Within the Pictured Lake Nature Reserve, there are some interesting pictographs on the cliffs of Pictured Lake.
Round-Trip: 1 km
Difficulty: Moderate
Location: Thunder Bay, ON
There are some pretty neat pictographs on the cliffs of Pictured Lake. This hike is best done in winter when you can stand on the ice and get a close look at the pictographs.
These pictographs are featured on the cover of the book, Indian Rock Paintings of the Great Lakes and are considered to be of ‘national significance’ by the Royal Ontario Museum. This area is part of the Pictured Lake Nature Reserve.
From Thunder Bay drive south on Highway 61 for 22km then turn right onto Boundary Dr, drive for 6 km then turn left at East Oliver Lake Road. Pictured Lake will be on the left at about 1.5 km.
I don’t know the proper way to access the lake. I’m hoping someone who knows will share the information. When I went, I parked along the side of the road, bushwhacked to the lake, and snowshoed to the site of the pictographs. I heard there was a hiking trail here, but I don’t yet know the details.
A group of us hiked a short trail into the lake beginning at the Neebing Hall/Fire Station. The trailhead is well disguised; we found it using a veteran guide. The trail does not access the rock paintings, but as a “nature” trail, it is good. I will be posting a description soon on some site. I found no trail description by Googling.
What else does the TBFN hide for themselves? Are these people the reason behind why we have a non-existent stretch of the Trans-Canada Trail?
hello again Sue. the proper trail, as far as I know through snowmobiling in the area is ….you drive past the lake going south and you will see a snowmobile trail to the left in between the lake and the first corner…the trail has many junctions but if you keep the lake in mind always veering left when the trail permits you will access the lake from the back end…this trail is at least 1 maybe even 2kms. I have never hiked it, (yet) only snowmobiled so my distance sense is way off…again I can’t thank you enough for the site, I can’t wait to get the summer boots out….Steve