Closest Access Point: Canoe Lake (Access Point #5)
Distance To Access Point: 11.5 KM (2.5 – 3 hours)
Difficulty of Travel From Access Point: Easy
Maintenance Level: Regular
Date of Visit: July, 2021
I’ll start by saying that the site locations on Jeff’s Map and the Park Map for this bay are a bit off. There also seem to be some extra sites on the Jeff’s Map version that I couldn’t find. In consultation with Barry over at Algonquin Adventures we’ve tried to match the number sites to what we see on the Park’s official map. That said, there are four useable sites in this bay, and this is certainly one of them! This would also be my favourite of the four (but let’s not get too excited, it’s the best of the four but it’s not that great).
Terrain: This sight is fairly flat and relatively compact. It’s on a small point near the foot of the bay. The site proper takes up most of the point, and is very easy to navigate around. There aren’t any real changes in elevation, a slight rise from the water but it’s very slight. There are quite a few roots sticking up out of the ground so keep an eye out for those as you move around.
Canoe Landing: There’s a rocky tip to the point which is where we pulled up. We used the rock to get in and out, but you could just as easily drag the bow of the boat up on shore beside it as well. There are a few rocks just underwater on the approach, so watch out for the bottom of your boat as you paddle in.
Fire Pit: Towards the front of the site, maybe 20-30 feet back from the water. It’s tucked just to the side of the main path down to the lake, with some brush/bush between you and the closest water access. The pit itself is just a circle of rocks. No elaborate fire pit construction here.
Swimmability: Well, there was a giant leech hanging out by the shore when we were there. It seemed to think the swimming was just fine. Me, I prefer my swimming experiences to be leech free, but what do I know? If you do decide to brave the leeches, the entry to the water is good from an ease of access perspective, but the underwater terrain is a bit rocky, so watch your step,
Tent Sites: Room for two or three tents in the clearing with the fire pit. There’s another tent pad a bit further away that would work as well. Most of the pads were relatively level, although you may have to contend with a couple of roots here or there.
Thunderbox: Old AF. If Thunderboxes could talk, this one would probably scream. It’s seen too much. It’s a short walk back of the site and has definitely been around awhile. You don’t get that kind of moss growth in a year. That said, it still looked sturdy enough.
Accessories: None, really. A couple of logs beside the fire pit that are meant to be benches, but you’ll have to work your imagination pretty hard to pretend you’re doing anything other than sitting on a slowly rotting log.
Views: There’s partial tree cover around most of the point, so you’ve got semi-obstructed views in most directions. There is, however, a nice window straight north that gives a pretty decent view up Little Doe.
Notes: This bay wouldn’t be my first choice on Little Doe, but if I didn’t have much choice, this site would be my first choice in the bay.
Related Trip Report: Tom Thomson Lake
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