Agawa Falls Hike Guide: Lake Superior Provincial Park

To date, one of my favourite trails in Lake Superior Provincial Park is the Hike to Agawa Falls via Towab Trail. Here is my full guide on this hard yet stunning hike.

Lake Superior Provincial Park is one of Ontario’s largest and most stunning provincial parks. It is located between Sault Ste. Marie and Wawa on the northeastern shore of Lake Superior. This park is full of diverse scenery, including beaches, rivers, waterfalls, lakes, hills, cliffs and much more!

In Lake Superior Provincial Park, there are many activities you can do and campground and backcountry camping options. Several fantastic hiking trails are spread across this 1,550 square kilometre provincial park.

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About Towab Trail to Agawa Falls

Ever since I first discovered the beauty of Agawa Falls in Lake Superior Provincial Park, I wanted to hike Towab Trail. I hadn’t seen any thorough guides about the trail, so I never knew what to expect. Towab Trail is perfect for anyone who wants to do some backcountry camping, bird watching or backpacking.

The start of the trail tends to be busier for the first 3-4 km to Burnt Rock Pool and less busy as you make your way further if you are going all the way to Agawa Falls. At the trail’s end is the majestic Agawa Falls which is most definitely worth the hike. 

How Long Is Towab Trail?

Towab Trail to Agawa Falls is a 20.1km, out and back hiking trail rated as difficult with a 723-metre elevation gain. The AllTrails app states that the hike takes around 6 hours to complete; however, it took my brother and I much longer to complete. If you are a seasoned hiker, 6 hours might be enough time for you. If you are a photographer like me and like to take lots of photos, you might want to give yourself more time.

It is usually recommended to do the hike as an overnight, backcountry camping trip, but it is definitely possible to do it all in one day. I’ve done both, but I have to be honest, doing it all in one day is difficult because certain parts of the trail can be strenuous.

Hiking Towab Trail To Agawa Falls

The first 4-5km is a reasonably easy decline down a dirt path with stunning forest scenery all around. Eventually, you will come to Agawa River, which has a scenic area called Burnt Rock Pool. This is a great spot to fill up your water bottles if you already drank lots. Be sure to use some sort of water purification, though.

Once you pass this area, the trail gets narrower, and the hike gets harder. There are many ups and downs in the mid-section of this trail with tree roots, large loose rocks and muddy sections. There is one specific ascent that is more difficult than the rest. Because of the roots and rocks everywhere, you must be careful and watch your step.

After several kilometres of ups and downs, the trail gives you a nice break for a little bit until you come to the second last campsite. You have a nice river view and a distant view of Agawa Falls from this campsite.

This campsite is the best of all in my opinion. You are only 1km from Agawa Falls, which is perfect. So if you are backcountry camping, try to snag this spot before anyone else. The trail following this campsite gets pretty treacherous for the last kilometre.

Here the trail gets very steep and muddy and is the most challenging part of Towab Trail to Agawa Falls. Luckily, it is a very short section of the trail.

There will be an opening overlooking the powerful Agawa Falls scenic view. As you stand at this viewpoint, you can feel the mist from the falls, and it is also extremely muddy here.

The last campsite is just passed Agawa Falls but is very loud from the crashing of the falls, so this might not be the best camping option. 

From here, there is another scenic viewpoint that I made the choice not to go. But you can actually walk on the rocks of Agawa Falls. This can be risky, so proceed with caution if you do decide to do this.

How Do I Get To Agawa Falls?

The best way to get to Agawa Falls is to hike Towab Trail. Getting to Towab Trail is relatively easy. It is located just a few kilometres down Frater Road, which is about a 10-minute drive from the Agawa Bay Campground.

Be careful driving down Frater Road, as it is a pretty rough road covered with potholes. There will be a small parking area with signs for Towab Trail with trail information.

Do I Need a Park Pass?

You can purchase your day-use pass or pay for your campsites through this link or stop by the park office and pay there. Reserving a campsite online in advance for backcountry camping, as well as camping at a campground, is definitely recommended during the high season since the campgrounds can get booked up pretty quickly.

There are several backcountry campsites along Towab Trail, so you must purchase a permit for this. Go ahead and select backcountry camping through the link and find one of the campsites labelled as Towab.

Lake Superior Provincial Park Camping

If you don’t want to tackle the hike all in one day, there is the option to backcountry camp along Towab Trail. There are about six campsites that are first come, first served. They are all spread along the trail, but the two best campsites are the two last ones closest to Agawa Falls. The others are pretty as well, with stunning river views.

There are several campgrounds in Lake Superior Provincial Park. Agawa Bay Campground is only 10 minutes from Towab Trail to Agawa Falls, so if you plan on hiking the trail as a day trip, this is the perfect campground for you.

Some other campgrounds in Lake Superior Provincial Park are Rabbit Blanket Lake Campground in the northern part of the park, and Pancake Bay is further south, located in Pancake Bay Provincial Park.

I’ve created three 4-day camping trip itineraries to help you plan your trip! Cleck out the blog post here!

You can book your campsites through this link.

Related Post

Best Things To Do In Lake Superior Provincial Park: Ultimate Guide

4-Day Lake Superior Provincial Park Camping Trip Itinerary

What To Bring on Your Hike to Agawa Falls

Water Purification Tablets

In the Summer, I definitely needed to drink a lot more water, so bringing some purification tablets was a great idea. These are great options, so you don’t have to carry around a ton of water weight on your hike. There is a river that flows along most of the hiking trail, so water is always available to grab

Life Straw

This is an alternative to water purification tablets. Many people swear by the Life Straw water bottle, and it is a super excellent backpacking option.

Hiking Poles

Hiking poles are definitely handy for more challenging hikes like Towab Trail. This is one thing I regret not bringing on my hike to Agawa Falls. It would have saved my brother and me from some of the pains post-hike.

Bug Spray

If you are hiking Towab Trail to Agawa Falls in the Summer, you will definitely want to bring some bug spray. The bugs can get pretty bad during these warmer months. By the end of September, the bugs are nearly gone, so you don’t have to worry about getting eaten alive as much.

Are There Bears in Lake Superior Provincial Park?

Yes! There are most definitely black bears in Lake Superior Provincial Park. Bear Spray is a must, especially if you are one or very few people. Black bears can be unpredictable, so practice safe distancing if you do happen to come across one.

Camping Gear

If you are camping overnight, bring any camping gear you would typically bring on a backcountry camping trip, such as a tent, sleeping bags, snacks, etc.

Snacks

This is a very long hike and will be a long day if you tackle this trail all in one day, so snacks are essential. Keeping hydrated and fueled by snacks is necessary. Trail mix is one of my favourite hiking snacks since it is dense in calories.

Wrap-Up: Lake Superior Provincial Park – Hiking To Agawa Falls via Towab Trail

Was this hike worth it? Most definitely. Agawa Falls were absolutely breathtaking and have become one of my favourite waterfalls in Ontario. Would I do it all again in one go? Maybe. 

Lake Superior Provincial Park has many other beautiful hiking trails, but Towab Trail to Agawa Falls has got to have the best view. You absolutely need to add this to your Lake Superior Provincial Park itinerary whenever you make your way there.

Related Posts on Lake Superior Provincial Park

Best Things To Do In Lake Superior Provincial Park: Ultimate Guide

4-Day Lake Superior Provincial Park Camping Trip Itinerary

I also vlogged the entire journey on my YouTube channel, which you can find through the link below!

Thank you for stopping by, and happy adventuring ♡

Krista x.

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