Closest Access Point: Canoe Lake (Access Point #5 )
Distance To Access Point: 13 KM (3 hours)
Difficulty of Travel From Access Point: Easy
Maintenance Level: Regular
Date of Visit: August, 2020
This is a great site. It’s big, it’s got great views, the fire pit is pretty bad ass and the swimming is awesome. It’s also right on the main route leading from Burnt Island to the Otterslides and is probably almost impossible to get if you’re heading up there on a mid summer weekend. But if you’ve got a spring or fall trip planned, or just heading out mid week, it’s worth trying for this one before settling for something else.
Terrain: A bit of a climb up from the water to the site proper. You have the whole island to yourself, so you’ve got all different kinds of terrain. The tent and fire pit area is relatively open with little tree cover. Once you get up the hill from the water, the site itself is level enough. Just be careful if you’ve got little ones with you, there are a few sneaky roots and rocks waiting to send them flying.
Canoe Landing: There are multiple spots you can use to pull up your canoe. There’s a rocky area along the westward facing shore that at first glance looks like the natural landing (it’s also right under the campsite sign, reinforcing that impression). However, if you go around the northern tip of the island there’s a nice beachy area and some better protected and sloping rocks where you can load/unload, as long as you don’t mind a bit of a further walk to the site from the landing.
Fire Pit: Awesome. It’s an elevated pit built up against the side of a large boulder. It’s a great spot for kids because you don’t have to worry about them tripping and falling into the pit, since the bottom of the pit is about 2-3 feet above ground level.
Swimability: Extremely swimmable. You can go in from a bunch of different spots. My favourite was the canoe landing area I mentioned. There’re a couple of underwater ledges you can jump from (reminder: despite what I’m saying here, always check any area before you jump, then check again). My daughter and I swam back and forth between our island and the much smaller island just across the narrows. All in all, it’s an awesome spot.
Tent Sites: Many. That’s pretty much all you need to know. We had three tents set up with room for three more if we’d needed it.
Thunderbox: This took a bit of work to find. It’s towards the south end of the island. The reason we had trouble finding it is because a group of guys had decided to camp off permit at that end of the island within about ten feet of the box. I had originally assumed that there was another site there I didn’t have on my map and didn’t want to intrude in my search for the box. However, it’s there, and it’s in great condition. Just be aware that you might be able to carry on a conversation with anyone camping illegally near by.
Accessories: A bit basic in terms of accessories, but still awesome. There’s a log bench and a couple of flat stones near the fire pit you can use for tables. That’s it.
Views: Great view west on Burnt back towards the Burnt/Little Joe portage. You’ve also got a nice, but obstructed, sunset view from the canoe landing and swim area.
Notes: I loved this site. That’s about it.
Related Trip Report: Burnt Island Redux
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