Palisades Hike
Directions and Guide to hiking the Pijitawabik Palisades
Difficulty - 6/10
Distance - 10.1 to 13.5km's
Elevation - 272m / 892ft
Time - 3-5hrs
Directions
To get to the Palisades trailhead is very easy. There are signs indicating the parking lot off of highway 11. Coming from Nipigon heading North if you pass the falls on the road you have gone too far. To get to the trail head if you enter "Palisades Hiking Trail, Trans-Canada Hwy, East McKirdy, ON P0T 2B0" this will take you on a dirt road that starts up a hill and will turn right, which brings you right to the trailhead.
Getting to the Palisades hike is about 30 minutes off Nipigon.
There are no stores nearby once you pass the rez stores heading North.
If you are coming for the falls the best time to come is between May and June as the water is the highest making the falls much larger then if you were to come in August.
The palisades are known across Canada and the USA as one of the top 3 Ice Climbing Destinations in the North America! (And this isn't just the tourism website saying it) I met a couple while skiing in Colorado and they told me every winter they take an ice climbing trip out to the Palisades.
What To Expect
Climbing the Palisades is easy (once you pass the first 1.5km's of the hike). From the parking lot you will see the trailhead to the left of the Palisades hiking map.
Within the first 1.5 km's is when you will take on the majority of your elevation gain. Here you will encounter steep stair cases (which also have views of the valley) and steeper rocky terrain to hike up.
Its not technical so no need to worry about rock climbing. There is only 1 trail to follow and it follows the top of the ridge. Along the top ridge there will be a number of viewpoints marked out with signs as well as a loop bringing you through the upper lakes (which the top one you can swim in on hot days).
This will extend your hike by 3.4 km's if you complete the full loop.
Ive had the chance to hike the Palisades a number of times and it doesn't disappoint and is worth while doing if you are on a cross Canada trip off hwy. 11 or live locally.
The lakes are worth the sites and so is checking out the Falls roadside!
