Bat Lake Trail

Bat Lake Trail is one of the hiking trails in Algonquin that we’ve wanted to do ever since we started camping there... but hadn’t gotten around to, until a bit more recently.

The focal point of this trail is the namesake lake, which is acidic!

We love a good lake view on pretty much any hike, but in this case? We were just really curious to see what kinds of different wildlife an acidic lake might host.

Even beyond the animals and such, we figured there would be a chance that the plant life surrounding it might be different from more common lake types.

Then ... weather, trail conditions, time, and my lack of mobility kept getting in the way. It actually took Porter two years to get around to it, when we finally just decided to have him do the trail without me.

He first did this trail in 2025, and was kicking himself for letting it take him so long! While he didn’t see much in the way of wildlife, it ended up being a gorgeous trail.

Anyway, lots to talk about, so let’s get into those details...

The Basics:

Name: Bat Lake Trail
Algonquin Park Section: Highway 60 Corridor
Kilometre Marker: km 30.8
Season: Year-round
Trail Length: 5.8 km
Difficulty: Moderate
Suggested Completion Time: 3.5 hours

Logistics

Some basic information to help you plan your hike on the Bat Lake Trail in Algonquin Provincial Park:

Registration and Check In

All hiking trails in Algonquin Provincial Park require a valid permit to be within the park in the first place. There are a few different ways you can do this, depending on how you’re visiting the trail.

1. If you’re currently camping in Algonquin

If you have a current, valid camping permit for a campground in Algonquin Provincial Park - you just show up to the trail. Your license plate number is already registered with the park, and you’re good to go.

2. If you’re currently camping in a DIFFERENT Provincial Park

If you’re driving in for a day trip from somewhere like nearby Arrowhead Provincial Park, Bonnechere Provincial Park, Lake St Peter Provincial Park, or Silent Lake Provincial Park - you can take advantage of the reciprocal program.

With a few exceptions, a current and valid camping permit from one Ontario Provincial Park will act as a daily vehicle permit at another.

You just need to show up at one of the gates on the way in (East Gate and West Gate are the ones on either end of Highway 60), and show proof of that permit - a paper permit if your campground has it, or your email confirmation.

They will register your license plate number and you’re free to go - no additional fees required!

3. If you have an annual Ontario Parks Pass

Generally speaking, all you have to do is show up at one of the gates, present your pass, and have your license plate noted.

Note: Sometimes you’ll need to reserve a daily vehicle permit ahead of time. This is usually during peak fall colours season, when certain areas of the park reach capacity.

4. If you don’t have any sort of camping permit or Parks Pass in place

You can book your Daily Vehicle Permit online at Ontario Parks Reservations - up to 5 days in advance of your visit.

If you’re planning your visit for October... you might want to be ready to do so right when that 5 day window opens up, to ensure availability!

Otherwise, you can pay for a DVP at any one of the Algonquin Provincial Park gates.

Note: Some of the trailheads have QR codes for booking your DVP, but with such spotty internet throughout the park ... I really recommend doing it ahead of time.

Parking

The parking lot for the Bat Lake Trail is located right alongside Highway 60.

There are no restrictions on RV / trailer parking in this parking lot, but it could be difficult on a busy day.

That said, you’re not going to get stuck - It’s a half loop - ie: 2 access points - and the whole parking lot is easily visible on approach.

Washrooms

There are no washroom facilities at the Bat Lake Trail.

Your closest options are the vault toilets and comfort stations at the Lake of Two Rivers Campground and Mew Lake Campground, Algonquin Provincial Park - both are just a few minutes away from the Two Rivers Trail.

Maps and Signage

There is a rough map at the trailhead, more of a general overview than anything. There are no distances marked, etc.

For a MUCH better map, grab one of the trail guides. It has a much more detailed map, with segmented distances, points of interest marked, and even a graph showing the elevation changes.

Accessibility

This trail is definitely into the moderate difficulty rating, with steep hills and a lot of uneven footing.

Between that and the length - almost 6 km - we wouldn’t say that it’s a particularly great trail for those with mobility issues.

Pets

Dogs are allowed on the Bat Lake Trail, but all the standard Ontario Provincial Parks rules apply.

They must be leashed at all times, and aren’t allowed to harass other hikers, wildlife, or plants.

They can’t be left unsupervised, and aren’t allowed to make excessive noise.

Owners must pick up after their dogs, and properly dispose of the droppings.

On that note, there are no poop baggie dispensers on site, and no/a garbage can at the trail head. Plan ahead!

Day Use Area

There are no picnic tables at the trailhead, nor along the Bat Lake Trail itself.

If you’re looking to picnic after your hike, your best bet is to drive a couple km east, to the Lake of Two Rivers Day Use Area - it’s right on the side of the highway.

This area has picnic tables scattered over a grassy lawn, overlooking Lake of Two Rivers. There are also washrooms right on site.

If you’re looking for more of a rest, than a full out picnic though... there are a few benches along the Bat Lake Trail.

Connectivity

Cell phone coverage varies wildly in Algonquin Provincial Park, far more so than anywhere else we’ve been.

A spot may have fantastic coverage one day, then none the next. You may have fantastic coverage at one point on a trail, then none just ten metres later.

Carrier, how busy the area is, elevation, and the weather all seem to play a part.

We can’t reliably tell you what the cell coverage will be like on this trail, as a result. Our best advice is to assume there will be no cellular coverage, and plan accordingly.

Note: We can say that the most reliable place we’ve found for cell coverage in Algonquin PP has been the Visitor Center Parking lot. Also, there is wifi available inside the Visitor Centre itself.

Activities

Some information on the various things you can do, while hiking the Bat Lake Trail at Algonquin Provincial Park:

Hiking

Here’s what Porter had to say about hiking the Bat Lake Trail.

As a note, the photo sets are all done chronologically, but don’t necessarily line up with Porter’s commentary, below. WAY too much effort to try and fit the photos to the text!

“This 5.8 km trail starts out easy to moderate, as well-packed and mostly flat trail. After the first 0.75 km, it becomes more moderate, with hills, large rocks, roots, etc.

The trail follows along a small creek for a while - it was low flow at the time of my visit (August), but I'm assuming it's more active in the spring.”

“Along the way, you pass by a few little sections of large rock wall faces - they remind me of some of the trails around Bruce Peninsula National Park.

There are multiple steep sections on this trail, and a few sections where landscape timbers were used to form stairs on hills.

I really liked how "ADHD friendly" this trail was - even the sections that were just walking through the woods were interesting, because the woods themselves kept changing as the trail winded through it.”

“You pass by multiple marshy areas - some with boardwalk sections - before coming to the namesake lake.

I'd been hoping to see some cool wildlife on Bat Lake, given that it's a naturally acidic lake... but it was extremely calm and quiet at the time of my hike. ”

Birding, Wildlife, and Nature

Before Porter hiked this trail, we had REALLY been looking forward to it, specifically because of the wildlife.

The namesake lake is acidic, which we assumed would mean very different possibilities when it comes to wildlife viewing!

The water’s PH level is stated to be 4.8, making it about 50 times more acidic than most of best known lakes in Algonquin Provincial Park.

... but Porter had no luck AT ALL... just some fungi along the trail!

As it turns out - per the guide book - your best bet at seeing wildlife in Bat Lake itself is to shine a flashlight on it, after dark.

Most of the life is too small to see in the daylight, but apparently you can see the water TEEMING with life... just in the nighttime.

The most important animal to frequent the area is one that you’re apparently unlikely to see, though.

The booklet tells of how Bat Lake is a haven for Yellow-Spotted Salamanders, as the water is unable to support fish life - fish being their main predators.

Unfortunately, the salamander tadpoles are small... and once they’re grown, they leave the lake to go underground. Boo!

All that said, apparently Bat Lake is one of the best places in Algonquin to see Bufflehead ducks, in the fall.

Educational & Cultural Opportunities

While there are no educational signs on the Bat Lake Trail, you can pick up a Friends of Algonquin trail guide at the trailhead.

It’s free to use and return, or you can keep it for $0.50 - there’s a coin collection pay tube thing at the trailhead.

Alternately, the guides are available for purchase at the visitor centre, and at the gates.

These guides are amazing educational accompaniments to the trails in Algonquin Provincial Park, teaching about the geology, flora, and fauna you might see on your hike, as well as some of the history of the area.

They also tend to include information about the elevation changes throughout each trail. All around, a great resource to refer to while you’re on the trail!

The Bat Lake Trail guide gives some great information on a few subjects - the forest itself, the ways glacial melt helped shape the landscape, the cycle of energy, and wildlife.

To me, the most interesting information was about the acidic lake, itself. This is one of those cases where it’s best to read the guide in full, before actually hiking the trail!

Winter Activities

Bat Lake Trail is listed under the “recommended” section of trails in the Algonquin winter guide.

This generally means that the park makes an effort to plow that parking lot, and the trail - in turn - gets more use. You’re more likely to find well-packed snow at one of the “recommended” trails.

Anyway, we’ve never done Bat Lake in the winter, but it’s designated as being available for both winter hiking, and as a snowshoeing trail.

Unlike some of the other winter trails, the guide doesn’t actually specify the difficulty rating as a snowshoeing trail - we’d assume at least intermediate, though.

Final Thoughts

Here’s what Porter had to say about this trail:

“Overall, I really liked this trail a lot.

It was interesting, challenging, had a lot of great views, and it was conveniently located across from Mew Lake Campground.

On that last note, there are a lot of wonderful trails in Algonquin to choose from.

I like that this one is not only close to the campgrounds we tend to stay at, but ALSO is less of a time commitment than many of the other trails that have this kind of visual payoff.

I’ll be doing the trail again - hopefully with better luck on the wildlife front!”

More Algonquin Provincial Park Trail and Campground Reviews

Want to read some more of what we have to say about the campgrounds and attractions in Algonquin Park?

Check out our Algonquin Provincial Park Mega Post, or any of the links below for even more in-depth info:

Algonquin Provincial Park Campground Guides / Reviews

Achray Campground, Algonquin Provincial Park
< a href="https://2nerdsinatruck.com/brent-campground/">Brent Campground, Algonquin Provincial Park
Canisbay Lake Campground, Algonquin Provincial Park
Kearney Lake Campground, Algonquin Provincial Park
Kiosk Campground, Algonquin Provincial Park
Lake of Two Rivers Campground, Algonquin Provincial Park
Mew Lake Campground, Algonquin Provincial Park
Pog Lake Campground, Algonquin Provincial Park
Raccoon Lake Campground, Algonquin Provincial Park
Rock Lake Campground, Algonquin Provincial Park
Tea Lake Campground, Algonquin Provincial Park
Whitefish Lake Campground, Algonquin Provincial Park

Algonquin Provincial Park Trail Guides / Reviews

Barron Canyon Trail, Algonquin Provincial Park
High Falls on York, Algonquin Provincial Park
Provoking Falls, Algonquin Provincial Park

Interested in exploring campgrounds beyond Algonquin Park? We've got a huge - and ever-growing! - list of them here: 2 Nerds in a Truck Campground Reviews.

We also have posts on Ontario Waterfalls, other Places to See, and a ton of Camping Recipes to cook up, while on your adventures!