Site Details
Closest Access Point: Smoke Lake (Access # 6)
Distance to Access Point: 14.6 KM ( 3-4 hours)
Difficulty of Travel From Access Point: Mostly Easy with a tougher portage along the way.
Maintenance Level: Regular
Date Visited: August 2023
This is a great option on Bonnechere. It sits along a rock wall that rises up from the water. It’s got great views and great swimming, and a nicely laid out site area as well.
Terrain: This is a large site that, conversely, has a small site proper. What this means is that the site goes back a long way along the wall, while the fire pit and at least one tent pad are nestled into a smaller clearing just below the rocks. The fire pit area is relatively flat and easy to navigate. The rest of the site rises gradually.
Canoe Landing: The canoe landing area is not immediately visible unless you’re coming from the Lost Shoe/McGarvey direction. Otherwise, you need to paddle around the tip of the point to see the wide, easy to access harbour area. There’s room here for a couple of canoes at least, and loading/unloading is convenient.
Fire Pit: Nicely located fire pit with a great view south to the water. It’s protected to the west by a rock wall, meaning that wind is less of a factor (at least from that direction).
Tent Sites: There’s one decent tent pad in fairly close proximity to the fire pit. If there were a strong south wind I’d worry a bit about sparks. There are also spots further up the hill that work for tents as well. In total, you can get multiple shelters on this site.
Swimmability: One of the highlights of this site. There are plenty of nice spots to slip in (and even jump in if you check depths before you do). Great western exposure means you’ll get lots of afternoon sun. Only downside is that this spot was absolutely swarming with leeches when we were there.
Thunderbox: The thunderbox is a long walk back from the site. You head inland along the point until you get to the end of the rockface, and the box is there. Nice spot, actually. Definitely private and wasn’t too buggy when we were there.
Accessories: The benches around the fire pit are very nice. Otherwise, not much in the way of campsite “improvements” *Which is a good thing!
Views: One of the highlights of this site is the view from the top of that rock wall. It’s perfectly situated to give you a great sunset and view across Bonnechere. Lots of flat ground up top to set up chairs or simply hang out on the rocks.
Notes: This is a great site. That’s all I’ve got. Well worth checking out.
Related Trip Report: Rocking Algonquin