Frontenac Provincial Park: 2-Nights Backpacking Little Salmon Lake Loop
Frontenac Provincial Park 6700 Salmon Lake Rd Sydenham, ON K0H 2T0, Canada
View of Little Salmon Lake
Frontenac Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada, offers a rustic nature retreat with over 100 kilometers of trails, making it a haven for hikers. Whether you're a casual stroller or a seasoned hiker, this park allows you to explore its wilderness at your own pace.
Trip Report:
Although Big Salmon Lake can be done as a 1-night backcountry camping trip, I decided to expand our stay so that we could have more time resting and soaking in the wilderness rather than hustling through the hikes. A popular activity at Frontenac is fishing so W brought his fishing rod.
| Type | Backcountry | |
| Toronto Drive | ||
| Duration | ||
| Camp #1 | 2b - Little Salmon Lake | |
| Camp #2 | 4d - Big Salmon Lake | |
| Season | Summer (July 2022) |
Day 1: Little Salmon Lake
After arriving at the Park Office, we drove to the parking lot and started our trip at the trailhead, hiking the route that follows both Big and Little Salmon Lake. The sun was blazing hot and our packs (not yet ultralight) were heavy.
Camping Reservations: (here)
Campsite Photos: (here)
Trailhead: Parking Lot
Trail: Little Salmon Lake Loop (17km)
Park Map: general map of hiking trails and portages and our trip route
Trailhead starts at Big Salmon Lake Parking Lot
Hiking at Big Salmon Lake Loop
Turning into Little Salmon Lake
The hike itself during this leg of the trip wasn’t long (4km) and the terrain was moderate so we ended up arriving at our first camp early. Our neighbours hadn’t arrived so we set-up our tent and dipped in the lake. It was crystal clear and still.
Campsite 2b - Little Salmon Lake at Frontenac Park
With so much time left in the day I spend nearly all my hours here, playing music or painting. W on the other-hand, had brought his fishing rod and made a few attempts at casting his reel but no luck.
A light kalimba music session at camp
En plein air watercolour painting of the lake, featuring Pickerelweed
Common fish found at Frontenac Park are Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass, Lake Trout, Northern Pike amongst others
Ramen + Fireflies
Being the first night, we were able to comfortably transport some seasoned ramen eggs and slurped soft noodles while fireflies fluttered in. As darkness hit, our neighbours arrived (quietly) and we built a fire to cap the day.
Backpacking meal: ramen noodles
Fireflies at night
Fire pit ring at the campsites
Day 2: Big Salmon lake
A quick tear-down of the campsite and we were off to the second leg of the hike! At 8km we started early (11:00am) particularly because we were expecting it to rain. And oh did it rain!
Frontenac Park is situated on the Canadian Shield, one of the world's oldest geological formations
on track in Heavy Rain
Rainfall often gets a bad reputation of dampening (figuratively speaking) adventures but we found it to be exhilarating. The pitter-patter drum of droplets hitting your hood acts as a soft metronome to your footsteps. Slushing mud suctioning your soles feels like the earth is asking you to hang out with it for just a half-second more. Even though it made me wetter, I couldn’t help but pull down my hood down (I was already drenched in sweat) to feel the rain directly on my skin.
Backpacking in the rain, some areas were especially muddy
Various types of algae thrive in the lakes, contributing to the overall aquatic ecosystem
SEttling In Clear Skies
Campsite 4d - Big Salmon Lake: We arrived at Big Salmon Lake late mid afternoon, completely soaked with rain still pounding down. W threw the tarp up as fast as he could, and I pitched our tent in a fury. By late afternoon we finally got some sunshine, dried up and had a late curry lunch.
Camping food: our fresh naan lasted for our 2-night trip
The view of Big Salmon Lake at Frontenac Park
Day 3: Home
Much like its smaller counterpart, Big Salmon Lake had crystal clear waters and a sandy bottom in some reasons for taking a comfortable dip. We didn’t have as much privacy this time as a big family camped beside us but that’s just how it goes sometimes. We still found quiet corners to be ourselves.
A quick swim before heading home: soft bottoms make for comfortable swimming at Big Salmon Lake
Possibly a Black Trumpet Mushroom
One tired, but happy hiker
Hot weather sandwiched our trip so it was still a gruelling hike back despite the modest distance and our packs being lighter. We were ready to be home because although this was a short trip, I felt so satiated by the end of it. I think the rainfall really made it an adventure to remember, especially with how we cheered each other up despite having sloppy wet socks and sore backs. I never felt so in sync with someone.
Final Thoughts
A park that I could say is easily one to revisit over and over! The biggest con to Frontenac is that the sites are in clusters so privacy isn’t top-notch but this can also be a pro for new backpackers that aren’t ready to leave humankind behind. Some hiking trails in Ontario can be a slog of monotonous scenery but this park isn’t that. Wildly different at every corner! Considering we don’t have many backpacking trails close to Toronto, we’ll be back again soon without a doubt.
For our camping gear list, click here.
Read another backpacking trip at Bruce Peninsula, or more.
Support my work by purchasing an Art Print!
Related Posts:
Nothing brings you together more than soaked socks during a wet hike. This was our most sopping wet backpacking trip ever.