The Hunt Lake trailhead is located east of West Hawk Lake, and ends at a small shelter (no overnight camping) at Little Indian Bay.
Located in the Canadian Shield Region, the trail provides some scrambling up steep cliffs, and some degree of bushwacking. Most of the trail skirts West Hawk Lake, and provides some great views, and an opportunity to take a dip on a hot day!
Trail maintenance is usually good, but we encountered several trees down along the way. The usual precautions against a yogi encounter are advisable.
Directions:
Take Hwy 1 east from Winnipeg to West Hawk Lake, and turn right at the town intersection. Follow the road through the town past the beach and boat launch. The trailhead sign is on the left just before the gates to a maintenance road.
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ByPosted By: robv
- Sun Jul 05 00:42:33 EDT 2009
Not Rated
UpsideVaried terrain, not too difficult
Downsidelots of people, kinda easy
CommentI liked this trail, my girlfriend and I did this on Sat June 20th, 2009. We tried to start early, but traffic from Winnipeg was bad with construction on No.1 near Wpg. Started around 10, just before one other group started. Very nice scenery, pretty typical of Whiteshell. We usually do backcountry trips, so this was 'cheating' for us (ie, no big backpack, tent....). We were expecting a little more secluded of a hike, but ran into about 14-16 people on the trail (mostly while we were walking back). Very hot day, my thermometer was up to 34 in the higher, grassier areas, which were like heat waves. However, most of the trail is shaded, which was also nice (thermometer read more like 22-26 C). We didn't attempt the 'back' trail that no longer exists, just straight in and out. Nice to take a dip at Little Indian Bay (and light lunch), but lots of boats, and 2 other groups of people arrived there after us (=6 people). I love reptiles/amphibians, found many frogs, a toad and salamander. Nice trail, would recommend for a nice day hike (we took our time, many stops, around 5.5 hours). We would have liked less people, but it is a public trail, what can you do?
ByPosted By: Ross_E
- Mon Apr 20 00:33:27 EDT 2009
Upsideits some of the toughest terrain in manitoba with many river crossings, rock scrambles, and bushwacking
Downsidethe backside of the trail is not maintained and the only trail markers are ribbons tied to trees so you can lose the trail
Commenti did the full trail backside included yesterday and yes it is passable you might lose the trail about 10 times and have to rebuild some bridges and use every minute of daylight (7 hours at 14.2 kilometers) but its a fun hike, very worth it, early season hikes are treacherous because ice forms in between the rocks and makes the climbs and decents dangerous, just a hint logging has occured on the backside since the windstorm and you will lose the trail in the clearing just head to the south side of the clearing and cross the river at the far side of the pond there is a bridge you'll know what i mean when you get there, just wanted to add that cause our group got lost there for a while.
ByPosted By: nwild
- Wed Jul 02 07:38:54 EDT 2008
Not Rated
Comment I think the first post kind of gives you this impression, but as of last Friday when I called the park office. The trail is officially no longer a loop. It is a straight in/straight out, the portions of the trail that crossed into Ontario are no more.
ByPosted By: amsivertson
- Sun Aug 12 23:26:20 EDT 2007
UpsideWonderful scenery, challenging terrain, neat photography opportunities, true Canadian Shield hiking opportunity. (And a high-up view of a secluded boat-access-only cabin of which you will be relentlessly jealous :) )
DownsideWARNING!!! Hiked it today (August 12, 2007), and the Province has obviously STOPPED maintaining the trail past the picnic shelter. The trail is long since obliterated and overgrown, many fallen trees (and old ones - not from this season's storms!), and we gave up about 750 meters of very heavy bushwhacking past the picnic site, and needed the GPS to get back to our "trail" and re-find the picnic shelter to hike back out the way we came. We are 3 experienced, prepared, and equipped hikers and packers, and it forced us back and into orienteering mode, so this is a legitimate warning. I'm emailing the Province to urge them to either fix it, close it, or at least post a clear warning sign. There was a bug in the TrailPeak GPS system that prevented download of the above data - with that fixed a person may venture forth, but the bushwhacking will be intense and *very* tough unless they rebuild the trail.
CommentThe 6 km into the picnic shelter are fantastic - on par with the Mantario Trail - as among the best in the entire Canadian Shield region. Unfortunately, though, the "loop" indicated on the map is impassable, so you are looking at a wonderful 6 km hike in....and then a wonderful 6 km back out the same way! You'll enjoy it, though - challenging, tough, has everything hiking in the Canadian Shield has to offer.
ByPosted By: shasselmann
- Fri Oct 29 21:07:10 EDT 2004
UpsideBeautiful scenery in dense, humid forest which parallels the 110m deep West Hawk Lake (created 100 million years ago by a meteorite).
DownsideMore of a fact than a downside: bring water - there are many busy beavers in the area!
CommentI would also give Hunt Lake a 5 on 5 for splendor, but would agree with klshep and rate Hunt Lake as easy or average difficulty. Get out there, Manitobans!
ByPosted By: klshep
- Sun Mar 14 19:13:04 EST 2004
UpsideThis is a great trail - you'll forget you are in a "prairie province". Great lake views, a good workout and little traffic.
DownsideNone
CommentI have done it twice and will back again. I would say more like 3 hours, with a lunch break
Posted By: robv
Posted By: Ross_E
Posted By: nwild
