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Restoule

Restoule Provincial Park is located at 8818 Highway 534, in the town of Restoule, ON. The park is situated between two main lakes, being Restoule Lake and Stormy Lake, both of whom are connected to the Restoule River, a historic paddling route. The park is also known for its links to 1800s history, most easily visualized by remnants of it - namely, the fire tower. We visited in July 2025.

History (next 2 sections)

The Restoule River is an important waterway, whether it be for literal transportation or for its cultural history. The Ojibwa (specifically the Dokis) had used the river to access Restoule Lake from their island home in the French River for hundreds of years. And even though Samuel de Champlain visited in 1651, there were no settlements until the mid-1800s, when farmers and loggers attempted to take advantage of Restoule's convenient position on the Canadian Shield, and the French River watershed. And thus, settlers slowly migrated to the area.
One such settler went by the name Thomas Grawbarger, who came from the Ottawa Valley. After marrying his wife Marian, they moved to a homestead inside the park boundaries around 1880. Although little physical evidence remains, park workers believe the homestead was built on the west side of the park, near the modern-day group campsites (H2 on the map).
There are a few more historical sites within the park, such as Putt's cabin (H3). It is located where modern day campsites 227 and 229 are located), but the most famous and important one is the fire tower. Another one was constructed by Thomas' grandson, named Gilbert. He was a local trapper, who carved and used the modern-day trails known as Grawbarger and Gibs, both of which bear his name.

Note the number of each section/landmark.

Info sources: Family Search, Government of Ontario, and Wikipedia.

The last major historical site within the park is the one everyone talks about, being the fire tower. Standing at 30 metres tall, the Stormy Lake fire tower was built in 1954 to search the area for forest fires (hence the name). And because of its strategic location atop the Stormy Lake bluff (which stands at around 60m tall), you could see great distances, allegedly as far as Lake Nipissing. Anyhow, the province purchased the land in the early 60s, and after developing the park, opened it up in 1963. Surprisingly, you were able to climb atop the fire tower when the park opened, but this was soon closed after the ladder began to rot. If you want to see the historical info source or what developments either were/are going to happen, see this link, where I sourced my information.

Restoule is an Ojibwe last name, and the lake was specifically named after Joseph Restoule, an important Ojibwe chief.

What the Park Offers

Restoule offers:
- three docks and one boat launch
- three beaches with sandy waters
- access to backcountry camping, all the way to French River, see the map here and BACKCOUNTRYIN', below.
- day paddling routes, on 2 still lakes and the calm Restoule River
- fishing for bass, pike, and muskellenge (best in Stormy Lake)
- hunting during certain times of the year (see TIPS and ADVICE)
- biking on all the hiking trails (except Fire Tower)
- great motorboating, especially on Restoule Lake. There is a nearby marina (see TIPS and ADVICE).
- two pet exercise areas, one being off-leash and fenced-in

Restoule offers six trails, being:

Fire Tower Trail - 4.1km, moderate

Everyone does this trail at this park - and I honestly can't blame them. As this trail meanders up the Stormy Lake bluff, you pass by many interesting sights. Not only do you get the chance to see interesting species (whether it be what look like mini-evergreens known as club moss all the way to birds of prey over Stormy Lake), you'll also reach 3 separate lookout points.

The first of which is a small lookout deck on Amber Lake, a great spot to view herons and other marshy critters (top right). Next is seeing under the fire tower itself. It's not gated off or anything, so you can just touch it, go under, get pictures - everything except climb it (see History section 2 for pictures). But saving the best for last is the Stormy Lake Lookout, as seen on the cover image or bottom right. Do this trail or you won't get your money's worth from this park.

Angels Point Trail - 2.8km total, easy

This is a trail designed for mountain bikers. For those seeking a scenic route, take the outer loop, which is a wide dirt path that offers one nice lookout of Restoule Lake (see left). For those looking for a fun route, take the inner loop. This is a single-track bike trail, which offers fun little humps and jumps to go over. Just watch out because I noticed a few fallen trees in the centre of the path, but for the most part, it's very maintained.

Gibs Trail - 2.4km one way, moderate

The park's only one-way trail is the Gibs Trail. Named after Gilbert Grawbarger, this trail makes up half of his trapping route, alongside the trail bearing his last name. The end of the trail is not a lookout, but rather a miniature beach on Stormy Lake. This trail is very difficult to bike due to the roots, hills, and slate rocks, so I would walk it. The trail also continues west on an unregulated trail, which was supposedly also a part of Gib's route. I think this trail leads to Scott's Dam, but it may end before that.

River Trail - 1.2km, easy (for hikers)

The River Trail is a simple spur off of Gib's Trail. The two trails are accessed via a bridge opposite the Fire Tower Trail entrance, and both have similar ratings - being that they're easily hiked, wearily biked. But regardless, this charming loop shows off Grawbarger's Rapids and the Restoule River.

Grawbarger Trail - 1km one way, easy

The Grawbarger Trail is in 3 separate parts, all of which are just easy cut throughs that allow campers to access the trails and day use area. It is a great place to see the Grawbarger Rapids, as well as the club moss plant.

Ranger's Point Trail - 0.7km, easy

The second most popular (and in my opinion, second best) trail at Restoule is the 700m loop known as Ranger's Point. Sat upon a rocky peninsula that juts into Stormy Lake literally like a sore thumb, the Ranger's Point Trail climbs and decends to a picnic area with a view up at the fire tower. Great for a lunch stop.

Visiting the Park

Drive to the end of Highway 534, and pass the gatehouse. You'll see a 3 way intersection. A left takes you to the campgrounds. First on your left is the dump, then the waste disposal. On your right is the Grawbarger Trail, then the Angels Point Trail, before the 3 campgrounds. As for the campgrounds, first is Kettle Point, then Putts Point, then Bells Point. Going straight takes you to the day use area, including the group campsites, the rest of the trails, the Stormy Lake boat launch, and then the discovery hub/rentals. Going right leads uphill before returning to the Stormy Lake boat launch as well. Don't stress, going straight and right both lead to the "marina", and you can turn down the opposite road if you so desire.

View from Stormy Lake, looking up at the bluff.

Interesting Species

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

Club moss, also commonly found at Mikisew

White-tailed deer

Large birds, notably blue herons - easily spotted on Hazel Lake and Amber Lake.

Lots of bugs, most commonly deer flies, blackflies, horse flies, and dragonflies.

BACKCOUNTRYIN'

for front country campers.

Accessing the Site

I stayed on site number 03 while visiting Restoule, as it was the closest one to the Stormy Lake access point. Simply hug the east coast of Stormy Lake, and you'll eventually end up at #3. It is directly opposite a little beach and portage to Hazel Lake, which is also accessible from the site.

The beach is on the far right, the site is in the trees centre right.

Facilities on the Site

As previously mentioned, site 3 is accessed by Stormy Lake, and backs onto Hazel Lake. The site is relatively flat, and there is much room to put the tent. It comes equipped with a campfire pit, picnic table, bear box, and a toilet.

Stuff to Do

There are 5 designated paddling routes at Restoule, and all of which are easy. Route #1 shows you the underside of the Stormy Lake Bluff, Route #2 takes you to a large boulder known as Elephant Rock, and Route #3 takes you to Clear Lake, through a narrow channel. My personal favourite is Route #4, as it allows access to Stormy Lake via Restoule Lake. This is made possible by the slow moving Restoule River (watch out for the Grawbarger Rapids). The final route is Route #5, to Scott's Dam. Here's a tip for you - Take the portage to Hazel Lake found beside site 03, because said lake provides good wildlife viewing.

Opinion

I really enjoyed camping on site #3. My main drawback would be the amount of bugs on the site, but that holds true throughout the park. This site is truly the perfect location - when looking out on Stormy Lake with its clear and still waters, you have Hazel Lake to the left, a sand beach in front of you, and a sunset to your right. It's an amazing site, would recommend.

An official Ontario Parks map, recommending paddling routes. The Hazel Lake portage is halfway in between the marker for site #3 and the marker for the fire tower, in that little cove. Source

Tips and Advice

Bring your bikes to this park - lots to explore and enjoy on wheels.
I don't recommend biking either the Gibs or the River Trail - very sharp rocks and large hills make for a difficult and uncomfortable ride.
For booking campsites:
- Kettle Point is the electric campground. If you need a site with power hookup, you must book here.
- Putts Point is the louder of the two non-hydro campgrounds. It offers a dock and two beaches, so there is still crowds.
- Bells Point is the smallest and quietest of the bunch. Half of it is radio-free, so book if you're not a partyin' type.
- Walk-in campsites here are all in Bells Point, and are very good. They're secluded but well-located, and most are waterfront.
- Backcountry campsites entirely depend on the route (see BACKCOUNTRYIN').
General rule of thumb, the further west in the campground, the louder it is.
For hunting, see the rules and regulations pictured bottom left.
Go swimming on one of the 3 docks. There is less people and the water is just as clear (just watch out for motorboats).
Book a group campsite. Site #601 (bottom right) accommodates a minimum of 25 people of upto 5 trailers and 15 tents.
Take the Grawbarger Trail to avoid the hills on the main road.
If you had to only do one trail, I'd do the Fire Tower Trail. But don't shy away from the 700m Ranger's Point Trail.
For groceries, the nearest spot would be the Mill Bay Market and Marina in the town of Restoule. Link here.
For gasoline, the nearest spot would be Gerry's General, in the town of Restoule.

SPOTLIGHT: The Fire Tower

I've already rambled a considerable amount about the Fire Tower Trail, and the building itself, but it's so cool that it probably deserves it. Fire towers in general were introduced in the early 1900s, and as previously mentioned, were just towers built at the optimal location to spot forest fires within the largest possible radius. And thus, most fire towers in Canada (and the world) are built atop hills, mountains, and, as with Restoule's, bluffs. After reading the Restoule Park Management Plan (see History), it's unfortunate that many of the park's planned projects did not come to fruition. Two of which would've affected the fire tower greatly - one was adding interpretive panels about the importance of fire towers, and the second was improving the tower so pedestrians could climb upto lookout.

Regardless, the Fire Tower Trail offers beautiful vistas, endagered species appreciation/protection, and the history that comes with fire towers themselves.