We did this trail during 2nd weekend of August 2014. Right of the start after 100meters or so the path splits into two ways, a narrow trail on the left and a wide path going towards right. We by mistake took the wide path which costed us extra 15-20 mins of hike. If you there please make sure that you stay towards left side on the trail taking narrow path. Once we were on the right track The views were awesome, And we did not find the trail very difficult. We took the easy trail going up and came back from east look out point. From east lookout point we tried to go to explorer trail but because of poor /no marking we ended up on path back to parking lot, so we gave up and came back.Even after all the lost path experiences I will recommend this trail to everyone. It is my 2nd best trail after silver peak but not that hard and my daughters happily hiked with out a lot of effort.
We didn't have time to do the entire Cup & Saucer trail. It was still worth it. We got up to the ridge and the view along it made us glad we kept the brief visit on the itinerary. The trail isn't suitable for small children or those with mobility issues as there are steep sections where we more or less crawled up and slide down. And, of course, we got lost. Not quite sure how we managed that, but decided to take a different trail back and it unexpectedly ended in a swamp! Our next try got us to a vertical wall which definitely wasn't on the agenda. But, after back-tracking to the main trail, we were all set and only about 45 minutes late.
The views on the "white path" are spectacular. Not for the faint and weary. Can get very tricky if damp. No railings, steps or guards. Give yourselves at least 4.5 hours to do the whole trail with time for photos and snacks. Bring water and be sure to be out before dusk.
The trails were fantastic. Beautiful scenery. The trails, however, are poorly marked. The regular trail was an adventure enough for me so, I didn't attempt the adventure trail.
Visiting Manitoulin Island in the off-season meant jackets, no frolicking at the beach, and checking which restaurants are closed. On the plus side, I get beautiful autumn foliage, and the entire Cup and Saucer trail to myself!Besides the two steep climbs, the trails are flat and easy going. In the autumn when the ground is covered with leaves, there may be occasional hidden roots or rocks, so watch for those.There is no assistance on the to steep climbs, so it is not recommended for seniors with mobility issues and small children. Any able-bodied person would have no problems, Some rock surfaces do get a little slick when wet so take it easy if that's the case.Once you get up though, the view is absolutely gorgeous.Unlike more popular tourist destinations, there are no facilities, no guardrails or anything like that to get in your way. Since we were the only ones there, I was able to chill on the ledge and take as much time as I liked.Just a short distance from the East Lookout is the wooden ladder that leads to the adventure trail. It was raining a bit and wet, so we decided to skip it this time, but we will be back to do it next time for sure.In the fall, you would also get the bonus of autumn foliage. Lots of colours to feast your eyes.
We did the full 12km and all three trails. We met a young man and his family friend who helped us around the explorer trail. Without them we wouldn't have known the caves to go it. It was a fabulous day spent with my daughter and I would return again, and again…..
With the important warning that you need to be well aware of being cliffside, we did the short loop using the side trail one way and found this was the perfect hike for our family (two kids aged 4 and 8). The side trail mostly avoids the cliffs and has just enough rock climbing that my kids felt like they were having an adventure rather than a forced long walk. In fact they have never been happier little hikers. We will go back to do the adventure trail and the longer hike as the kids get bigger.
I really enjoyed our hike up to the lookout point of the Cup and Saucer Trail. That said, I didn't find their map/signage that accurate, which became frustrating at times.The hike is easy enough; we saw and met lots of families with latency-age children doing the hike. There were also challenging sections for those who are up for the challenge.
Excellent hike, a bit tricky in some spots but overall a great place to spend a couple hours.Easy to find and a great value. Pack some water and get ready for a great walk!
The view from the top is spectacular, especially in the autumn. Some of the hike is very challenging and the top is true Niagara Escarpment cliffs so young children should not be taken up and all children should be carefully supervised