Algonquin Provincial Park: Eastern Pines Backpacking Trail (2 days / 21 km)
The Eastern Pines Backpacking Trail is the shortest of the 3 overnight backpacking trails in Algonquin Provincial Park. Situated in the northeast corner of the park, the trail is typically open from late April to late October. This 21 km loop covers the full backpacking trail, including the side trail to High Falls and the Berm Lake Trail.
The focal point of this route is High Falls—a popular area on the Barron River featuring a natural water slide and rock pools for swimming. Along the trail, you’ll also see beautiful lake vistas, weave around boulders in a section of trail called the “Glacial Boulder Gardens,” and hike amongst the Eastern Pines from which the trail gets its name.
While the trail is rated as “difficult” by the Friends of Algonquin Park due to “steep climbs, side slopes and sharp turns,” it’s particularly well-suited to beginner backpackers! It’s also a great route for experienced hikers looking for a more relaxing backcountry experience.
Trip Completed: September 2023
Trip Summary
Location: The Eastern Pines Backpacking Trail is accessed from the Grand Lake – Achray Access Point at Achray Campground in Algonquin Provincial Park. The nearest town is Petawawa — over an hour away. The trailhead is 3 hours from Ottawa and 6 hours from Toronto.
It’s worth noting that accessing this area of the park requires driving 50 km on a gravel road. The road is rough in sections and may not be suitable for those relying on a rental car to get to the trailhead.
Traditional Territory: This route takes place on the traditional territory of the Omàmìwininìwag (Algonquin) and Anishinabewaki (source).
Maps & Resources
Guidebook: N/A
Map: Backpacking Trails of Algonquin Provincial Park
Interactive Map: Click here to view and modify this route using the interactive Route Planner
Permits & Reservations
Campsite Reservations: Campsites are booked up to 5 months in advance via the Ontario Parks Online Reservation system. Specific campsites are reserved.
Permits: Permits are included in your campsite reservation. If your vehicle’s license plate number is included in your reservation details, you don’t need to pick up a paper vehicle permit at Sand Lake Gate.
Know Before You Go
Season: The trail is typically open from late April to late October. I would recommend hiking this route during the summer months when the water is warmest to fully enjoy the natural swimming pools and water slide at High Falls! We hiked this route over the Labour Day long weekend in September and the falls were crowded, but we encountered few people on the backpacking trail. Consider visiting in June or September for a better chance at having High Falls to yourself.
Cell Reception: There is no cell reception along the trail or at the trailhead. The nearest reliable service is at Sand Lake Gate—45 minutes from the campground / access point.
Water: All campsites are on a lake with access to collect water for filtering. Along the trail, there are several opportunities to filter water from lakes and ponds.
Wildlife: Black bears are the largest wildlife risk, so be sure to hang your food and scented items at night or store them in a bear canister. There are also lots of food-motivated squirrels and chipmunks around camp!
Waste: There are outhouses at the trailhead and all campsites have thunderboxes. There is also a thunderbox at High Falls. Waste must be brought outside the park for disposal.
Outfitters & Shuttles
Outfitter: Since we have our own backpacking gear, we did not use an outfitter for this trip. For renting backpacking gear, a list of local outfitters is available on the Friends of Algonquin Park website.
Shuttle: Our route was a loop from the trailhead, so no shuttle was required.
Trip Report
Day 1: Trailhead to Stratton Lake #6 (8 km / 175 m)
We arrived at the trailhead at around 12:30 pm, after a 3-hour drive from Ottawa, and began hiking shortly after. The first 3 km are quite flat as the trail winds past Johnston Lake. There are 5 campsites on this lake, but are accessed from the trail running along the opposite side of the lake.
Then, the trail climbs for about 500 m, followed by a descent towards the next cluster of campsites on Stratton Lake. Along the way, there are great views as the forest clears for views of the lake. About 5 km in, we stopped for a short snack break at one of these campsites.
From here, the trail heads inland. The few small ups and downs feel like nothing as the terrain is very flat. Overall, these last 3 km to the campsite were pretty boring. All I could think was, “Are we there yet?”—a bit dramatic considering it took us a total of 2 hours to reach our campsite.
Campsite: We camped at Stratton Lake #6, which is the southernmost campsite in the cluster of 4 closest to High Falls. There is space for a couple of tents and each campsite has its own thunderbox. The thunderbox is located so close to this site that you can see someone sitting on it from the fire pit. As a result, this campsite is probably best for intimate groups!
| Distance | 8 km |
| Elevation Gain | 175 m |
| Campsite Reservation | Stratton Lake #6 next to High Falls |
Day 2: Optional “Rest Day” – Return Hike to High Falls (2 km)
With nowhere to rush off to today, we slept in and enjoyed a relaxing morning at our campsite. We even brought a hammock—something we normally reserve for frontcountry camping!
It’s a flat 1 km walk to High Falls, where we headed mid-morning with a small daypack filled with sunscreen, towels, and snacks. It took us 15 minutes at a leisurely pace. We spent the day here enjoying the natural water slide and swimming in the various rock pools, then headed the same 1 km back to our campsite for dinner. It was a lovely rest day!
Campsite: Same as Day 1.
| Distance | n/a |
| Elevation Gain | n/a |
| Campsite Reservation | Stratton Lake #6 near High Falls |
Day 3: Stratton Lake #6 to Trailhead (11 km / 345 m)
We packed up our campsite and began hiking back to the trailhead around 9 am. Rather than walking back the same way we came, we decided to complete the Eastern Pines loop and took the long way back to the car.
It took us about an hour to hike the 4 km to the lone campsite on Bucholtz Lake (which looks a lot more like a pond than a lake) via the Glacial Rock Gardens—a section of trail characterized by the boulders lining the trail and rocks underfoot. This label on the map makes it sound more impressive than it is. Really, it’s just different terrain to the typical forested tracks on the rest of the route.
It’s another 3 km, or 45 minutes, from Bucholtz Lake to the junction at Johnston Lake, where we headed up towards Berm Lake. The side trail to the Johnston Lake campsites is about 1 km after this junction, and another few hundred metres from there to Berm Lake. Here, we chose to hike the long way around Berm Lake, but you can also head straight to the trailhead.
We were happy with our choice to head back via the Berm Lake trail, because it’s quite pretty! The scenery and the rockier terrain adds some nice variety to the route. From the Berm Lake junction, it’s about 2.5 km to take this long way around the lake. We arrived back at our car after just over 3 hours of hiking and beelined to the Achray Campground beach for a refreshing post-hike swim!
| Distance | 11 km |
| Elevation Gain | 345 m |
| Campsite Reservation | n/a |
Reflections
The Eastern Pines Backpacking Trail is probably the least popular of Algonquin’s 3 backpacking trails, but I think it’s my favourite. This has a lot to do with High Falls being such a fun destination. Between the fairly easy terrain and spending 2 nights at the same campsite, this was also our first relaxing backpacking trip! As much as I enjoy the “Type 2 fun” brought on by a trail that pushes you to your limits, I also enjoy feeling somewhat refreshed—instead of utterly exhausted—after a camping trip.
While this route can easily be completed as a simple overnighter, I recommend adding in a “rest day.” This gives you a full day to explore and enjoy the natural swimming pools and waterslide at High Falls. After all, High Falls was the highlight of our trip—and the main reason we chose to visit this area of Algonquin.
Whether you’re an experienced backpacker or a first-timer, this is a great trail to add to your list. It’s definitely a trail I can see myself completing again!
Author Bio
Sarah loves spending time outdoors—be it on foot, in the water, or on her bike. She’s been camping all her life and avidly backpacking for the past 4 years. When Sarah isn’t sleeping in a tent, she can be found training for triathlons and travelling the world. She currently lives in Ottawa, Ontario.
Instagram: @sarahvt97