Four kilometres through a red pine plantation and up over granite to a historic fire tower on the Stormy Lake Bluff. Three and a half hours north of Toronto, past where most weekend trips turn around. Guided the whole way.
Pick your date and seats below. The guide and park admission are both in the fare.
Cancel 14 or more days before you go and you get 90% back.
A Parkbus guide is with the group for the whole day. You are not expected to know the trail, the route or the plan, and nobody gets left behind.
A few hours of walking on real trail, with uneven ground and some climbing. Roots, rocks and hills, so proper shoes matter. Not a stroll.
A full-size coach: reclining seats, air conditioning, large windows, a washroom on board and room for daypacks and gear.
The Fire Tower Trail starts near Grawbarger's Rapids and climbs first through a red pine plantation planted in ruler-straight rows. It is an odd thing to walk through, all vertical lines and soft ground, and it photographs beautifully. Then the terrain turns rocky and the trail turns steep.
At the top there is a historic fire tower and the view from the 100 metre Stormy Lake Bluff. The loop is 4.1 kilometres and takes about an hour and a half to two hours at a group pace, with a rest at Amber Lake along the way. It is rated moderate to difficult, mostly for the rock rather than the distance.
Restoule sits three and a half hours north of Toronto, which is past the point where a lot of weekend trips turn around, and that is exactly why the top of that bluff stays as quiet as it does. Most people only ever see this view in the park's own trail photographs.
Because this is an ActiveDays trip it is guided from the coach to the summit and back. You do not need hiking experience and you do not need to have researched the trail. Afterwards there is time at Restoule Lake for lunch, a swim and sitting on a dock, which is the correct way to end a day that started at seven in the morning.
Four kilometres, a real climb, and a payoff most people never see.
The guided hike first, while the day is still cool. Then the lake.
We pick you up
Just north of Yonge and Bloor subway station. Come up the Asquith exit and look for the coach. It is an early one, so leave time.
This route runs a full-size coach, with a washroom on board.
The hike leaves from near Grawbarger's Rapids, runs through the red pine plantation, passes Amber Lake, and climbs over rock to the fire tower and the lookout on the Stormy Lake Bluff. Roughly an hour and a half to two hours at a group pace. Afterwards, the day-use area at Restoule Lake for lunch, swimming and dock time.
Good to know:
Facilities: Day-use beach and picnic space at Restoule Lake, Park admission covered by your fare
Note: The granite near the top is rough on sandals. Hiking shoes or trail runners, not optional.
We drop you back
The bus returns to the same place it left from, so you go home the way you came.
This is our estimated return time, not a guarantee. Traffic can change it and some trips do run late, so please leave yourself some room afterwards rather than booking something tight against it.
A climb and a swim, so pack for both.
This trip runs rain or shine, and forecasts this far ahead are not reliable enough to plan around, so a forecast turning out worse than expected is not grounds for a refund.
Any cancellation decision is made within 48 hours of departure on confirmed conditions: the park closed or asking us to stand down, an evacuation order or alert, the highway closed, or the bus operator judging it unsafe to travel.
Lunch is not provided and there is nowhere to buy it. Bring food, snacks and a refillable bottle.
Bring a swimsuit too. The free time at Restoule Lake after the hike is the reward, and skipping the water because you forgot a costume would be a shame.
This one runs on a handful of Saturdays, and it is a long day: away at seven in the morning and back in the city about half past eight.
Only one trip scheduled
September 27
This is the only date this season, so there is no second chance at it.
We are Canada's outdoor bus service. Since 2010 we've taken more than 300,000 people to parks and trails without a car. You bring lunch and a swimsuit. We handle everything with wheels.
The trail climbs to a historic fire tower and the top of the 100 metre Stormy Lake Bluff. The last stretch is granite and steep, and the payoff is worth being out of breath for.
A Parkbus guide rides up with the group and leads the hike. They know where the plantation ends and the scramble starts, where the bugs get worse, and which rock at the top is best for lunch.
After the hike there is free time at Restoule Lake for lunch, a swim and dock time. This is the part that makes the early start worth it.
The first section runs through a red pine plantation planted in perfectly regular rows. It is a strange and genuinely photogenic thing to walk through on the way to the rock.
★★★★★ 4.6/5.0 on Google
All stops enable guests ample time to explore the destination. This is a highly a good idea trip for those that appreciate spending time in nature minus distractions.OnAir48444 · Tripadvisor · Oct 2025
This is the 1st time I used Parkbus but it won't be the last.Brenda H. · Google
This is a great service if you don't have a vehicle or just don't want to drive. I'm so happy to have discovered this. There will definitely be more Parkbus trips in my future!James Taylor Wilson · Happy Parkbus customer
Factor in the cost of gas, parking and renting a car, it's a lot cheaper than taking a personal vehicle.Toronto Star
Parkbus is a great option for nature lovers, whether it's a day trip or overnight camping getaway.The Globe and Mail
Cancel more than 14 days before departure and you get a 90% refund, with 10% withheld for payment processing. Inside 14 days refunds are not available, except for a medical emergency in the 48 hours before departure, which needs a signed doctor’s note within 14 days of the missed trip and returns 50%. Tickets are transferable: you can change the passenger name up to 48 hours before departure.
If Parkbus cancels a trip, you get a full refund. We decide no later than 48 hours before departure and only on confirmed conditions: the park closed or the park authority asking us to stand down, an evacuation order or alert, an area restriction order, the highway closed, or the trip judged unsafe to run. A forecast is not one of those things, and trips run rain or shine.
You do not need hiking experience. You need to show up at the bus.
Not quite the right fit? These all leave from the same spot downtown.
