The Stepping Stones Trails

The Stepping Stones 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. As of May 2021, there is a new trail entrance next to 944 MacPherson Drive that now follows a road allowance and provides access to waypoint #3 on the "Blue" trail. These trail access points do not cross private property.

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. There is plenty of parking at the boat launch area at the end of MacPherson Drive.

Trail Info

These neighbourhood 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 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 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. Through community activism, we hope to preserve this area in the Mattawa River Provincial Park under Ontario’s Living Legacy Land Use Strategy known as the "Lands for Life" legislation, 

"to protect the historical, ecological, environmental and recreational value of this area for future generations"

For our "Community Perspective" on the Algonquin Land Claim, please visit our website