail to High Falls if you want more of a challenge.