This page was created before the "spotlight" and "species" sections were introduced. We will update once we revisit.
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Misery Bay
Misery Bay
Misery Bay P.P. is located on Misery Bay Park Road. The park is known for its beautiful Huron shoreline and its distinctive fields of open alvar pavement. We visited on June 30, 2021.
History
History
The Ainslie family owned the land around Misery Bay for a long, long while; using it for hunting and growing of crops. In 1959, the Sifferd family purchased the western part of the land and added a cottage on the western end of the bay. The northern part of the land was owned by the Robinson family. After a survey conducted by the Ministry of Natural Resources in 1972 showed that the land surrounding Misery Bay was worth protection, they started negotiations with the 2 families and other governmental organizations. By 1979, the government of Ontario owned all of the land, and by 1989, it was a park for public usage.
A piece of local lore is often used to describe why the name "Misery Bay" was used. Note that this story is almost provably apocryphal. One day in the 1880s, a man was cutting grass in the bay. Suddenly, a boat with two men asked the man where he was. He said "I'm in misery!" Despite the obviously sarcastic answer, the surveyors put the name down.
What the Park Offers
What the Park Offers
The activities at Misery Bay include:
- birdwatching all over the island
- discovery program at the visitor centre
- swimming at the rocky alvar beach or the sandier one.
The two best (in our opinion) trails are:
- Coastal Alvar Trail 8km moderate; this trail takes you along the Misery Bay shore and to a beautiful vista along the North Channel
- Inland Alvar Trail 5km easy; the best place on the island to see large alvar pavements
Visiting the Park
Visiting the Park
This park is day use only and must be explored by foot. Park your car and explore the visitor centre on the right. Enter the Coastal Alvar Trail and all of the trailheads (except Mac's Bay Trail) will come before you. It is rather difficult to describe routes of trails, so I'd recommend clicking the link to the map I have supplied at the bottom of this (and all) page(s).
Tips and Advice
Tips and Advice
DON'T GO IN THE RAIN
Bring a camera - world class birding and the alvar is just remarkable.
Go for an overcast walk or for the sunsets. It's really really sunny when the sun's out.
Opinions
Opinions
Nash
Nash
For being the only provincial park on Manitoulin Island, it surprised me that there was no campsites. Putting that aside, this park is one of the nicest I've ever visited. It makes me sad how little photos I took. But regardless, this park is stunning. The alvar, the waters, everything - an 8.9/10.
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