Wabun Lake & Sugar Mountain in Calabogie: Hiking Guide

Wabun Lake & Sugar Mountain in Calabogie: Hiking Guide

Wabun Lake is one of those trails that offer up just the right amount of challenge and scenery. It’s also an unmarked trail by the township of Greater Madawaska and a bit tricky to understand the route

Suggested Stops

Fueled up post hike with a wood oven pizza from Neat Coffee Shop in Burnstown. Their pizza is on point. Along with the lattes. And music nights. It’s just a great place overall.

Important Insights

Wabun Lake road is a dirt road. The trails are shared with ATVs, dirt bikes, mountain bikes, and hunters.

Land Acknowledgement

These are the lands of the Anishinabewaki ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯᐗᑭ and Omàmìwininìwag (Algonquin) people.⁠ It is important as avid hikers and stewards of the land, to acknowledge and understand the full story our surroundings along with the people that care for her, both past and present. As sourced from native-land.ca, if there are corrections please send to victoria@girlgonegood.com.

Land Management

Unmanaged.

GPS Coordinates

45.24594844761396, -76.85964458630383

Street Address

Wabun Lake Rd Greater Madawaska, ON K0J 1H0

Directions

Hwy 417 West to Calabogie Rd. Drive west on Calabogie Rd to Hydro Dam Rd. Continue on Hydro Dam Rd (1.5km) to Wabun Lake Road. This is a dirt road. Drive 2.5kms on Wabun Lake Rd until you reach a fork in the road. The Wabun Lake parking and boat launch are 150m ahead on the left fork, the trailhead is 300m ahead on the right fork. Take the right fork. You’ll notice a large grass parking like area on the right. The trailhead across the road (dirt road, not the smaller trail).

If you plan on hiking the full 18kms, then park at the GPS coord for this Trail Report and hike to Limestone Lake first, completing the trail clockwise.

Parking

Medium parking lot at trailhead.

Cell Reception

Yes

Washrooms

None. Follow Leave No Trace toileting guidelines

Accessibility

No

Trail Details

Entrance Fee

Hours of Operation

All seasons. Open dawn to dusk daily.

Trail Map

Follow AllTrails

Trailhead

Located across the road from the parking lot.

Number of Trails

1

Total Distance (km)

18

Elevation Gain (m)

500

Cell Reception

Yes

Features

Woodlands

Activities

Hiking, Birding, Snowshoeing, Fishing, Geocaching, Mountain Biking

Dogs

Permitted on-leash.

Trail Description

Wabun Lake Trail: There are a few choices, either 1.5km out and back for the lookout or 16km+ for the full Wabun Lake loop trail. First and foremost, the trail is unmarked. For the first 1.5km to the lookout it is a wide ATV trail that has some decent inclines and dips along the route. Plenty of old growth trees, wildflowers, and rock formations to enjoy while hiking. There are multiple off shoots on this trail. Once at the lookout, we actually hiked another 1.5km down to the far side of Wabun Lake. The best feature of this hike, of course, is the fantastic lake views from both ground level and from the high points. Let me be honest in that since there are no signage on this trail, we loved the views but weren’t sure of the lookouts when we first came across them. It took a few map checks and trail description checks to be sure. Once you hike 1.5km and arrive at the high point at the hydro line tower, continue 20m for a second less obstructed (by hydro lines) view point directed ahead on left looking over Wabun Lake.

Other Hiking Trails