On a hot summer day I drove up to Tunkwa Provincial Park, then turned onto the Leighton Lake Campground Road to the campsite and boat launch area.    I paddled around Leighton Lake first, then secured the boat, and changed into hiking gear.   I hiked the Leighton Lake Trail counter-clockwise, a loop route of 4.3 – 4.5 km (depending on route choices).

The trail winds through open forest on the southeast side of the lake and then joins the Tunkwa Lake Campground on the south side of the lake.

The lake trail goes between the two lakes (they are connected by a short stream).    Tunkwa Lake is the larger of the two lakes.    We can hike around that lake too, but it is a longer route and there are sections of private lands  and some fences, but there is a short section of trail that branches off the Leighton Lake Trail that goes to a hill overlooking the lake.

From the hill between the lakes we can look back north across Leighton Lake toward where I started the hike.

At one point along the trail is a section of burned forest.    On some barren trees just off the trail were 8 turkey vultures, 7 shown here.

The trail around the west side of the lake is all open grasslands, a hot section for hiking in the summer.    

The trail comes back to the Leighton North Campground, then continues to the start at the main Leighton campground/boat launch/day use area.

This is a pleasant hike in late spring or in the fall, but an open route in the summer heat.    I will choose a cooler day next time…