This trail takes you to a fantastic panoramic view. The main attraction is the rock formation known to hikers as The Pinnacles, and to climbers as The Dorion Tower.
Trail Difficulty: Easy
Trail Distance: 1 km one way
General Location: Dorion, ON
Travel East on Highway 11/17 and turn left onto Ouimet Canyon Road at approximately 70km from Thunder Bay. After 3.6 km turn right onto Valley Road. Drive down Valley Road for 3.3 km and then turn left onto Tower Road. If you get to Eagle Canyon Adventures you have missed the turnoff onto Tower Road.
Follow Tower road to where it ends and park near the tower building. You will need a 4×4 vehicle on Tower Road.
The trailhead is located opposite the road directly in line with the tower and is flagged. It takes about 20 minutes to hike the trail to the lookout. From the lookout, there is a scramble down to the bottom of the canyon that climbers use to get to the base of the Dorion Tower.
May 03, 2020: small amount of snow left on tower road, nothing 4×4 could not handle.
There are some confusing flags.. the trail is to the LEFT of the fire pit.
Three creeks to pass – either be really great at balancing, or prepare to get a bit wet! Beautiful views from all angles at the top.
Umm, not an easy hike…..for me anyway. I fount it to be moderate with sections more difficult. If I was in my 20?s or 30?s it would be easy.
It?s somewhat marked but you really have to walk around to find the rock piles that mark the trail, it took me a good 30 minutes to hike to the lookout. Well worth the hike in…it?s beautiful.
I received a very nice note from someone who has hiked this trail recently. They mentioned that there is a new locked gate on the road 300 m from the microwave tower so you have to park there and walk the extra distance to the trailhead. They also said they added a new rock cairn to mark the direction to the trail more clearly, and that there was quite a bit of deadfall on the trail, and hoped that someone energetic with a chainsaw would visit there soon!
Just a tip, there’s a wooden post on the middle of the tree line past the radio tower that’s flagged but isn’t the trailhead and usually confuses people – use the GPS trailhead which is towards the far right corner of the clearing as you walk past the radio tower. It’s flagged as well – and yes usually the gate at the top is closed but that’s only a few hundred feet walk so nothing major, road washes out easily but with 4×4 wasn’t hard going up in an SUV + Jeep.
Umm…click on the GPS tracks link above?
If anyone is going to try I would strongly reccomend not bringing a vehicle you care about, needing a 4×4 vehicle is a understatement. The “road” is extremely washed out was pretty much rock crawling most of the way. The hills are very steep and washed out and my 4×4 duramax was struggling. Finally made it to the gate and it was locked. Walked up the remainder of the road to the tower building and couldn’t find the trail. The description on here is very vague a updated description is needed.
I have 3 comments:
1. I have reasons to believe it’s not a real person standing on top of that tower in the above photo.
2. The trail from the radio tower site to the top ledge of the Pinnacles is more like 2km and 1/2 hour. I would have to say it’s more like moderate than easy.
3. The trail does not end at the top ledge. It continues down to the foot of the tower. From the ledge to the point from which the above picture was taken is another 15 min of very steep descend. The trail is still marked with stone piles and markers and is difficult.
Coming to visit home in a few weeks and looking for someone willing to show me this wonderful spot! As I see the above poster had a hard time finding it and I want to make sure I can see this.
Thanks!
Really excited to do this one yesterday but couldn’t find the trail! Didn’t understand what opposite the road meant?.. And no marked trails unless you are referring to the orange tape on the tree near the second gate you pass on your way up? Disappointed because I couldn’t ind other dorections and coordinates didn’t help.