Hunt Lake Hiking Trail — Attraction in Unorganized Division No. 1

Hunt Lake is my favourite trail in Manitoba and I love the challenging and technical terrain and beautiful scenery! I have done this one many times, including three times this summer (2020) so far.

The hike starts off by following closely along the shoreline of Hunt Lake with vertical rock cliffs on the opposite side of the trail. This section is very scenic! Shortly into the hike, there is a really cool cave in the rock cliff that you can climb up to for photo opportunities. It was interesting to see how the trees continue to grow through the rock. Also in the beginning of the trail, at the first creek crossing, there is an offshoot trail on the right side that leads a short ways to a small but pretty waterfall. The trail then follows alongside West Hawk Lake for the remainder and travels mostly through shaded forest, with the exception of some higher elevation portions near the middle and end of the trail, across the rock face. There are lots of roots and rocks along the trail, so definitely watch your footing. The hike involves steep climbs and descents (scrambles) on jagged rock walls and there are frequent ups and downs. I loved the technical challenging aspects of this hike!

At about 3.5 km into the hike, there is a rock outcrop overlooking West Hawk Lake, which is a beautiful place for a snack/swim. There are rocks for sitting on and a small quiet bay off the lake for swimming.

At roughly the 6 km mark, the hike ends at Little Indian Bay, a beautiful and quiet cove off of West Hawk Lake. There are large rocks for sitting on, some shaded areas and a shelter. The bay is peaceful and makes for a great swimming area (warning - the water is very cold). There are pretty views of the lake from here, it is peaceful and it's a great spot to enjoy lunch. The hike then follows the same trail back to the beginning.

The trail is well-marked for the most part. There is flagging tape, arrow signs posted on trees, and unfortunately, spray-painted graffiti arrows on the rocks. The trail is well traveled and it's pretty easy to follow, though there are some offshoot trails that you have to watch out for that seem to be more confusing on the hike back.

A tip for this hike is to BE PREPARED. This trail is rated difficult for a reason. There are lots of ups and downs along the jagged rocks and some steep climbs and descents. Wear proper, sturdy footwear (I literally saw someone walking this trail barefoot and have seen many people doing it in flip flops). Bring lots of water, especially on hot days, and consider bringing a water filter to fill up at the lake (I drank 4 litres on a 35 degree day). I would also recommend hiking poles. They helped tremendously for scrambling up the rocky climbs. Also, please don't blast your music for all to hear while you're hiking... Most people come here to experience the sounds of nature. There are no outhouses along the trail or at the trailhead. There are plenty of areas off the trail that you can find in the woods to use the washroom. Make sure to take toilet paper and trash with you and don't just dump them along the trail or leave in a firepit! There were lots of a mosquitoes in the swampy, low lying forested sections of the trail, but I didn't get any ticks. There are some really muddy sections as well, which require hopping over rocks and logs.

Arrive early, as there is limited parking in the small lot at the trailhead. I began the hike at around 9 AM and the lot was already full. You can park along the road but it's pretty narrow. This trail has also been super busy this summer, so you will beat the crowds if you arrive early. Thankfully, the 35 degree kept many people away during my hike, so it was pretty peaceful and most of the time, the trail felt quiet.

I love the challenge of this trail with the steep climbs through the rocky terrain and it is very rewarding. There are beautiful views of the lake along the way and the forest is pretty and peaceful. The entire hike (including stops) took me around 6 hours to complete, so make sure to allow...

My friend and I hiked the whole Hunt Lake Hiking Trail on August Long Weekend including the backloop that goes into Ontario. We completed it in 7 and a half hours. 5 hours on the non-maintained back loop and 2.5 hours on the main trail. It's easiest to hike the trail counter clockwise since all the signs are in that direction and the trail is heavily grown in past the shelter. The first kilometre from the main trail to the visitor centre turnoff wasn't too grown in. After the visitor centre turnoff the trail was really grown in. You could barely tell there was a trail. You would have to look at the ground and see if there was a packed trail to know that was the trail. There wasn't a beaten trail going over the first beaver dam crossing so we were pushing through chest high grass and foliage. After the first creek crossing over the new log bridge the trail got worse. There is not much of a trail due to the new plant growth because of the logging that happened years ago. We just looked for ribbons and headed towards them. The trail crossed another beaver dam and went back into old forest and that's where we lost the trail for awhile. There wasn't much ribbons and there wasn't much sign of a trail so we just bushwhacked for a bit and saw a ribbon and got back on the trail. Just before the second crossing there was more logging so there wasn't much of a trail again. We just walked towards the old logging road which was just tall grass now. We could find where the trail went back into the bush and across the creek so we just bushwhacked to the creek and walked along it till we found the rocks that we could hop across to the other side since there was no bridge. We found the trail again on the other side of the creek and made our way to back into Manitoba across the border. The worst part of the trail would have to be the section between the border and the shelter. The trail was almost non existent. Very little ribbons and thick bush. The back loop is possible just very tricky and not well marked. You need a GPS track of the trail. I marked the trail a lot but there is still sections that I didn't mark because I didn't know if where we were walking was the actual trail. I used a whole roll of ribbon. We probably walked over 100 downed trees, lost the trail 10 times and had to stop and look to see where the trail was many times. The best time to do the loop would be in the fall or spring when there is no leaves or tall grass. The fly's and mosquito's were horrible, they would be constantly flying...

Hiked the Hunt Lake Trail a couple of days ago with my 2 oldest. Amazing hike. Definitely the most difficult Provincial Park trail I've been on. On the way in, it took us about 2 hours and 40 minutes. That was with a number of breaks to admire some scenery, take some pics, or have a snack. It took us 2 hours coming back. Next to no stops.

There are areas with high rock walls you can climb, and even crawl into a tiny cave. And large trees, seemingly growing straight out of the rock walls themselves. It's pretty cool. There is much beauty along the trail, although the trail end is pretty anti-climactic. It ends at Little Indian Bay and there is just a small shelter. That's fine though, as we all still felt a sense of accomplishment. On a warmer day, I would have gone for a dip to cool off. And being the deepest lake in the province, the water is cold!

The path itself is very rocky. Sharp rocks jutting out of the trail all along. Indeed, some areas you have to use your hands to climb up the rocks because it is so steep. If you fall anywhere on the trail, you will most likely hurt yourself. Where there aren't rocks, you will contend with large roots that can be tripping hazards as well. So, bring decent footwear, a first aid kit, a good lunch, and lots of water. I went through 1.5 liters of water, and it was a cool day. I also brought an extra shirt, as mine always gets quite sweaty when I wear a back pack.

Unless you have a disability that would make walking difficult, I think anyone could do this hike. As is often the case, it has more to do with your will, than how in (or not in) shape you are. Just take your time, and tread carefully.

Afterwards we went to the Hi-Ball restaurant for food and drinks. Unfortunately, we couldn't sit on the patio, so we just ordered food to go. Food was decent.

If you decide to give it a go, I hope you have as positive an experience...