This Ontario Hike Has A Panoramic View Of Ancient Mountains That Are Older Than Some Stars

While it may be sad that summer is coming to an end there are epic fall adventures in Ontario to take advantage of. There is a short hike in Sudbury that will take you to stunning panoramic views of ancient mountain ranges.

Willisville Mountain is a hidden gem in Ontario with a trail that leads up the quartzite mountain which was once as high as the Canadian Rockies.

You will be able to see Manitoulin Island and glimmering sections of lake Huron in the distance, as well as mountain ranges that are close to three billion years old - even older than young stars.

The hike starts off steep and takes about 20 to 45 minutes to reach the top, depending on your speed. To protect this rare landscape, visitors should stick to the trail marked with red dots. The markings are repainted each spring by a retired couple in the village, according to Ted Cowan, the Treasurer of the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy (EBC).

If the view looks familiar, it is likely due to the fact that this stunning lookout was famously painted by the Group of Seven (the Canadian landscape artists). The beautiful hike was essentially rescued by the EBC from a mining company in 2019.

You can follow the same steep route back down to the trailhead or follow a different trail section through the woods. This alternative has less of an incline and only takes about ten minutes longer to hike.

On top of the shining water and distant islands, you can also catch a glimpse of both Heaven's Gate and Killarney Provincial Park from the lookout. These nature areas are full of hiking trails if you'd like to keep exploring once you've completed this adventure.

To reach the mountain trail, Cowan advises, "From Highway 6, about 30 kilometres South of Espanola and 25 North of Little Current, turn East onto Willisville Road. Go about 100 yards up the road, parking is on the right. [The] trailhead is just across the road from the parking and is marked with a sign."

Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.