This hike is part of the Adventure Report Ottawa Hiking Challenge! If you hike this trail, you’re officially working on the Views Edition!

Join our Hiking Challenge Facebook Group to connect with other hikers working on the challenge, and don’t forget to tag us on social media so we can share your progress!

Adventure Report Ottawa Hiking Challenge Route Specification: You can complete either of the specified routes (shuttle from trailhead to trailhead or hike an out-and-back from the trailhead on Calabogie Road) to reach the Eagles Nest lookout and your hike will count towards the completion of the Views Edition!

This adventure is only an hour from Ottawa, and it’s worth the drive. Calabogie makes for great day trips, and we headed there on a grey Saturday morning in early July to hike the Manitou Mountain trail. We took two cars because we wanted to hike it end to end, but didn’t want to hike back because we were bringing our dog with us. Dogs are allowed on this trail, and I didn’t see any posted restrictions for the trails that branch off of it, so I think you would be safe bringing your pup anywhere in this area.

Getting There

There are two trailheads that can be used to access this Manitou Mountain Trail. Calabogie Peaks Resort has created a great map of the trails. Using this map, we had decided that we wanted to start the trail off of Barrett Chute road because we were under the (false) impression that we would get more of an ascent coming in from that side.

First, we dropped a car off at the trailhead on Calabogie Road. The trail leading in from here is actually called “Little Pine Path,” but there is a blue and white sign that says Manitou Mountain Trail at the side of the road. The “address” here, if you want to put it into a GPS or maps program, is 6573 Calabogie Road, Calabogie. The shoulders are wide here on both sides, so it’s easy to park. When we arrived around 9:30 a.m. there was no one else parked there, but by the time we returned there were at least ten cars parked alongside the road.

Trail maps were available at the Little Pine Path trailhead for 75 cents each, but it had rained and they were soggy, so I’d recommend bringing your own. This was the only trailhead that had maps that you could take with you.

The great thing about the Little Pine Path is that if you take it, you get to the Eagles Nest Lookout after hiking for only a kilometre. The views from this lookout are (in my opinion) the most spectacular along the whole trail. For those new to hiking who want to get some fantastic views without going too far, this is a perfect option. It’s both challenging and beautiful enough to get you hooked and planning your next adventure.

Since we wanted to hike the trail end to end, we chose to save the best for last.

Next, we drove to the trailhead where we were going to start our hike. The address for this trailhead is 342 Barrett Chute Rd, Calabogie. Again, nice wide shoulders for parking.

There are no facilities at either trailhead, so keep that in mind while you’re on the way there.

Manitou Mountain Trail

Soon after setting off, we realized the trail was very well marked, and fairly well-traveled (making it extra easy to follow). We started a gradual ascent almost immediately and continued upwards for the next 500 metres, before heading into a bit of a valley to rest up for the next climb.

One of the great things about this trail is that you’re rewarded with amazing views soon after starting. We chose to take “the long way” because we didn’t want to miss the Red Arrow Rock Lookout. You’ll know that you’re on the right path for this lookout, because the markers change from blue to red to signify that you chose to take this route.

We had only hiked for 3.2 kilometres before reaching the Red Arrow Rock Lookout, which is a great place to stop for a snack. Moving on, we hiked another 1.3 kilometres to arrive at the Manitou Mountain Lookout. Start keeping an eye out once you’ve been hiking for 4 kilometres because there is a small ledge you can get out onto for unobstructed views.

The junction for the Indian Pass trail is around the 5K mark, with the junction for the Skywalk loop just after it, at around 5.2K.

In addition to the views, I found this trail really enjoyable as a whole because it was rocky, rooty, and steep enough that it felt like a challenge (see elevation charts at the end of this report), and the landscape was beautiful the whole way.

We caught a little break before the final lookout, as the trail has you follow an old logging road for a short while, which makes for easy hiking before veering off into the woods again.

The Eagles Nest Lookout was around the 8K mark. It really was spectacular, and we had it all to ourselves (we had only seen three people on the trail all day). The Eagles Nest Lookout gets you a view that seems to go on forever. But, what I think is really cool about it is that the cliff edges of the lookout are above a section of forest that rock climbers like to visit, so you get a bird’s eye view of the huge rock formations that make up some of the best rock climbing (bouldering) in Calabogie.

Getting Home

It took us three hours and forty-five minutes to hike this trail from end to end, but it could definitely be done more quickly, and would be a great option for trail running too. I can’t wait to head back to Calabogie to check out what else is on tap. Because seriously, they have a brewery in town, and we didn’t have time to go.

I hope this trip report has enough info to get you there too. Let me know in the comments, or share and tag a friend to start planning your next adventure!

Elevation Change and Map

If you’re in the area, check out the Red Pine Trail too!

Gear We Brought