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Killarney

Killarney Provincial Park is an incredibly large and famous protected area comprising almost 50,000 hectares of northern Ontario wilderness. And running east-west through the park is the stunning South La Cloche Mountain Range - known its uniquely white quartzite rocks and picturesque lookout points. A wilderness park, Killarney only offers about 100 car campsites, all of which being non-electrical. This combined with its rugged nature, towering peaks, untouched wilderness, and immensely clear waters make Killarney one of Ontario's best known parks, and one of the most scenic places in the entirety of the North American continent. I visited in September 2025.

What the Park Offers

Killarney offers a plethora of activities, including:
- two sandy and scenic beaches on George Lake
- stunning lookout points on trails and within campgrounds
- roofed accommodations for winter and summertime lodging
- boat launch access to Georgian Bay
- fantastic paddling in the interior of the park (canoe rentals, too)
- 33km of groomed ski trails for winter activities
- nearby town of Killarney, featuring additional items (see TIPS and ADVICE)
- a nature centre, teaching the ecology of the unique environment
- interpretive trail guides delving deep into the park's history
- the world-famous Crack Trail and lookout (see below).

Killarney offers over 100km of hiking trails, but the main routes are:

La Cloche Silhouette Trail - 80km loop, extremely difficult

Traversing almost 100km of unchartered boreal wilderness, the La Cloche Silhouette Trail is one not tried by the faint of heart. Passing by famous sites such as the campground at George Lake, the cyan waters of Topaz Lake, the rocky wilds of Three Narrows Lake, and lastly climbing towards the Crack Lookout and the trail of the same name. This rugged trail should only be attempted with proper preparation, as it takes multiple days and covers rugged terrain. Most people only do a part of the trail, either the western side to Topaz Lake or the eastern side to the Crack. (no bikes)

The Crack Trail - 6km one way, difficult

One of (if not the) best trails in the province of Ontario. An assuming trailhead on the side of Highway 637 leads you along a former corduroy road, used in the late 1800s by the Collins Inlet Lumber Company. You then pass a bridge over Kakakise Creek, formerly used to send logs downstream towards the Georgian Bay. After that, you begin ascending up the LaCloche Mountains. The air gets a little thinner as you find the first lookout point, towering over the southern portion of the park. Marching on just a few metres, you reach was is known as "the scramble", which is a spot where the quartzite rock is broken into large chunks, and you've gotta climb on your hands and knees to traverse it. Right after this, you meet the trail's namesake - the Crack. It is a massive hunk of white rock that has a perfect crack down the middle of it (which you must hike through). The picture of the top right is from the top of the scramble, facing away from the crack. And the photo beneath is of the trail's true highlight, the view. More than 180 degrees of rugged wilderness, complete with perfectly blue waters, bright white boulders, and a seemingly endless array of evergreens. To your left is the park's southern half, complete with the aforementioned Crack in the foreground, and the Georgian Bay in the back. To your right is the string of lakes that illuminates every Ontario Parks postcard. The lakes of Killarney and O.S.A. are sandwiched between some of the South LaCloche's most stunning mountains. Don't miss this trail.

Although this trail's ascent is less extreme than that of Sleeping Giant's, this trail is less accessible due to the scramble. I wouldn't recommend bringing dogs or small children on the trail due to the extreme rigidity of the scramble.

Cranberry Bog Trail - 4km, easy-moderate

A less demanding hike encircles the Proulx Marsh in the east end of the George Lake Campground. It winds eastward to the much larger Cranberry Bog, showing off more of Killarney's rocky outcrops, and providing great wildlife viewing opportunities. Later on, it accesses A.Y. Jackson Lake, a popular picnic and swimming spot. The lake itself is named after the renowned Group of Seven painter who was inspired by the area.

Chikanishing Trail - 2.7km, easy-moderate

Starting at the end of Chikanishing Creek Road, the trail follows the river of the same name. This river is historically what allowed the logging industry at Killarney to thrive, as it allowed tree trunks from inland to be transported to the Georgian Bay. Winding south, it eventually reaches the river's mouth on the Georgian Bay. To me, the rocky shoreline is reminiscent of that at Killbear, and makes for a nice picnic area. At the end, you'll reach a bridge over a marsh to a beautiful island.

Granite Ridge Trail - 2.3km, moderate

Killarney's #2 day trail is known as Granite Ridge. Starting directly opposite the campground entrance, the trail immediately bypasses a pine plantation, circa 1967. Miles Tyson immigrated to Killarney from Scotland in 1858, and decided to clear 6 hectares of land by hand. And after the Tysons' homestead burnt after a lightning strike in 1963, the trees were planted to restore the area's natural prowess. Anyways, there are two cars that are rusting alongside the trail (see below) are relics of the time. One is a late 40s Dodge, and the other is a '31 Chevrolet, and they both arrived in Killarney long before Highway 637 was built in the 60s. Regardless, the trail has two stars, being the two lookouts. One faces inland, offering the best panoramic view of the South LaCloche Range in its entirety (top left). The other lookout faces Georgian Bay, with views of Philip Edward Island and the surrounding blue waters. (bottom left) I definitely recommend this trail as it is not hard, it's short, and offers some great views.

Trout Creek Mixed-Use Trail - 1km, easy

The Trout Creek Trail is a mixed-use one, meaning it was designed for both cycle and foot traffic. It was built in 2007 as the park's first (and only) bike-accessible trail. The trail itself starts at the end of Trout Creek Road, a spur of the George Lake Campground. The trail is basically a connector of Highway 637 and the campground. It follows Trout Creek, and ends where Trout Creek feeds into Chikinashing Creek at Highway 637. From here, you can take Chikinashing Creek Road down to the boat launch, before locking up your bike to hike.

Inspiration Ridge Trail - 0.3km, easy

This trail starts at the second beach in the campground and travels up a hill towards a curved rocky platform overlooking George Lake. There is a wonderful view of the LaCloche Range and the blue waters of George Lake here, and it makes for a perfect picnic spot. From there, you can take a small path to Groundhog in the campground. This trail is not official but marked with blue signs to indicate direction. The map below is a rough diagram of the trail.

View from the lookout at Inspiration Ridge

Map of Inspiration Ridge Trail

Visiting the Park

Killarney is a park similar to Algonquin, Sleeping Giant, or Lake Superior, in that it acts like a skeleton, with a highway as a spine. In this case, the park is built around >20km of Highway 637.

From Highway 69, take the exit to Highway 637 toward Killarney. The George Lake Campground entrance is 60km down the windy highway.

To access the Crack Trail from the campground, head 7km east to a left-hand side parking lot.
To access the Chikanishing Trail and the boat launch, head 1km west to Chikanishing Creek Rd., turn left, and drive until the road ends at a parking lot.
To access the Granite Ridge Trail, the parking lot is on the side of the road opposite the George Lake Campground.
To access the town of Killarney, head 10km west.

For more information, I recommend purchasing the Killarney "Day Hiking and Ski Trail Map" from the park office. It offers a full map of the Highway 637 corridor, featuring trails, backcountry sites, routes, and guides to exploration.

Images are top to bottom, left to right: A shoreline indicator viewed from the Georgian Bay lookout in the Granite Ridge Trail; the mountains behind George Lake viewed from the inland lookout in the Granite Ridge Trail - the orange and white tower is in George Lake Campground; Killarney Lake and O.S.A. Lake viewed from atop the Crack Trail.

Interesting Species

Note that the photos in this section are not explicitly from this park, they are good photos of species that live here.

Black bears

Red foxes

Great blue herons (finally got a good picture of one here)

White-tailed deer

Images are top to bottom, left to right: The Georgian Bay lookout on the Granite Ridge Trail; looking inland at the Crack (seen in the foreground); the inland lookout of the Granite Ridge Trail.

Tips and Advice

Spend the money and buy some fish and chips from Herbert's Fisheries in the town of Killarney.
Obviously do the Crack Trail, as it is one of my favourite trails in Ontario. Additionally, don't forget the Granite Ridge Trail, very underrated.
Be sure to take a morning walk to Inspiration Ridge in the campground.
Visit in the fall, as the colours make the remarkable lookouts even more remarkable.
If you are spending time in Manitoulin, take the boat tour from Little Current to Killarney if you want historical insights about the area.
Near the west entrance of the LaCloche Silhouette Trail, there is a popular fishing spot and lookout. Cross the bridge, and take one of many paths to the right-hand side to see a view of the beach and George Lake (see bottom left).
From the campground, bike down the Trout Creek Trail, and bike down to the end of Chikanishing Creek Road. Here there is bike racks and the entrance to Chikanishing Trail, where you can hike to Georgian Bay.
When walking around the town of Killarney, visit the two lighthouses, and walk the waterfront. The image bottom right is the Killarney Mountain Lodge - featuring both the lodge and places to eat/drink.
Purchase trail guides for the Crack and Granite Ridge, alongside the "Day Hiking and Ski Trail Map", for all needed hiking info.

SPOTLIGHT: White Mountains

I've mentioned repetitively how cool I think these white mountains that highlight the Killarney landscape are. They are part of the southern LaCloche Range, the smaller of the two LaCloche Mountain Ranges. It is a large range for Ontarian standards, coming in at around 35km long and maxing out at 539m high (for reference, Ontario's highest peak is Ishpatina Ridge at 693m). The mountains' distinct colour comes from their composition - being quartzite. Although hard to describe, quartzite is a type of non-layered rock that is a mix of sandstone and quartz. This quartz is why the rocks shimmer when catching sunlight, it's literally crystals. The best ways to appreciate the range is climbing the Crack and Granite Ridge trails, as well as the range's highest point, Silver Peak (for info about that, see this fantastic website). These mountains are such a marvel and standout in the province - a guaranteed must-see.

Opinions

Nash

9.9/10. I would give it a 10 if Sleeping Giant wasn't the slightest bit better (which is mainly down to amenities/infrastructure).

The LaCloche Silhouette painting by Franklin Carmichael.

Campground Map: https://www.ontarioparks.ca/pdf/maps/killarney/george_lake_campground.pdf

For the trails map, purchase the Day Hiking and Ski Trail Map from the park office.

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