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Rating: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ Mississagi
c/o Chutes Provincial Park P.O. Box 37, 660 Imperial Street North Massey, ON, P0P 1P0 705-862-1203 (May to September); 705-865-2021 (October to May) No. of Sites (80) - 39 non-electrical sites, 0 electrical sites, 1 group site, 4 walk-in sites, 31 Seasonal sites, 10 overflow sites Wheel Chair Accessible Campsites - 2 (sites 51 and 59) Operating Dates: May 19, 2023 to October 1, 2023 |
Blog Entries: Mississagi Tenting August 2023 - Walk Right On In And Enjoy!
Mississagi Backpacking August 2023 - Let New Adventures Begin!
- A Poopy Day With No Place To Poop
- Be Happy For This Moment. This Moment Is Your Life
- Making A Shelter
- One Of These Things Is Not Like The Otters
- Sleeping Beside A Hornets Nest
- Discovering Mississagi's Secrets
Mississagi Backpacking August 2023 - Let New Adventures Begin!
- A Poopy Day With No Place To Poop
- Be Happy For This Moment. This Moment Is Your Life
- Making A Shelter
- One Of These Things Is Not Like The Otters
- Sleeping Beside A Hornets Nest
- Discovering Mississagi's Secrets
Terrain: A rugged landscape of ancient hills and clear lakes. Part Boreal region featuring white and black spruce, balsam fir, Jack pine, white birch,
and trembling aspen. Also part Great Lakes - St. Lawrence region featuring red pine, white pine, eastern hemlock, sugar maple, red oak,
and cedar.
Staff: Some of the most friendly and helpful you will find anywhere around. Very impressed with their service. Unfortunately , some of the
information they have been given is incorrect (ie." Lower and Upper Bush Lakes were reversed on their maps, and some back country sites
were missing from their maps). Despite this, they were open and welcoming to corrected information. The staff here should be proud of the
work they do. They are an awesome group!
Bathrooms: The bathrooms here are really not so good. They are run down and need upgrades. There are old electrical boxes in some that are
not connected to anything anymore. There is a faucet in the women's walk-in site bathroom that you have to hold on to the faucet in
order to turn on the tap or else the whole faucet will move and it won't turn on. There were bathrooms that had no toilet paper in
them.
Comfort stations are non-existent .in this park. The cleanest and best bathrooms you will find in the park are the barrier free
bathrooms that have flush toilets.
Showers: There are no showers to be found anywhere in the park. The closest thing you will find is to drive into Elliot Lake and use the ones at the
public pool. This is not great when you have just come out of 6 nights of backpacking in the backcountry. Also, there are no laundry
facilities either.
Beach: There are 3 beaches that slope into the pleasant waters of Semiwite Lake. Two are located in the day use and campground areas
respectively, and there is a beautiful sand beach at the end of the Helenbar Trail which can be accessed on foot by walking the Semiwite
Lake hiking trail or by boat. There are no buoy lines at any of these beaches.
Outdoor Water Faucets: There are water faucets all throughout the park. Some of them are potable and some of them are not. They are clearly
marked so that you know which is which. The water is monitored and tested daily by licensed park staff and tested
weekly by the Algoma District Health Unit in Sault Ste. Marie.
Hiking Trails:
Flack Lake Nature Trail - 0.8 km (45 minutes) easy
Interesting geological features and remnants of an old logging camp are features of this trail.
Helenbar Lookout Trail - 7 km (2-4 hours) moderate
Focal points include huge boulder erratics, a spectacular lookout and views of the surrounding mountainous landscape. There is a white sand beach on Semiwite Lake where the Helenbar and Semiwite Lake Trails meet.
MacKenzie Trail - 22 km (3-5 days) strenuous
To test your hiking stamina and get away from it all, try this overnight trail into the backcountry. Campsites are located on the Brush Lakes. From the Brush Lakes Lookout and other lookouts along the eastern edge of the trail, you can look across the vast Stag Lake Peatlands, a provincially significant wetland filling part of the Boland Valley. The Helenbar Lookout and Semiwite Lake Trails can be combined with the Mackenzie for a multi-day backcountry hike.
Semiwite Creek Trail - 1.2 km (1 hour) easy
Follow Semiwite Creek for a chance to see wildlife and photograph picturesque views.
JimChrist Trail – 11 km (6 hours) moderate
Mixed hardwoods and large White Pines tower over this trail which climbs a series of ridges and hills. There is a good view of the base of the Helenbar Lookout ridge at the mid-point of the trail.
Cobre Lake Trail - 11 km (3-5 hours) strenuous
This trail is situated just 11 km north of the park in the Rawhide Lake Conservation Reserve. Look for evidence of last century copper mining exploration, majestic White and Red Pine forests and panoramic views of several lakes.
Pet Amenities: There are no pet beaches or any sort of amenities for pets. Pets are not allowed in the swimming areas and must be kept on a
leash at all times including out in the backcountry. There was an incident where a dog died due to an encounter with a bear
because the dog was not on a leash. Please do not let the same thing happen to your dog or pet.
Playground: There is one tiny playground that can be found by following a trail between the day beach and the beach near the boat launch. The
playground consists of a jungle gym.
Park Store: The Park Store is located at the gatehouse and sells ice (blocks and cubes), a variety of Pepsi products, bottled water, ice cream and
sundries. A selection of Ontario Parks merchandise such as T-shirts and stickers is also available.
Rentals: Canoes can be rented by the day or half-day for use on the lakes in and around the park. Personal floatation devices (PFDs) are available
with a $25 refundable deposit.
and trembling aspen. Also part Great Lakes - St. Lawrence region featuring red pine, white pine, eastern hemlock, sugar maple, red oak,
and cedar.
Staff: Some of the most friendly and helpful you will find anywhere around. Very impressed with their service. Unfortunately , some of the
information they have been given is incorrect (ie." Lower and Upper Bush Lakes were reversed on their maps, and some back country sites
were missing from their maps). Despite this, they were open and welcoming to corrected information. The staff here should be proud of the
work they do. They are an awesome group!
Bathrooms: The bathrooms here are really not so good. They are run down and need upgrades. There are old electrical boxes in some that are
not connected to anything anymore. There is a faucet in the women's walk-in site bathroom that you have to hold on to the faucet in
order to turn on the tap or else the whole faucet will move and it won't turn on. There were bathrooms that had no toilet paper in
them.
Comfort stations are non-existent .in this park. The cleanest and best bathrooms you will find in the park are the barrier free
bathrooms that have flush toilets.
Showers: There are no showers to be found anywhere in the park. The closest thing you will find is to drive into Elliot Lake and use the ones at the
public pool. This is not great when you have just come out of 6 nights of backpacking in the backcountry. Also, there are no laundry
facilities either.
Beach: There are 3 beaches that slope into the pleasant waters of Semiwite Lake. Two are located in the day use and campground areas
respectively, and there is a beautiful sand beach at the end of the Helenbar Trail which can be accessed on foot by walking the Semiwite
Lake hiking trail or by boat. There are no buoy lines at any of these beaches.
Outdoor Water Faucets: There are water faucets all throughout the park. Some of them are potable and some of them are not. They are clearly
marked so that you know which is which. The water is monitored and tested daily by licensed park staff and tested
weekly by the Algoma District Health Unit in Sault Ste. Marie.
Hiking Trails:
Flack Lake Nature Trail - 0.8 km (45 minutes) easy
Interesting geological features and remnants of an old logging camp are features of this trail.
Helenbar Lookout Trail - 7 km (2-4 hours) moderate
Focal points include huge boulder erratics, a spectacular lookout and views of the surrounding mountainous landscape. There is a white sand beach on Semiwite Lake where the Helenbar and Semiwite Lake Trails meet.
MacKenzie Trail - 22 km (3-5 days) strenuous
To test your hiking stamina and get away from it all, try this overnight trail into the backcountry. Campsites are located on the Brush Lakes. From the Brush Lakes Lookout and other lookouts along the eastern edge of the trail, you can look across the vast Stag Lake Peatlands, a provincially significant wetland filling part of the Boland Valley. The Helenbar Lookout and Semiwite Lake Trails can be combined with the Mackenzie for a multi-day backcountry hike.
Semiwite Creek Trail - 1.2 km (1 hour) easy
Follow Semiwite Creek for a chance to see wildlife and photograph picturesque views.
JimChrist Trail – 11 km (6 hours) moderate
Mixed hardwoods and large White Pines tower over this trail which climbs a series of ridges and hills. There is a good view of the base of the Helenbar Lookout ridge at the mid-point of the trail.
Cobre Lake Trail - 11 km (3-5 hours) strenuous
This trail is situated just 11 km north of the park in the Rawhide Lake Conservation Reserve. Look for evidence of last century copper mining exploration, majestic White and Red Pine forests and panoramic views of several lakes.
Pet Amenities: There are no pet beaches or any sort of amenities for pets. Pets are not allowed in the swimming areas and must be kept on a
leash at all times including out in the backcountry. There was an incident where a dog died due to an encounter with a bear
because the dog was not on a leash. Please do not let the same thing happen to your dog or pet.
Playground: There is one tiny playground that can be found by following a trail between the day beach and the beach near the boat launch. The
playground consists of a jungle gym.
Park Store: The Park Store is located at the gatehouse and sells ice (blocks and cubes), a variety of Pepsi products, bottled water, ice cream and
sundries. A selection of Ontario Parks merchandise such as T-shirts and stickers is also available.
Rentals: Canoes can be rented by the day or half-day for use on the lakes in and around the park. Personal floatation devices (PFDs) are available
with a $25 refundable deposit.
Things To Do At Mississagi Provincial Park
- Fishing
- Swimming
- Biking
- Birding
- Hiking
- Boating
- Canoeing
- Fishing
- Swimming
- Biking
- Birding
- Hiking
- Boating
- Canoeing
Attractions And Places To Go Near Mississagi Provincial Park
Closest City (town) - Elliot Lake, Ontario
- Sarah's Food Truck
- Westview Park
- Fire Tower Lookout
- Fire Ranger’s Heritage Centre
- Sheriff Creek Wildlife Sanctuary
- Miners' Memorial Park
- Elliot Lake Nuclear And Mining Museum
- Stone Ridge Golf Course
- Mississagi Lighthouse
- Timber Village Museum (Blind River)
Closest City (town) - Elliot Lake, Ontario
- Sarah's Food Truck
- Westview Park
- Fire Tower Lookout
- Fire Ranger’s Heritage Centre
- Sheriff Creek Wildlife Sanctuary
- Miners' Memorial Park
- Elliot Lake Nuclear And Mining Museum
- Stone Ridge Golf Course
- Mississagi Lighthouse
- Timber Village Museum (Blind River)
Directions: Mississagi Provincial Park is 25 kilometers or 15 minutes north of Elliot Lake, via Highways 108 and 639. It's 190 kilometers east of Sault Ste. Marie, via Highways 17 and 546. Sudbury is 160 kilometers to the east.