Tattler Ranger Cabin

There are about a dozen ranger cabins available for rent in Algonquin Park. Half of these cabins are on or near access points and can be reached by vehicle, the other half are in the backcountry and were former outposts for Park Rangers. The Tattler Cabin is one of the backcountry cabins. Located an easy day’s travel from the Shall Lake access point, this cabin would be a great option if you’re looking for a low impact early or late season trip, and want the benefit of walls, a roof and a woodstove if the temperature dips.

Tattler Lake is a small lake, really no more than a widening of the Opeongo River which drains into Tattler from the north. Because it is essentially a river, Tattler looks like a river too. The shoreline is grassy and for the most part looks wet. This is a good and bad thing. I imagine the bugs could be atrocious in June and July, but I also expect you’ll get the chance at some great wildlife viewing if you’re staying here.

The cabin is located on Tattler’s western shore. There’s a nice beach area to load and unload your canoe. I suppose it would also double as the swimming area, but be prepared for it to be a bit mucky. The cabin sits in the middle of a grassy clearing. There’s a fire pit about halfway between the lake and the cabin, and a picnic bench a little bit further up that sits in the shade of a tall evergreen (I’m not sure if it’s spruce or … not spruce). The view across Tattler is south east facing and quite nice.

The cabin is a one room cabin, very similar in layout to the Highview or McCaskill cabins. There are a couple of bunk beds against the back wall, a couple of tables and a wood stove. It’s a nice and bright cabin. The windows look like they’ve been replaced at some point, and the log and mortar construction gives the impression that this would be a pretty airtight spot. The snowdrifts of shredded toilet paper and mouse crap I found everywhere would argue that point, but what do you expect? It’s a cabin in the middle of the woods?