Ryan Lake – Site 5

This is a decently sized site where the main drawback can also be a strength, depending on how you look at it. Site 5 is very close to Site 6. There’s a short path connecting the two sites and it’s a safe bet that if both sites are occupied you’re going to know just how badly your neighbours can butcher “Heart of Gold” while sitting around the campfire. But, what if you’re a big group with two permits? Then Sites 5 and 6 are kind of perfect. While Site 6 isn’t all that spectacular, it will give you some extra space and your group can focus on Site 5 for the most part. 

Looking at Site 5 on its own, this is a decent sized site with a nice fire pit set up and a decent footprint for setting up tents. There’s room for at least a couple of shelters, and the terrain is fairly level (after a small slope up from the water).

The waterfront is also decent. The shoreline is dotted with trees and shrubs, giving a semi-obstructed view out to the water from most of the site. The canoe landing is fine, free of underwater obstacles and easy to see. There is a bit of a step up from the canoe to the shore to navigate though. Swimming here would also be fine, although there were more than a few lily pads that also seemed to feel that way when I was there. Your mileage for swimming through floating frog sanctuaries will vary, but if you can get past that it’s a nice spot.