Wild Toronto / Trips / Algonquin Highlands Fire Tower
Not every good trail makes it into a guidebook
A day in the Algonquin Highlands at the peak of the colour. A quiet 7.5 kilometre loop we keep to ourselves in the morning, and a fire tower first built in 1922 in the afternoon, with the deck 142 metres above Lake of Bays.
- Duration
- 12 hours
- Leaves from
- Keele Station, Toronto
- The trail
- 7.5 km
- Age
- 16 and over
- Price
- From $125 CAD
The trip
Why this trail and not a famous one?
Every September the Canadian Shield north of Toronto turns red, orange and gold, and the well known lookouts fill with lineups. Our route never made it into a guidebook, and that is exactly why we use it. A quiet 7.5 kilometre loop in the Algonquin Highlands, walked at a pace that leaves time to look.
The morning is rooted singletrack through mixed forest, past beaver ponds and rock outcrops, with ridges of rock that open into long views exactly when you have stopped expecting them. We stop for lunch at the widest view on the route. It is a moderate hike, and a good first one if you have never been out on Canadian trail before.
In the afternoon we drive a few minutes to a fire tower first built in 1922 to spot forest fires, rebuilt in 1967 into the structure standing today. Climbing it puts you level with the treetops, and the observation deck stands 142 metres above Lake of Bays, with the hills and lakes running to the horizon in every direction. The climb is optional, and the view from the base is nothing to apologize for.
We drive from downtown Toronto and back, the tower pass is handled, and the route is one our guides walk every season. You bring boots, a warm layer, and a packed lunch.
After a morning spent under the canopy, you get the same forest from above it.
Hour by hour
What does the day actually look like?
You leave Keele station at 7:00 AM and you are back there by about 7:00 PM. Between those two points the day runs like this.
-
7:00 AM
Leave Keele station
Downtown Toronto, on the highway before the city wakes up.
-
8:30 AM
A short stop
Stretch your legs and use a washroom.
-
10:00 AM
Boots on the trail
A 7.5 km loop through the Highlands. Rooted singletrack through mixed forest, beaver ponds and rock outcrops, with a lunch stop at the widest view on the route.
-
1:30 PM
A short drive to the tower
Off the trail and over to the fire tower.
-
1:45 PM
Climb the tower
The observation deck sits 142 metres above Lake of Bays. The climb is optional and the view from the base holds its own.
-
3:00 PM
Start the drive south
Heading home with the light behind us.
-
7:00 PM
Back at Keele station
Toronto, the same evening.
Times are approximate and will shift with traffic, weather, and how long the light holds.
What you pay for
What is included, and what do I bring?
The fare covers getting there, the guiding and the gear that makes the day work. You bring clothing, footwear and whatever you want to eat.
Included
- Return transport from downtown Toronto
- Guides who walk this route every season
- The guided 7.5 km hike, paced with time to look
- Fire tower admission
- A route that is not in the guidebooks
Bring yourself
- A packed lunch and snacks
- Two litres of water
- Hiking boots or trail shoes with grip
- Layers you can add and shed, and a waterproof shell
- Travel insurance, gratuities at your discretion
Transport is not optional, and that is the point. Every Wild Toronto trip runs as one group in one vehicle from Toronto and back. There is no meet-us-there rate and no self-drive option. It is what lets us start before the lineups form and use a trailhead you will not find signposted. We travel in an adventure van rather than a coach, because a coach cannot get to where we are going.
Getting there
How far north is it, really?
A few hours north. We leave Keele station on Line 2 at 7:00 AM and you are back at the same station by about 7:00 PM. You get yourself to Keele. We handle everything after that.
- Meeting point
- 21 Keele Street, Toronto
Keele station, Line 2 - Be there by
- Ten minutes before departure. We leave at 7:00 AM.
- Home by
- Roughly 7:00 PM, the same day
Dates
When does it run?
One departure. Peak colour in the Highlands lasts about ten days and it does not negotiate.
-
Sunday20 September 20267:00 AM · from $125
Booking and payment are handled by FareHarbor. Prices are per person in Canadian dollars and include transport from Toronto, guiding, permits and gear.
Before you book
The questions people actually ask
I have never hiked in Canada. Is this for me?
Yes. It is a moderate 7.5 kilometre loop walked at a comfortable pace with time to look, and it is a good first trail if you have never been out here before. The guides set the pace to the group, not the other way around.
How fit do I need to be?
You will be on your feet for about three and a half hours including the lunch stop, on rooted and rocky ground with some ups and downs. If you can walk for a couple of hours on uneven ground you will be fine.
How long is the drive, really?
We leave Keele station at 7:00 AM and are on the trail by 10:00, including a stop on the way. You are back at Keele at roughly 7:00 PM. It is a long day, and the reason it works as one is that you are not the one driving.
Can I drive myself and meet you there?
No. Every Wild Toronto trip is transport-included and we travel as one group from Toronto. It keeps the day on schedule, and the trailhead we use is not signposted.
What should I wear and bring?
Hiking boots or trail shoes with grip, since the trail is rooted, rocky and muddy in places and regular sneakers are not suitable. Bring a packed lunch, two litres of water, layers you can add and shed, and a waterproof shell. September mornings up there run colder than the city forecast.
What happens if it rains?
We go. Colour under cloud photographs better than colour in glare, and the trail is quieter. We only cancel for conditions that are unsafe, and if we cancel you get a full refund.
I am not great with heights. Do I have to climb the tower?
No. The stairs are steep and open, the climb is entirely optional, and the view from the base is a good one.
Will the colours be at their peak?
September 20 sits at the front of the window the Highlands usually peak in. A forest is not a booking system though. Some years run early and some run late, and the trail and the tower are a good day in any light.
Is there an age limit?
Sixteen and over.
If plans change
What happens if I need to cancel?
How much you get back depends on how far out you cancel. If we are the ones who cancel, you get everything back.
| When you cancel | What you get back |
|---|---|
| More than 10 days out | Full refund, less a 5% admin fee. |
| 7 to 10 days out | 50% refund. |
| Inside 7 days | No refund. The seat and the guide are already committed. |
| If we cancel | Full refund within a week, back to your original payment method. Severe weather included. |
The other trip
Algonquin Park Fall Colours
A canoe lesson on a quiet lake outside the park, then a hike up onto bare Shield rock with forest running to the horizon.
See the tripThe dates are fixed and the seats are finite. When one fills, it does not run again.
Updated August 2026