Rainbow Falls Provincial Park

I’m writing this in my tent, now at our campsite at Rainbow Falls Provincial Park, about 50 miles back east from Nipigon. This is not a very level site, it has only electric, no water or sewer, and only 30 Amp service, and we love it. We’re away from the highway, with some woods around us and a reasonable distance to our neighbors.

We’re staying at the Whitesand Campground and this is one little beach near us on Whitesand Lake.

This morning we went to the trail to Rainbow Falls, on the Hewiston River. Just a short way and a few steps down a wooden walkway was a viewing platform where you could see the top of the falls, which is the outflow of the natural dam forming Whitesand Lake.

The little river continued down and there were stairs going down along it. Bud opted to stay with Matey at the top.

I continued down,

and down,

and down,

and down until I arrived at a footbridge that gave views upstream…

and downstream. Altogether there were 165 steps, and the river tumbled down the whole way.

Back at the top, we took Matey to a bit of a dog beach where he waded in this very pretty lake.

I was going to walk back via another trail, but a few steps down the trail I realized I didn’t have the air horn and besides bears there was a warning sign about an “active lynx” in the campground. So I retreated and flagged Bud down before he left. He offered to take me back to the camper for the air horn and I decided I would do that. The knee Bud had replaced 20 years ago has been hurting him when he walks down steep hills or stairs. We won’t know what’s going on until we’re back in Hot Springs in November. Meanwhile, if I want to walk any distance over rough terrain I will have to do it alone, so I might as well get used to it.

So armed with the air horn I went back down Superior Trail.

It soon led out of the woods and up onto a rocky ridge.

The ridge rose until you had a view over the highway to Lake Superior. Again there is smoke. It isn’t bothering my eyes today, but it ruined the view.

The vantage here would be gorgeous without the smoke,

and if we get a clear day I’ll come back for more pictures.

The trail then descended steeply over large rocks…

and down natural steps to the woods below.

A short easy path took me back to the park road. I then cut on another path through more campsites so I didn’t have to walk down the road back to our campsite. Altogether it was only about eight tenths of a mile.

I’m glad I took the walk and happy to be back in a park!