Sudbury·Backroads Bill

Could Elliot Lake, Ont. be the mecca of hiking universe?

Backroads Bill has seen a few trails in his day. In a recent interview with CBC's Morning North, Bill said that Elliot Lake, Ont., has enough quality trails to become the premiere destination for hikers in northern Ontario.

Backroads Bill says the area's 100 km trail management and maintenance are second to none

Backroads Bill Steer says that the trails around Elliot Lake, Ont., are some of the best-maintained trails in northern Ontario. (Supplied by Bill Steer)

Backroads Bill has seen a few trails in his day.

In a recent interview with CBC's Morning North, Bill said that Elliot Lake, Ont., has enough quality trails to become the premiere destination for hikers in northern Ontario.  
A glacial 'erratic,' found on the Helenbar Trail.
He attributes that to not only the area's beautiful landscape and vistas, but also the coalition of volunteers and city workers who maintain the 100 kms of trails.
Backroads Bill personal favourite trail is the stunning Helenbar trail near Elliot Lake, Ontario. (Backroads Bill Steer)

One of Bill's favourites is the Helenbar trail.  

"There's a glacial 'erratic,' and before looping back to Semiwhite Lake, the trail also takes you through a mature hardwood stand that in the fall will be spectacular," he said.

Some other trails Bill recommends are Horne Lake, Firetower Lookout, and the Cobre Lake trails. There's also the Mississagi Provincial Park network which has trails at different levels of difficulty.
Elliot Lake has created an interactive map for the trail network around the city. (http://www.tourismelliotlake.com/en/discovermap/)

Read more about Backroads Bill's adventures on his blog.

With files from Markus Schwabe. Edited/packaged by Casey Stranges