ALWAYS check Alerts and other information on the official website, as conditions and facility availability are subject to change.
Facebook and Website Links
Misery Bay Official website
Friends of Misery Bay Facebook
Information
Phone #: 705-966-2315
Main entrance co-ordinates: 45.80044341 -82.72610664
Address: P.O. Box 560, c/o Windy Lake Provincial Park Levack P0M 2C0
Opening seasons: May 19, 2023, to October 22, 2023
Camping & Accommodation
There is no camping at Misery Bay Provincial Park. It is a day-use only park.
Hiking, Biking & Paddling
Hiking
Misery Bay offers over 15 km of hiking trails, a boardwalk and a bird viewing platform overlooking the wetland.
Coastal Alvar Trail – Rating: Moderate – Length: 8km (loop)
The Coastal Alvar Trail is a large looping trail that takes in the natural features in the eastern side of the park. It travels from the Visitor Centre, past old glacial beaches and dolostone pavements as it makes its way to the present day shoreline. From there, the trail travels almost 3.5km along the Lake Huron alvar coastline until it intersects with the Mac’s Bay Trail. At that point, the Coastal Alvar Trail turns north along a glacial shoreline ridge as you make your way back to the Visitor Centre.
Inland Alvar Trail – Rating: Easy – Length: 5km (loop)
The Inland Alvar Trail takes you through stands of mixed forest, old glacial beaches and a variety of open alvar pavements. This smaller looping trail offers a number of interpretive segments including the habitat associated with most of the parks rare and threatened plants including Lakeside Daisy (Manitoulin Gold), Blazing Star, Hill’s Thistle and Pitcher Thistle. There is also a short “spur” that will allow the hiker to connect with the Coastal Alvar Trail.
Misery Bay Trail – Rating: Moderate/Difficult – Length: 5km (loop to trail head)
The Misery Bay Trail begins where the Coastal Alvar Trail hits the Lake Huron coastline. The trail crosses the bayhead wetland along a beautiful sandy outwash as you make your way to the western side of the park. Being that the wetland is so fragile please stay on the trail! Once on the western side of the park the trail features two trail loops that take you through the largest open alvar pavement in the park. Old glacial beaches, alvars, glacial boulders, rare and interesting plants, glacial striations, grykes and erratics are just some of the things you will see.
Mac’s Bay Trail – Rating: Easy – Length: 2km (return to trail head)
Mac’s Bay Trail extends off the easterly portion of the Coastal Trail and travels to Mac’s Bay Conservation Reserve as it makes its way through shady cedars, across disturbed alvar and along a scarp before coming out on the Mac’s Bay shoreline. The shoreline is open and marshy and is a great place for birding. Features associated with the trail include small alvars, grykes, erratics, the glacial shoreline ridge and of course Mac’s Bay Conservation Reserve.
* Please note all trail distances are approximate.
Biking
Trails:
Rental:
Paddling
Routes:
Rental:
Maps & Resources
Ontario parks have trail map for misery bay provincial park click here for more information
Ontario Crown Land Use Policy Atlas: most Provincial Parks have excellent signage, maps, and marked trails. If you take up back-country adventures, then it’s not always clear. The Ontario Crown Land Use maps are an excellent resource. You might also want to join one or more of these groups on Facebook
Crown Land Camping Group
Crown Land Camping Ontario
Ontario Parks and Crown Land
Ontario Crown Land Campers
Sharing Ontario Crown Land Camping Spots
Local Facilities
If you know of a useful link, Facebook group, or resource that might improve this post, please message us through our contact page. We are always happy to include relevant local business information – just a one or two-sentence paragraph and a link to your website or Facebook page.