Hike Plantain Lane at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park

Rating	★☆☆☆☆(1/5)
Overall Difficulty	Easy
Navigation Difficulty	Easy
Distance	0.4 miles roundtrip
Time	30 minutes
Terrain	Mostly flat
Best Seasons	Spring, Summer, Fall
Family Friendly	Yes
Dog Friendly	Yes
Accessible	Yes

Highlights

Uncrowded hike to an old wooden bridge
Waterfall and creek views

Hike Summary

Don't let the park's hiking guide fool you when it calls the waterfall here a "gem"! This really isn't much of a hike, and the scenery is lackluster when compared to the rest of the park. Go to Joe Creek Trail instead if you want an easy hike with a nice waterfall.

Dogs are allowed on leash, although spend more time getting your dog in and out of the car and on a leash than in the car; I wouldn't bother taking your dog here unless he/she couldn't hold it the entire drive to the Kabeyun Trailhead just down the road. The same logic applies to bringing your kids, and this hike isn't worth dragging them out of the car. This trail is wide, flat, and unpaved and is designated as accessible (called barrier-free in Canada).

Look for the bright pink pole marking the trailhead, then continue a few hundred feet to a wooden bridge over a creek (pictured below). The waterfall pictured above is to your right. It is very likely you will have this entire bridge to yourself the entire time you are here.

The bridge across the creek
View full size

When you are done looking at the creek, don't bother continuing down the trail -- it just takes you to the main park road and is probably just a remnant of the old road (Plantain Lane) that used to be here. Instead, turn around and head back to the parking lot, then continue to another better hike further down the road, like the iconic Sea Lion Trail.

Directions

From Thunder Bay, follow the Trans-Canada Highway (Ontario Highway 11/17) east; if you are coming from Minnesota, Minnesota Highway 61 turns into Ontario Highway 61 once you cross the Canadian border, and this highway turns into the Trans-Canada Highway. After about half an hour, turn right onto Ontario Highway 587 (Pass Lake Road); this highway is the main road through the park, and once inside the park, there will be brown signs indicating turnoffs for trailheads and other points of interest. You must first pay the vehicle fee before parking at this trailhead, either at the day use area closer to the entrance of the park (there will be a $ symbol on the sign indicating you can pay here) or at the park office in the campground just before this trailhead. Once you've paid, continue south on 587 until you see the signed turnoff for Plantain Lane on the left.

Google Maps Directions

Parking, Fees, and Facilities

It is important to note that this is a provincial park and does not belong to the Canadian National Parks System, thus any national parks pass you may have is not valid admission here. Parking in Ontario Parks requires a $11.25 (Canadian) vehicle fee for day use, $175 (Canadian) for an annual pass, or $125 (Canadian) for a summer pass (valid April to November). This fee is included with a camping reservation. The parking area for this hike is a little dirt lot off the main road through the park and has no facilities.