Site Details
Closest Access Point: Shall Lake (Access # 17)
Distance to Access Point: 7 KM (1.5-2 hours single carrying)
Difficulty of Travel From Access Point: Easy
Maintenance Level: Regular
Date Visited: August 2023
This is the sole island site on Shirley and you might be inclined to go check it out since islands>not islands (IMHO). Don’t bother. Unless you’re a small group, and a fan of dank holes, this probably isn’t the site for you.
Terrain: This is a relatively flat site, but it’s not all that level if that makes sense. The ground rises and falls gently. That’s not a problem for walking around, you won’t find many obstacles to trip over, but it made finding space for two family tents all but impossible.
Canoe Landing: There’s room for two canoes to squeeze in between the rocks pictured here, if you don’t mind getting cozy. There are quite a few rocks just below the surface, so keep an eye out as you’re pulling in unless you’re looking to add some racing stripes to the bottom of your canoe.
Fire Pit: The pit is fairly centrally located on the site. It’s actually a nicely built up area. There’s a cool stone bench and lots of seating. The view out to the water is semi-obstructed as the trees grow fairly consistently along the shoreline.
Tent Sites: At first glance this site looked like it was going to be good for tents. The problem we ran into is that our group had two family sized tents, and there was only room for one. You could put up a couple of smaller tents if you aren’t too fussy about having a level sleep.
Swimmability: Not my favourite swimming site. The shoreline is rocky, and that continues underwater. You’d have to wade out to actually start swimming, and there’s a good chance you’re going to stub a toe or scratch yourself on a sharp rock on the way out.
Accessories: This site is actually pretty good for accessories. There’s a stone bench by the fire pit and if you squint you can see a small counter between two trees on the left in the picture above.
Views: The shoreline along this site is pretty dense. There’s quite a lot of brush for most of the way, and an at best partially obstructed view from the site proper. On the plus side, it would be a nicely sheltered site on a windy day, but it’s not going to win any Best View Moosies this year.
Notes: This is not a must see site. It’ll do the trick if you’re a smaller group, but there are better spots on Shirley.
Related Trip Report: Shirley Lake Basecamp