Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands: Victoria Falls to Devil’s Lake (3 days / 34 km)
This 34 km hike follows the wilderness section of the Ganaraska Trail as it winds through various terrain and takes you across the Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park. For three days we hiked through swamps, across beaver dams, along lakes and streams, and into some beautiful rocky outcrops and forested areas along a seldom-used section of the Ganaraska Trail.
The trail is challenging and requires a strong ability to navigate, as trail markers can be hard to find, and, in some sections, they are spread far apart. The effort is worth the reward of the variety of scenery and wildlife that is experienced along the way. Be aware that this area does have a lot of tics (my buddy and I each found at least one on us during the hike) and the sites are not as “luxurious” as what you would find in a place like Algonquin Park. The beauty of this trip is in the challenge of the hike and the scenery along the way. Mediocre campsites and a few tics are no deterrent to the experiences that come with this spectacular hike.
Trip Completed: May 2023
Trip Summary
Location: QEW II Wildlands Provincial Park (Non-operating provincial park)
Traditional Territory: This route takes place on the traditional territory of Anishinabewaki.
Maps & Resources
Guidebook: Ganaraska Hiking Trail – Before starting off, consult the Ganaraska Trail website where they post updates on route changes which occur seasonally based on trail conditions.
Map: LatLong Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park Map
Permits & Reservations
Campsite Reservations: Sites are marked and are on a first-come, first-served basis
Permits: As this is a non-operating park, permits are not required
Know Before You Go
Season: Any time of year to do this route will have its advantages. Colder months mean less chance of tics, however, there is lots of water to navigate and your feet are likely to get wet. In my opinion, the fall would probably be the best time to go.
Cell Reception: Cell reception was not consistent across the route.
Water: In the middle of the hike water sources are small ponds and lakes. We used a charcoal filter to help with the taste, however any proper filter will work. The eastern portion of the park larger lakes, but water filtration is required.
Wildlife: This area does have black bears and plenty of tics
Waste: The sites were equipped with thunder boxes but as it is a non-operating park, there are no garbage facilities at the various entrances. Garbage should be carried out and disposed of outside the park.
Outfitters & Shuttles
Outfitter: We did not use an outfitter and I’m not sure if there is any that service this park.
Shuttle: We did not use a shuttle. We parked a car at either end of the trip to be able to hike end to end. If a 1-way trip is not an option, many people choose to hike from Devils Lake to Loon Lake and back.
Trip Report
Day 1: Victoria Falls to Otter Lake (4.7 km)
Our first day was spent driving to the park and dropping off a vehicle at Devils’ Lake before travelling to our starting point at Victoria Falls Bridge. The parking lot at Devils Lake is large and services several cottages, campers, and day trippers who frequent this end of the park.
The parking at Victoria Falls is meant for only a few vehicles but it’s not busy and primarily services hikers and day-trippers. Parking at either location is free and was not an issue when we went in May. Victoria Falls is a beautiful place to visit, even for a day, and sets the tone for the rest of the trip. There are two hiking options at this point. Head east or south. Both options eventually parallel each other along either side of a small valley as the trails follow a stream. The distance is about the same as well. We chose to head south to “Black River Junction” and then East towards “Otter Junction”.
Starting from a bridge over the Black River, the trail winds through a forested area before emerging into a rocky plateau. The trail quickly became less obvious but we found our way through the open areas and into some pines that followed the stream until Otter Junction. This area was reasonably well-marked and easy to follow. All the junctions were also obvious which helped us keep track of where we were.
Our first stop took us into a lower portion of the forest that was a bit swampy. Just before we reached Otter Junction we took a quick right turn for a short detour to our first campsite at Otter Lake. Otter Lake is more of a small pond but this was the first site we came across and the next option was about 3 + km away.
Our first section was shorter than the rest because the campsites along here are spread far enough apart that we did not want to risk travelling in the dark to make the first leg a bit longer. We later found out that the next few campsites were not easily found and we did not notice them as we hiked the trail on day 2.
Campsite: The first site (Site #11) was a small clearing next to Otter Lake, marked by your typical orange campsite plaque on a tree. There was a thunderbox and plenty of room for our two tents (could probably fit more). I wouldn’t want to jump in the water, but it offered a nice backdrop for our fire. This time of year, the bugs were out in full force, particularly in this portion of the park, and bug nets were very welcome.
| Total Distance | 4.7 km |
| Campsite Reservation | Site #11 – No reservation required |
Day 2: Otter Lake to Victoria Lake (17.4 km)
Day 2 offered some of my favourite views and terrain. Starting through a swampy forest, we eventually gained some elevation and continued as we scrambled through grassy open areas and across rocky outcroppings.
Along the way, we had to navigate across and around various water features including ponds and small streams. We lost the trail several times but always figured out where we were once we found the next marker. This portion took longer than expected, navigation skills come in handy as we had to find our way back to the trail more than once.
The markers were white paint. Sometimes the paint marks were on the ground which made it difficult to see unless you were already close. There were also several water obstacles to cross which meant that we had to work away across several beaver dams, some of which required some careful footwork to avoid getting wet.
We stopped for lunch at one of the campsites on Loon Lake (Site #15), which was large, flat, and had a picnic table. I believe this is a popular place to hike to from Devils Lake and many people use it as a turnaround point. Loon Lake is small but the water was clear and it was a little better for water collection than some of the ponds we walked past to get here. It would have been a nice place to spend the night.
We chose to press on to get to some of the larger lakes for night 2. Once we reached Wolf Lake the trail skirted along the shore and through other, smaller, less appealing campsites. The last obstacle of the day was to cross a marshy area that severs Wolf Lake and Victoria Lake. Plan to get wet here! It’s shallow and there’s lots of grass and mud to hop through but no real way to navigate without getting into some ankle-deep water.
We finished off the day with some steep climbs that followed a rocky ridge along the edge of Victoria Lake until we found a comfortable site on a cliff above the lake. It’s important to note that between Otter and Loon Lakes there were 3 campsites marked on the map which we did not see. I’m sure they were there, however, if you’re planning on using these sites, give yourself plenty of time and daylight to figure out where they are. Some include smaller paths from the main trail which did not stand out at all as we walked.
Campsite: This site (Site #21) had great views but was a bit of an effort to get down to the lake to filter water. There is a thunderbox and room for 2 tents. The lake here is clear, deep, and inviting, I ended up jumping in to wash off the day and felt great for it. Just before the swim, I found a tic buried into my shoulder, I’m not sure when I picked up the little hitchhiker but tic checks are important! From our site, we saw a family of beavers travelling back and forth across the lake and an unoccupied cabin which was on the south side of the water across from our site. Nearly all of the sites around Wolf and Victoria lakes are close to, or on, the main trail. Just pointing this out because it would mean that if a hiker is coming by they’d have to pretty much walk through the site.
| Distance | 17.4 km |
| Campsite Reservation | Site #21 – No reservation required |
Day 3: Victoria Lake to Devils Lake (11.6 km)
The final leg of our journey was well marked from here on out, it is more often visited and we did cross paths with a few other hikers and canoeists along the way. We continued to follow the rocky shoreline of Victoria Lake as we scrambled up and down the steeper elevation changes before swinging north around a large marsh. The views of the marsh and the forested areas surrounding it were incredible but came with a lot of uphill hiking. Before turning back south on the opposite side of the marsh there is a trail that leads north up to a high feature, which is a popular lookout. This junction is well-marked and easy to navigate.
Although I had originally planned to hike the 2 km (approximate) round trip and take in the view, time constraints and sore feet convinced us to continue on to Devils Lake and save this for another time. We continued to hike towards our end point skirting Sheldon Lake along the north and into a forested portion of the trail that winded its way across a few more dams with some small scrambles over rocky features before the trail tapered off and descended towards the parking lot. To be clear, when I say scrambles, I mean that there was one part where we had to climb up a small rock feature (not very high) and hike up some longer steeper hills that weren’t easy. That being said, I’ve done this portion of the trail in the winter with a toboggan and, with the help of a friend, we were able to drag and lift our sleds through here with a little extra effort. It’s hard but doable!
| Distance | 11.6 km |
| Campsite Reservation | N/A |
Reflections
I loved this hike and will do it again. I think I’d like to do it in the fall when the temperatures are lower, bugs are fewer, and the leaves are changing colours. One thing I would consider next time would be to plan the legs in a way that they are more evenly spaced. This might have been easier to do had we travelled in the opposite direction. Because the eastern portion of this route is more frequently used, more campsites are in better condition.
If you choose to do this hike, plan to get wet travelling between Wolf and Victoria Lakes, in the summer dress for tics. The western portion of the trail is harder to navigate. The easiest thing to do is to bring some sort of GPS device and be prepared to search for trail markings from time to time. Some of the campsites are tucked away and off the main trail. We walked past a few areas where there should have been campsites but, if the trail to the sites were marked, it was not obvious and we did not see them.
Author Bio
I’ve been enjoying the outdoors my entire adult life. Camping, Hiking, and Hunting are how I unwind. Life is busy, but when I can make some time to get away, I enjoy travelling to new areas to explore. I enjoy the challenge of longer or lesser travelled routes that take you to places a little harder to get to. For me, the more challenging the trip the more worthwhile!
Instagram: @outsideeverything