The Barron Canyon Trail, a 1.5 km Hike in the Northeast Part of Algonquin Provincial Park

I tend to think that a hike has to be pretty tough in order to get me a great view. But the Barron Canyon Trail in Algonquin Park was absolutely the exception to that rule.

The Barron Canyon Trail clocks in at only 1.5 km long, but the view from the top is absolutely STUNNING! Beneath the lookout runs the Barron River, creating, well, a gorgeous canyon that stretches for what feels like forever.

If you’re in the northeast part of the park, you simply can’t skip this hiking trail.

Please note that the edge of the cliff drops off VERY steeply at the top of the canyon. Kids and dogs should be kept very close on this trail, as a fall from the top would absolutely be fatal.

Quick Facts

Length: 1.5 km
Difficulty: Moderate (On a scale of easy-moderate-hard).
Trailhead Coordinates: 45.889957, -77.636039
Washroom at Trailhead: Yes
Dogs Allowed: Yes
Cell Reception: None
Wheelchair Accessible: No
Parking: Free

Getting There

The Barron Canyon Trail is in the northeast part of Algonquin Park. Which, by the way, is pretty huge. So if you’re in a different section of the park, just be aware that this trailhead could be VERY out of the way. For example, from the Mew Lake Campground on Highway 60, it takes about 2.5 hours to get up to this trail. So if you’re in the northeastern part of the park already, definitely don’t skip it!

You can use these coordinates to get there: 45.889957, -77.636039.

Barron Canyon Road is a wide gravel road, suitable for almost any type of vehicle. There was a big sign by the side of the road pointing us into the parking lot.

The lot itself was a good size, with room for about 50 cars. We were there on a Sunday evening and there was no one else there with us, but I would imagine this trail would be very popular at other times.

At the back of the parking lot there was a large map posted, and we were able to grab a paper map to take with us. So, that’s where we started the trail.

The Trail

Right away, the trail went UP. It was quite steep, and I was definitely huffing and puffing. Fortunately, that only lasted for 400 metres and then we were at the top of the Barron Canyon!

The whole way up, the trail was nice and wide, making it easy for us to walk side by side. There were no trail markers along the way but the path was so obvious that it would have been nearly impossible to get lost. The terrain also wasn’t very technical- there were very few obstacles to avoid (like rocks or roots), so the steepness of the hill was really our only challenge.

The Lookouts

The first lookout over the Barron Canyon was absolutely stunning. We could see all the way down the river below. At the first lookout there was a bench, which was great because I was still winded.

The trail then veered off to our right, bringing us along the ridgeline of the canyon. As we walked along, the treeline opened up and we nabbed more beautiful views of what was below us. Plus, the trail up here was nice and flat. Which was a welcome relief after that first 400 metres.

The clifftop trail and views lasted for about 500 metres before the trail began to bring us away from the cliff’s edge. It also started to head downhill. Then, after hiking 1 km we reached our first trail split. Heading off to the left, we were granted one final look down the canyon. We hiked back the way we had come, keeping straight to continue downhill and back to the parking lot.

Trail Thoughts

The trail is a complete loop, and so brought us to a few feet right of the original trailhead we had taken.

By the time we arrived at the parking lot we had hiked the entire 1.5 km in 45 minutes. Obviously, that included a lot of picture taking at the top!

This trail was amazing. The views were absolutely incredible, and I’m so glad we stopped while we were in that part of the park- it’s not to be missed! The trail itself is pretty easy to hike, but that 400 metres at the beginning does make you work a bit for the view, which is the only reason I rated it as “moderate.”

We had actually paddled down the Barron River earlier in the day, making the hike that much cooler- we got to see it from the bottom and then the top! I literally cannot say enough good things about this little trail.

I hope you get to hike it one day!

Map and Elevation Gain

Whenever I’m hiking somewhere new, I tend to wonder about who was on, and who took care of that land before me. I’ve enjoyed using this website as a place to start learning more about the Indigenous people whose land I’m on: Native-land.ca.