Site Details
Closest Access Point: Tim Lake (Access #2)
Distance to Access Point: 10 KM (3 Hours)
Difficulty of Travel From Access Point: Medium
Maintenance Level: Low
Date Visited: August, 2022
This is the best site of the four sites that are covered by the P200-P240 reservation block along the Upper Nip. Honestly, if you’re planning on staying on this part of the river, stay here. Site 2 is underwhelming at best, site 3 is in the middle of alder hell and site 4 has been reclaimed by the raspberry bushes. (Not that this is a great site, just that it’s the best of the lot, by a wide margin).
Terrain: The site is in the middle of a P55 that goes around a drop in the Nipissing. It’s at the top of a small rise up from the river and doesn’t have much of a footprint. There’s room for the firepit, the portage and maybe a couple of small tents. The terrain is fine, although you’ll be climbing going to and from the water.
Canoe Landing: The canoe landing doubles as a portage takeout. It’s a rock strewn patch of low water on the west side of the portage and a slightly better, if muddier, patch on the east side. There are plenty of rocks just below the surface on either side, so watch the bottom of your boat.
Fire Pit: For a site that I imagine doesn’t see a lot of use, this is a pretty nice fire pit. It’s got a nice view looking west along the Nip and is decently built.
Tent Sites: There’s room for one tent here, two if you squint. The ground is uneven in places (see the roots sticking up in the picture above?) but would be manageable. I wouldn’t want to be staying here with a large group or a large tent.
Swimmability: I wouldn’t call any of this stretch of the Nip particularly swimmable, and that goes for this site. There is, however, a nice little water feature in the form of a small rocky drop in the river sitting right beside the site. You could relax in there if you needed to cool down.
Thunderbox: This thunderbox looks like it’s seen better days. It’s got a fine layer of moss growing on the top and kind of blends into the forest (it took me a minute to find it in the picture above). It’s down a short path from the rest of the site.
Accessories: None, really. Unless you count the enormous boulder in the middle of the site that makes for a good spot to sit down and take a break if you’re so inclined.
Views: The river is a bit wider on either side of the portage, making for a more open stretch of water and some nice views.
Notes: This is a basic site. Very basic. But it will do for a night and is a much better option than the sites between it and Grass Lake.
Site Rating
Related Trip Report: Low Water & High Alder on The Nipissing
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