Pukaskwa National Park: Hattie Cove to Cascade Falls

Pukaskwa National Park sits on the northern shore of Lake Superior: rugged coastline, remote wilderness campsites, dramatic cliffs, and landmarks like Cascade Falls. This eight-day expedition runs Hattie Cove to Cascade Falls and back, a point-to-point route through one of the most demanding and rewarding paddling environments in Canada.

Your group travels as an expedition pod, navigating, cooking, and making decisions together for eight days. The length and remoteness of this route make it unlike anything else in the program. This is the trip that proves you're ready. Come prepared to be challenged and leave a better paddler.

Itinerary

Daily progress depends on weather and lake conditions. Superior's north shore demands flexibility.

What's Included

• Eight-day expedition with experienced Kayak Ontario coaches at 1:4 ratio
• Group meals, planned, prepared, and cooked together as an expedition pod (Days 1 to 7)
• Shared group camping gear: tarps, group kitchen essentials
• Backcountry park permits arranged for the group

What to Bring

• Sea kayak and dry suit: bring your own, or rent from us and select at checkout
• Transportation to and from Hattie Cove, participants arrange their own
• Accommodation at Hattie Cove the night before launch (Day 0): book your own campsite directly with Parks Canada
• Personal paddling layers: neoprene, paddle jacket, base layers
• Snacks and personal food: assume all snacks are on you, and bring plenty. Group meals cover Days 1 to 7, but on an eight-day expedition you want well more than enough of your own food to stay fuelled and happy. Day 0 and the Day 7 farewell dinner are also your own.
• Personal camping gear: sleeping bag, sleeping pad, tent, available to rent if you don't have your own

Good to Know

• This is an active expedition. Everyone participates in paddling, cooking, camp setup, and navigation. No passengers.
• Pukaskwa is a National Park. Backcountry permits are required and are arranged for the group. The park has strict protocols and the expedition operates fully within them.
• Eight days is a significant commitment. Lake Superior's north shore is remote and exposed. This is the most demanding expedition in the program, so come physically prepared.
• Rentals available: expedition kayak, dry suit, and camping gear. Select your rentals at checkout.

Questions

Certification Pathway

This is the capstone of the program, the expedition where readiness is proven. It works for the KT2 level and, when it launches, KT3. It is not a KT1 trip and not a first backcountry expedition. If you're building toward it, start with a KT1 route like Opeongo or a KT1-2 route like Philip Edward Island, then come here to earn the advanced levels.

Come to tour with no assessment, or pair it with the matching online module to certify. Either way, the kilometres, nights, and leadership you log here count toward your progress.

See how the full pathway works →