Rainbow Falls Provincial Park

Rainbow Falls Provincial Park is located along a section of Highway 17 between the towns of Schreiber and Rossport Village in Ontario.

Rainbow Falls Provincial Park is divided into 2 separate campground locations:

• Whitesand Lake Campground
• Rossport Campground

The Whitesand Lake Campground is located on the north side of Highway 17. It offers 90 campsites.

Rossport Campground is located approximately 5 kilometres west of the Whitesand Lake Campground, on the south side of Highway 17, situated along the shore of  Lake Superior. This is a much smaller campground, offering 36 campsites.

Both campgrounds offer electric and non-electric sites.

Whitesand Lake Campground

 Site Review:

Whitesand Lake Campground:

There are 90 sites at the Whitesand Lake Campground in 5 named campground loops:

• Maggie– 21 sites, all electrical
• Selim-  21 sites, all electrical, 10 are pull-thru
• Whitesand–  16 sites. all non-electric, 7 are pull-thru
• Lakeside- 5 sites, all electrical, no views or access to the lake
• Hewitson– 27 sites, all non-electric

All of the sites at the Whitesand Lake Campground are in a forest setting. None have a view or access to the lake. Many of the sites have an uneven pad slope. Check with the Ontario Parks Website for details on individual sites. Even when the site says “no slope” expect that it will still require some adjusting.

Numerous seasonal sites are spread throughout the campground loops. The seasonal sites tend to be better quality sites than the transitional sites.

We had pull-thru site #18There is one comfort station with flush toilets and free hot showers for the entire campground.

Activities:

Swimming:

There are 2 beach areas:East BeachWest Beach

The swimming areas are marked off. There are no lifeguards.

Kayak/Canoe/SUP:

Whitesand Lake is a calm lake. It is perfect for paddling. You can rent equipment for use on the lake from the gatehouse at the park entrance.You will have to drive to the beach to launch if you bring your own equipment. It is a bit of a walk from the campsites to the beach areas (at least a kilometre each way) and there is a significant hill on the road to the east beach.

Hiking at Rainbow Falls Provincial Park:

Rainbow Falls Trail: 

• 2.2 km round trip
• Many stairs
• Moderate difficultySuperior Trail:
• Most of the trail is on the paved road.
• There is a part of the trail that goes through a wooded section in the forest.
• There is a nice view from the lookout of Lake Superior in the distance. Back 40 Trail:
• This trail is a gravel road that is no longer in service. It is boring.

Boating/Fishing:

Motorboats are allowed on Whitesand Lake. There is a boat launch at East Beach. Rainbow Falls Provincial Park rents small motorized boats at the Whitesand Lake location for use on the lake. Consult the gatehouse for more information.

*Note: A boating license is required to operate even a small craft with an outboard motor like the ones available for rent here. Licenses can be purchased online.

You will also require a fishing license to fish. This is in addition to the boating license. (Everyone on the boat requires a fishing license, only the boat operator requires the boating license).

Rossport Campground

• There are 36 sites at the Rossport campground 2/3 of them are serviced with electricity. 
• All of the sites are within easy walking distance to Lake Superior.
• 12 of the sites are considered waterfront and have direct access to the lake.
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
• There is a comfort station with flush toilets and free hot showers.This small campground is entirely about Lake Superior-the view and the access.

When we stayed at the Rossport Campground we had site #13. It was a level site with a nice view of the lake.

Things to Know:

1. You can go between the two campgrounds at Rainbow Falls Provincial Park using the camp pass issued at check-in.
2. Wood and ice are available for purchase at the gatehouse.
3. The campgrounds are 5 km apart but are joined by a portion of the Casque Isles Trail. This is a 55 km hiking trail that explores a route along the north shore of Lake Superior.
4. There is no store at either of the campground locations. The villages of both Schreiber and Rossport are within 10 km for basic forgotten items you might need to purchase.

IMO:

The 2 campgrounds at Rainbow Falls Provincial Park are very different:

Whitesand Lake Campground: Offers a typical provincial park camping experience with sites located in a forest setting and sand beaches on a calm lake for water activities.

Rossport Campground: Is all about Lake Superior with views from the sites and the waterfront to explore.

Having said that, the Rossport Campground is the RV Place to Go that I would recommend. The Whitesand Lake Campground is fine but there are literally only 2 places in the entire park where you can even see Whitesand Lake and that’s at the beaches. This is unfortunate because it is a beautiful lake. The Falls hike is picturesque and is the best hike in the park.

The beauty of Rainbow Falls Provincial Park is that you can stay at one of the campgrounds and still enjoy the amenities of the other as it is only a short drive away. It is a nice spot to stop if you are doing the Lake Superior Circle Tour.

I recommend Rainbow Falls Provincial Park as an RV Place to Go.