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! All things considered, this isn’t a bad little site (emphasis on the little).
Terrain: This site is relatively compact. It runs along the shore line about eight-ten feet above the water. There’s a climb to get from the water up to the site proper, but the site itself is decently level. There’s another climb to get to the thunderbox as well.
Canoe Landing: Most of the waterfront of the site is angled rock wall that wouldn’t be ideal for pulling up on. However, towards the northwest (lefthand if you’re looking from the water) end of the opening the slope gets much gentler. Here there’s actually a pretty decent little mix of rock and mud to pull up on. It’s not perfect, but it’s definitely manageble.
Fire Pit: The fire pit is very close to the water (as is pretty much everything else on this site). It’s well built, although you might have to do some wall construction on the lake side on a windy day. It’s got a nice view across Little Doe.
Swimability: Nice entry into the water. There’s a gently sloping slab of rock coming down from the shoreline that would be good to wade in from. Water around the front of the site was clear of lily pads and other green stuff, which is a plus.
Tent Sites: As this is a pretty compact site, there isn’t a lot of living space. Room for a couple of tents at most. The tent areas are nice and level though, so you won’t be sleeping on an angle. Both tent areas are relatively close to the fire pit. If the wind were blowing onshore you might have to think about sparks on your fly for one of the spots.
Thunderbox: Up the hill from the site. It’s in a good sized clearing with a commanding view of more hill directly in front of your face. Looks new enough.
Accessories: There’s a bear hang between the site and the thunderbox. That’s about it. The log “benches” around the fire pit are literally just logs lying on the ground. You probably want to have a camp chair if you’re staying here for more than one night.
Views: Really nice view looking northeast across the bay.
Notes: This site is fine. I said earlier that Site 8 would be my favourite in this bay, but this is a close 2nd.
Related Trip Report: Tom Thomson Lake
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