Killarney Provincial Park: Pink Granite Hike at Cranberry Bog Trail
Killarney Provincial Park 960 Highway #637 Killarney, ON, ON P0M 2A0, Canada
Wetlands of Killarney Provincial Park, with beaver dams, aquatic plants
With 645 square kilometre of wilderness landscape of pink granite, white quartzite ridges and sapphire lakes, this park has inspired the notable Group of Seven who found their muse within these very vistas.
Trip Report:
This trip is an add-on! Our Killarney Park leg is part of our French River camping adventure which is why it’s particularly short.
| Type | Frontcountry | |
| Toronto Drive | ||
| Duration | ||
| Campground | ||
| Site | ||
| Season | Summer (June 2021) |
Day 1: Rest
Killarney Park is a great stop to combine with a visit to French River, or Grundy Lake and in our case, we had just finished a backcountry trip and dropped in for car camping.
Camping Reservations: (here)
View of George Lake, Killarney Provincial Park, Ontario Canada
Site #83: at the George Lake campgrounds by Mallard Dr. this is a nice campsite with a lot of tall trees and decent privacy with a short walk to the water tap and washroom.
Park Map: George Lake campground
Day 2: Cranberry Bog Trail
Cranberry Bog Trail (4km) overlaps a small section of the famous La Cloche Silhouette Trail which is a backpacking bucketlist hike. The start of the hike is quite challenging with a lot of inclines on unsteady walk so this is considered a moderate trail. This trail has many areas of mesmerizing pink granite rock outcrops that are unique to the area and vary from smooth surfaces to walk on to distant shore formations.
Encounter rocky outcrops and exposed roots on the moderate trek
Soft pink granite rocks on the Cranberry Bog Trail
Witness Beaver Engineering
You’ll encounter a lot of marshy wetland with areas that house multiple beaver dams within close proximity. We found we could see them easily without binoculars since the areas were unobstructed enough for a good look.
Canadian beavers can build multiple dams within their territory. While a beaver family typically maintains one primary dam, they may construct smaller secondary dams to control water flow, expand their foraging area, or create additional habitats which creates more biodiversity in the area.
A human-constructed wooden boardwalk over a beaver-made dam to allow hikers to traverse through the different water levels
Part of the trail with ankle-tickling ferns and shrubs
A Plethora of Plants
We were lucky enough to spot one of Ontario’s uncommon native orchids: the Pink Lady’s Slipper which were in bloom in June. The roots develop over several seasons biding time and energy until the plant finally unveils a single bud after up to 10 years in growth! Amongst the diverse habit you traverse on this trail, you can also find even more interesting flora such as carnivorous sundew and pitcher plants.
Pink Lady’s Slipper (Cypripedium acaule), shaped like moccasins
Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) cones start light green and turn brown as it matures
American Goldfinches Everywhere
We did the trail backwards and ended at Proulx Marsh for one last panoramic view. Today, we saw a flock of American Goldfinches feasting on the tall grass. American Goldfinches have a specialized diet and rely heavily on seeds using their thick cone-shaped beaks to crush hulls to consume the protein and fats within.
When goldfinches land on stalks, you can see the stems bow and flick back up as they hop from plant to plant. Other than their vivid yellow colour, bouncing vegetation are a dead giveaway of bird activity.
Proulx Marsh at the Cranberry Trail (4km) close to George Lake campgrounds, Killarney Park
Day 3: Home
We woke up to the most wonderful trills of a flute from one of the sites nearby. This was the trip that inspired me to start bringing small instruments camping so I could always have songs ready in my pant pocket too.
Tearing down our tarp and shovelling our gear into our two cars, we made our way back to Toronto.
Final Thoughts
This is a short report that barely grazes what Killarney has to offer, especially its famous rugged backcountry experiences. But for those who can’t, or don’t want to do backcountry trips, the car camping sites are still a really good option that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Our camp neighbour was a senior woman who told me stories of her extreme wilderness adventures (blizzarding winter camping and rushing rapids paddling trips) when she was a young woman but now, much older and with adult children who inherited the same fiery spirit, she can't necessarily come with them all the time.
She told me that the car campgrounds like this still allow her to experience nature with her kids in a way that she is capable of doing right now. That conversation made me think a lot more about accessibility while camping and how frontcountry options keep doors open longer for people to connect with nature. The way she gazed up at the tall pine tree by the communal washrooms while waiting for her husband, was the same bewildered look you’d see from someone witnessing the most wonderful vista after summiting a peak. I learnt that day that wild things don’t require trekking through extremes to appreciate their majesty.
For our camping gear list, click here.
Read another car camping trip at Awenda, Silent Lake, or more.
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