MacGregor Point Provincial Park

Visited: 19 - 23 September 2024

Nights Stayed: 4

MacGregor Point Provincial Park is part of the Ontario parks system located on beautiful Lake Huron near Port Elgin. Covering over 1204 hectors, it was established in 1975. The park is open year round for a multitude of activities from camping to cross country skiing. There are over 360 camping opportunities including rustic to sites with power to roofed accommodations.

An Ontario R-Pod Rally was happening this weekend that is why we chose this park, more on that later. 

Entrance to MacGregor Point

Our Site # 240 Foxway Campground

The park offers over 20 km of very well marked hiking and biking trails. The park is huge so bringing a bike makes getting around so much easier. The Old Shore Trail follows the lakeshore for approximately 6 km. It was a roadway at one time and provides a hard packed surface for walking and biking.

Susan walking Old Shore Road Trail

Black Capped Chickadee

Pair of Mute Swans

Knapweed

This marl wetland has very poor soil due to the low level of essential nutrients like nitrogen. The plants that grow here in the marl have adapted to these poor infertile conditions. This marl is one of the most fragile spots in MacGregor with its frost heaved boulders and clumps of vegetation. Several of the plants are carnivorous with specialized leaves enabling the plant to capture and digest its prey like the pitcher plant.

Pitcher-plant Marl

The Tower Trail is a 3.5 km circular trail providing views of the Ducks Unlimited wetland. Some members of the rally decided on a morning hike, so I couldn't pass up this opportunity. This trail is considered to be an easy one and is also very popular with birders.

Invasive species - Autumn Olive

Another beautiful sunset on Lake Huron

Enjoying early morning campfire

The 4km Lake Ridge Trail winds through an area of woods, wetlands, and abandoned farm fields. Evidence of Lake Nipissing, a glacier lake that occupied much of the Great Lakes basin 5,000 years ago can be seen along this trail. Evidence of historic homesteads can be seen with stone fences, stone wells, and apple orchards.

Old homestead fence

Old homestead stone well

Lake Nipissing Bluffs

The trail was steeped with so many beautiful plants, fungi, and trees. Here are just a few.

Glacial erratics is a term given to a boulder which has been transported from its source by a glacier. Many can not be traced back to their source. However, this one is a large piece of quartzite, a rock that outcrops in Killarney Provincial Park area about 160 km to the north. Originating in the Precambrian Period, this quartzite is believed to be 2000 million years old.

As a glacier advanced across the area it carried stones and pebbles in a mixture of clay and sand. These materials got laid down in the form of till and remain on top of the limestone bedrock in various thicknesses. Over time the waves of glacial Lake Nipissing washed away the smaller particles leaving behind boulders of various sizes.

As another wonderful hike comes to an end, Macgregor Point Provincial Park did not disappoint. Around every corner there was beauty and a wanting for more. After 4 days I still did not get to explore all of the park. It just makes me want to come back.

Jerusalem Artichoke