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Poison Ivy Falls

We take a tour deep in the backcountry in Kejimkujik National Park towards an area of the park called Poison Ivy Falls.

There are no actual falls, but there is a lot of poison ivy. The story goes that tent dwellers in the 19th century were enjoying some fishing, not realizing that he was frolicking in poison ivy, they spent the next three days at the location until the swelling died down.

What makes this area unique is a 100 TON granite erratic located along a canoe portage route between the two lakes. We decided to do hike via site #38. Of course it would be a little easier via canoe.

Another find, but we didn’t get a chance to explore was up towards Luxton Lake, as part of the trail that we hiked was the old logging road. What remains of the lumber mill is a giant pile of sawdust.

 

More about Luxton Lake trail

 

[blockquote class=”{classname}”]This is a 4 km trail which takes 2 hours to complete both ways, however there is a substantial hike before reaching the trail head. Remember your sun screen as there is little protection from the sun in the early afternoon. During the spring season, the section of the trail near Ben Lake sometimes floods the boardwalk area and creates muddy conditions on either side of the boardwalk. There are also lots of bugs in the springtime. For cross-country skiing, the first section of the trail is difficult until campsite #38 due to large rocks. The rest of the trail is fine.

Cyclists are permitted on this trail but only as far as Poison Ivy Falls. The first section of the trail follows an old logging road that is about 3 metres wide and has very little vegetation, making hiking easy. The area known as Poison Ivy Falls is home to a large amount of Poison Ivy (along the brook). Portage “N” which runs parallel with the brook, is a nice, short walk that offers a view of both Peskawa and Peskowesk Lakes. One can find a 100 ton erratic on this portage which was likely carried by the last glacier.

Campsite #38 is located at the brook. The trail follows a gradual incline for the next hour. It levels off when Ben Lake is reached. Boardwalk sections cover wet areas that are encountered around the Ben Lake area. From this point to campsite #39, the trail remains level and encounters several areas which show evidence of old sawmills.

Near Luxton Lake the trail splits in two directions. The left trail goes to campsite #39 that is situated about 20 feet from the lake. This site offers a nice view of Luxton Lake but offers little protection from the wind or sun. The other branch of the trail goes to an old sawmill. There is a large sawdust pile, a lumber pile, and the remains of an old mill and cookhouse. Luxton Lake passes through mixed forest with pine predominating.

Kejimkujik is a National Park. Phone the park Visitor Centre at (902) 682-2772 for back-country maps, reservations (for regular and back-country sites), information on park regulations, and any additional information.

Those intending to camp at a back-country site must first register at the park Visitor Centre.[/blockquote]

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