Claghorn Observer Rock Trail is a gorgeous little-known location with a marked trail to the top of a long cliff band known as Claghorn providing spectacular clifftop views. This is one of several trails in the area.
Roundtrip: 2 km
Difficulty: Difficult
Location: Dorion, ON
The Observer Rock Trail was created by the Thunder Bay Outward Bound School. The Outward Bound programs had previously used these cliffs for their rock climbing courses. The school closed down its camp at Black Sturgeon Lake in 2005 after 35 years of operation. It is still a popular rock climbing area and hikers should be aware of climbers and be sure not to pass above or below people climbing in order to avoid rockfall danger to themselves and the climbers.
Take Hwy. 11/17 eastbound from Thunder Bay approximately 45 minutes. 6.2 km east of the Esso gas station in Dorion, turn left (north) onto Black Sturgeon Road. Follow Black Sturgeon Road north, past a fork left to the Stirling landfill, and another fork left (5.5 km from Highway 11/17) to Stewart Lake. Just before the 9.5 km point, you will see a cliff on your right (east) through a clear-cut. Continue past the clear-cut to the 9.5 km mark. Just before a bridge over a creek, on a left turn, park at a pullout on the right in mature conifer trees. This is a campsite in the Outward Bound area.
Follow the trail from the parking area through the trees and up onto the talus. Through the talus, the trail is marked with painted red sticks and leads to the top of the cliffs.
Went there today. Very easy to find with the directions, and very well marked by orange tape or red stakes. I enjoyed the random set of stairs in the middle of nowhere 🙂
Thanks for sharing all of the beauty superior hiking!
Thank you so much Barry!
Yes,we did make it to the top.It was incredable.We may ty the other trails another time,we are trying to get in as many different places as we can before winter.I’m very glad you posted these places,i would have never known about them otherwise.
Not too many hikers get out to this spot. It is a favourite of mine for sure. Did you make it to the top of the cliffs? There are other trails around here too if you are an adventurous explorer!
This was the first place we went to today,and it is very hard to top the view from the top of this trail.
It was certainly steep in places,and a pretty cool workout.
We loved this place very much,and took some fantastic pictures.
On the way out we even took a drive by Stewart Lake,some very nice cabins and people along there,but we didn’t find anywhere for a public swim.
Thanks so much for taking the time to tell people of these places.
I think your doing people a great service,and i hope more people leave more comments on the places they visit,I know we will.
Thanks again,and happy hiking.