The Stepping Stones Trails

UPDATE 2024.11.23 

GREAT NEWS! The Stepping Stones trails are now connected to the Pan Lake West trails a short distance west of waypoint #1 on the Blue trail at Pan Lake.  A second access is located at waypoint 13A on the  Green trail.  A new section of trail has been cleared from waypoint A7 to 13A  which completes a full loop (aprox 5 km) around Pan Lake.  It will take a few seasons to break in the new section of trail and clearly define the path, however it is brushed out and well marked with flagging tape.  Enjoy!

UPDATE 2024.02.06  

MNR NOTICE TO PET OWNERS - A portion of the trails from Johnson Road to the pipeline is actively trapped under license. For the safety of your pets, please see the information notice on the following page  MNR NOTICE TO PET OWNERS 

The Stepping Stones & Pan Lake West Trails

Access

The Stepping Stones hiking trails are located in the Mattawa River Provincial Park at the east end of Trout Lake. The main access point is at the end of Stepping Stones Lane near the MacPherson Drive boat launch and a second access point is at the end of Johnson Road in Corbeil. There is a trail entrance next to 944 MacPherson Drive that follows a road allowance and provides access to waypoint #3 on the "Blue" trail.  Access to the Pan Lake West trails is located at 625 MacPherson Drive. These trail access points do not cross private property. There is plenty of parking at the boat launch area at the end of MacPherson Drive.

Please keep in mind that the access point near 775 MacPherson Drive cuts across private property. This access point has been used for many years without restrictions but that could change anytime. Please respect the private property. 

Trail Info

These neighborhood trails are not official Mattawa River Provincial Park trails and are only maintained by local trail users. You can enjoy the trails year round, however they are particularly nice in the fall and winter months. In the winter, the main trails are usually hard packed allowing you to hike on them most of the time without snowshoes. The other less travelled trails provide fantastic snowshoeing. Check them out and have fun.

The Pan Lake West trails are home of the Ride for Jack . These trails are groomed by snowmobile and are fantastic for winter bike adventures Winter Trails and year round hiking.

The recently updated map with coloured trail markers will give you a good idea of the trail distances and difficulty levels. Having said that, please consider the following notes.

• The trail from Johnson Road to the pipeline is long and remote. There are several steep grades, a creek crossing and some wet mucky sections. In the fall there are hunters using this area, so for safety reasons please wear some blaze orange attire.

• The section along the river between #9 and #10 (red trail) and the section between #11 and #12 on Long Lake (yellow trail) are the most difficult sections of the Stepping Stones trail network due to some steep and rocky terrain.

• There are several unofficial campsites and scenic clearings along the trails that offer the perfect spot for a picnic or campfire. Please ensure you completely extinguish your campfire and pack out any trash.

• There is cell phone coverage in the area, but you may have poor reception on some networks. Plan ahead and allow sufficient time to complete your hike before dark. 

• In the winter, stay off the lakes and ponds, they may not be frozen. BE SAFE...Stay on the trails

History

The Stepping Stones trail "network" came together over 30 years ago when a few local residents got together and connected a series of pre-existing portage trails, old logging trails and random hunters trails, many of which are well over 50 years old. For several years the trails remained unmarked, used only by local residents who knew the area. Over time after meeting a growing number of disoriented hikers, maps were posted along the trails and distributed locally. Hikers can now simply take a picture of the map posted along the trails or download a map by scanning the QR code printed on the map. 

Over the years the Stepping Stones trails have seen a significant increase in hikers and have been featured in several publications. Unfortunately this very popular recreational area is included in the Algonquin Land Claim settlement lands for several proposed housing subdivision developments. For many years, our community group has been collaborating with the mayor and council of the Municipality of East Ferris and the Ontario Government ALC negotiating team in an effort to preserve this area of the Mattawa River Provincial Park under Ontario’s Living Legacy Land Use Strategy. This strategy is known as the "Lands for Life" legislation that was specifically intended "to protect the historical, ecological, environmental and recreational value of this area for future generations". 

Updates will be posted on the NEWS page when any significant progress on the ALC issue is announced.