Site Details
Closest Access Point: Honestly? “Closest” access point is a bit of a lie. This is about as remote as you can get in the Park. Tim Access Point (#2) is your best bet.
Distance to Access Point: 34.2 KM (2 Days, minimum)
Difficulty of Travel From Access Point: Hard
Maintenance Level: Low
Date Visited: May 2023
This is a pretty cool site on Gibson’s south shore. It sits on a small point towards the east end of the lake and has an honest to god picnic table. Just to put that in perspective, Gibson Lake is about as remote as you can get in the Park. I don’t know how they got a picnic table (or the materials to build a picnic table) out there, but I’m impressed (and it’s a nice site, too).
Terrain: This is a pretty flat site. Ground cover is mostly dirt and pine needles, and I don’t recall much in the way of tripping hazards beyond the occasional root. It occupies a small point, so it gets bigger as you go back.
Canoe Landing: The front of the site is a nicely sloping piece of Canadian shield. There are a couple of decent spots to pull up your boat, including the one pictured here. Underwater approach was relatively clear from what I recall.
Fire Pit: The pit is situated towards the front of the site and in close proximity to the picnic table. This gives you a nice spot to prepare your dinner, and a nice spot to sit and watch the water once you’re done eating (although the log benches are facing the wrong direction for that).
Tent Sites: There are a couple of level enough spots for tents that are very similar to what’s pictured here. Room for a medium sized shelter at minimum, probably a larger one as well.
Swimmability: It was early May and it had just snowed, so I didn’t do any swimming. That said, this site was made for swimming. There are plenty of decent spots to slip in around the front of the point, and it seems like it would get decent sun (although it is not a southern exposure).
Accessories Did I mention the picnic table? Other than that, this is what about what you’d expect on a low maintenance site in the back end of the Park. The benches around the fire pit are basic and I don’t recall any significant bushcraft counters or constructions.
Views: Great view north and east from the front of the site, semi-obstructed view west from the site’s interior. This is a great spot to sit and watch the water.
Notes: Without the picnic table this would be a solid site, in my opinion. With the picnic table it’s something more than solid.
Related Trip Report: Birchcliffe, The Nip and Some Hills