TERRACE BAY -- The north shore of Lake Superior is full of surprises and hidden treasures. The Casque Isles Trail is another hidden gem waiting to be discovered. Terrace Bay is a bustling hub staring in early spring when the fish are jumping well into the fall when the trails are clear, the bird watching is at its best and the bugs are at their least.
The Casque Trails are easily found along the highway next to the Aguasabon Falls and Gorge parking lot. It can also be accessed from Terrace Bay Beach, a little further down the highway and winding south through Terrace Bay to the beach.
We started at Terrace Bay Beach, there’s plenty of free parking. Lots of spots to sit and have a picnic before or after a big hike, or just to enjoy the scenery. The Terrace Bay Beach Pavilion is a beautiful new structure complete with a gift shop and very nice rest area with indoor restrooms. The base of the gorge where the Aguasabon River meets Lake Superior is photo worthy too. The white sand beach is peppered with benches and tables to enjoy the views. From here we doused ourselves with bug repellant, made sure we had full water bottles and made our way up to the Gorge and Falls.
The Aguasabon Falls are incredible and surprisingly imposing during the spring season. This area looks like something one might see along the Sea to Sky highway in British Columbia. Tree covered cliffs, rushing water and the endless saltless sea that could easily be mistaken for an ocean. The lookout is well marked and easily accessed along a boarded walkway that steps down to hang over the cliffs bringing visitors close enough to the falls to feel the mist and be deafened by the sounds of rushing, tumbling water.
The trail from the beach to the falls is a mostly uphill incline, it is very rocky in some areas. A little over one kilometre and it’s worth it for the views of the falls, the forest and the river along the way.
Winding back down again we turn east on the Lyda Bay Section of the Casque Isles Trail, leading towards Danny Cove. The trail is much less rocky and a very easy stroll, a few hilly parts, but this forest trail is so enchanting that I barely noticed. We hiked on a misty overcast day, the moss of the forest floor was lush and colourful. In no time at all we reached the next check point on the trail - Danny Cove.
Lake Superior has a reputation for being a rough, cold choppy body of water. But Danny Cove is the exception to this rule. Bring your swimming suit if you are hiking this way in the summer, or you’ll feel the sting of regret I felt this day. It is a swimmers dream, calm, clear waters, sandy bottoms and small rocky islands. A swim friendly area for all ages surrounded by fine sand beach.
The marked path continues on into the next part of the Lyda Bay trail, we turned around at Danny’s Cove, but we will definitely be back to complete the Lyda Bay segment of the Casque Isle Trails, which spans from Terrace Bay, through Schreiber and into Rossport. The trail is divided into five segments and 11 access points. It is 53 kilometres long in total.
The breathtaking views on this small section we explored makes me wonder what other incredible secrets this trail has to offer. Can’t wait to discover more.
