Site Details
Closest Access Point: Shall Lake (Access # 17)
Distance to Access Point: 5 KM (1.5 hours single carrying)
Difficulty of Travel From Access Point: Easy
Maintenance Level: Regular
Date Visited: August 2023
This is a small site that doesn’t look to me like it gets much use. It’s fairly enclosed and not all that exciting. Not the top of my list for sites to stay on Shirley.
Terrain: This is a relatively flat site. The site proper isn’t all that large, but it’s level. There isn’t much of a rise up from the water to the rest of the site, and there aren’t too many obstacles to navigate.
Canoe Landing: The canoe landing is a point in this site’s favour. It’s a decently wide rocky beach that’s easy enough to access. There weren’t any underwater obstacles that I can remember on the approach, and it’s very easy to load and unload here.
Fire Pit: The fire pit is centrally located. It’s probably 30 feet from the water and 30 feet from the back of the site (to give you an idea of the site’s dimensions). The shoreline growth is fairly dense between the pit and the water, so the views are semi-obstructed at best.
Tent Sites: The tent area is nicely level. It’s not huge though. I think you’d struggle to get more than two tents here, and they better not be big tents or even just fitting in two will be a challenge.
Swimmability: This would be a decent swimming site. There’s a small beach fronting the site and the underwater terrain is mostly sand (and muck. There’s a bit of muck).
Thunderbox: You know what? The thunderbox here is kind of nice. It’s down a path from the site proper and doesn’t look like it’s been overused. I guess that’s the benefit of a less appealing site.
Accessories: This is a basic site. The benches around the fire pit are fine. Gives you a place to sit and do some meal prep, and honestly what more do you want?
Views: From the beach you’ve got a nice view south and west across Shirley. From inside the site you’ve basically got a nice view of trees. This is an enclosed site. That means it would likely be nicely sheltered in a wind, but you’re not going to get much view of the outside world while you’re staying here.
Notes: You want the truth? This site felt like one that would give me the heebie jeebies if I was staying here solo. Not sure why, but I did not like the vibe at all.
Related Trip Report: Shirley Lake Basecamp