The Frontenac Challenge

Carolyn Bonta | Jul 02, 2020

Frontenac Provincial Park is our region’s most popular all-season outdoor destination, and is especially inviting in the fall. There are many reasons to enjoy a hike, paddle, or backcountry camping trip at this time of year, such as cooler days, no biting insects, colourful leaves… and the Frontenac Challenge.

The Frontenac Challenge is the park’s most celebrated event of the year. The premise is simple: Hike all of the park’s 11 main trail loops in the months of September and October. These range from the gentle 1.5 km Arab Gorge boardwalk to the remote and incredibly rugged 21 km Slide Lake loop, along with nine additional intermediate-length trails in between for a total of 119 km. And that is what gives the Challenge its name!

In recent years, the Challenge has expanded and now includes a Youth Challenge and the Frontenac Trek, somewhat less demanding in mileage and ruggedness, but with the same benefits that come with experiencing the stunning beauty of the park in all its fall glory.

Since it began in 1993, thousands of visitors have taken the Challenge and many avid hikers look forward to it as an annual tradition.

Some participants hike one trail at a time; others figure-8 multiple loops in a visit. Early risers enjoy their hike in the morning, while others bring headlamps and venture into the evening hours.

Families take the Challenge, friends meet up on the trail, and solo hikers enjoy solitude and reflection. People hike for fitness, for the social benefit, or to achieve a personal goal.

The appeal of the Frontenac Challenge is as broad as the people who take it on. What is YOUR reason for taking the Challenge?

frontenacpark.ca/the-frontenac-challenge