Rainbow Falls Provincial Park, Ontario

Walking from the campground on our way to the beginning of the waterfall trail we decided to hike the 1.5km Superior Trail that claimed views of Lake Superior. The trail was fairly direct in ascending a granite ridge, which did indeed provide views of the lake, before depositing us near the Rainbow Falls trailhead. About half the 3km trail was boardwalk that followed the river as it drained from Whitesand Lake over multiple ledges; stairs connected viewing platforms that provided excellent views of the picturesque falls. The varieties between the different cascades were fantastic, but it was the lichen-encrusted pink granite bedrock that made the falls particularly pretty. About halfway the trail crosses a foot bridge, leaving the boardwalk behind, before turning back north and ascending a few hundred feet in elevation to another granite ridge. Before continuing on the trail we did some exploring below that main falls, finding another pretty cascade, and giving me the opportunity to get a decent photo of the footbridge. We then rejoined the trail and hiked a kilometer or so up to the overlooks. Thickly forested, the ridge offers two lookouts from relatively exposed areas, one for Whitesand Lake and the other for Lake Superior, wherein we could see multiple islands near the shore.

Leaving the park the next morning we had a couple scenic stops at pullouts along Lake Superior. In addition to the views across the bay to the Sleeping Giant Peninnsula, we were able to see vertical jointed basalt and granite along the highway.