Myself and several friends want to go on a several (5-7) day trip. We live in Syracuse NY and have a bit of experience. We will need to rent canoes and some supplies that we dont already have. At this point we are all set to go the second week in may but are still looking for the best route to take. If anyone has any suggestions of specific routes or where else to look, it would be greatly appreciated.
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– Last Updated: Apr-07-09 7:07 PM EST –
at www.myccr.com.
That is awfully early. Streams south of Barrie are open but ice out in Algonquin has not yet happened.
If you are thinking of Algonquin try www.algqonquinadventures.com
By May 1 lakes ought to be open but you need to be prepared for cold water and high winds.
The best canoe trip in Canada is an Arctic trip, but that is unthinkable till the end of June and then pretty much all paddlers are drysuited. And those hardly fit a five to seven day regime.
Algonquin Outfitters will be open and renting.
For your time frame it is the most reasonable.
Canada Trip
I, too, would suggest Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario. Canoe Lake is a classic starting point located on HWY 60. I wouldn’t suggest this location as a departure point during the prime summer months as it can be very crowded, but in mid May you shouldn’t see too many people.
Canoe Lake is about 320 miles from Syracuse or a 6-7 hour drive.
The official park website, Friends of Algonquin is http://www.algonquinpark.on.ca/
Ministry Of Natural Resources Ontario Parks: http://www.ontarioparks.com/english/index.html
A couple of decent books are “Canoeing Algonquin Park” by Donald Lloyd and “A Paddler’s Guide To Algonquin Park” by Kevin Callan.
Algonquin Outfitter’s, http://www.algonquinoutfitters.com/ located just west of the park, and The Portage Store, http://www.portagestore.com are reputable and knowledgable.
The Algonquin Park Canoe Routes Map is found at the official site.
Another excellent source for canoeists is Chrismar Adventure Maps, http://www.chrismar.com/
Topographic Maps can be found at Federal Publications, http://www.fedpubs.com/
more info
– Last Updated: Apr-07-09 8:18 PM EST –
removing my post.
Nothing to see here - move on along...
The middle of May is fishing season
and reservations through Ontario Parks are a good idea.
Traffic drops off later in the month and early in June but be advised that the 2-4 weekend is early this year and may collide with your plans. Its May 16-18 this year. Things are jamming and you probably should avoid Canoe Lake as access. The reservations people can advise you but they are less than forthcoming with suggestions. You have to suggest the route. They will not do it for you.
For a little advance planning Jeff McMurtrie has an on line map.
http://www.algonquinmap.com/
Yeah, May is early
– Last Updated: Apr-22-09 9:21 AM EST –
But I'd suggest the 110 km Bowron Lake circuit in BC. 50 campsites and very well-built cart-friendly portages.
Best to register for this very popular route through spectacular mountain terrain. Have a look at this video to get a feel for the trip:
http://web.mac.com/guillermobarron/iWeb/Guillermo%20Barron/Bowron%20Lakes.html
well
there are 243,000 miles of rivers in canada, they are mostly all good. Seek the advice in www.myccr.com and post a message, they will also have info on rentals and such. Temagimi rings a bell for your area, much easier to get to than the Yukon!
Best route ???
You’ll find no consensus on the best rte in Canada - flatwater, whitewater, river trip, lake hopping ?What’s your tolerance for portaging ?
There are many superb rtes in Ontario, fairly close to Syracuse. If you use Ogdensburg-Prescott bridge (don’t forget birth certificate)over St Lawrence you can hop on 416 & be @ Algonquin’s Sand Lake gate 2 hrs after you clear customs. 3 more hrs will get you to Temagami region. Renting from a Canadian outfitter exempts you from paying Crown land camping fee (but not PP camp fee)N of French River (which isn’t enforced anyway)
The “Best route” is either one you’ve just completed, or perhaps the next on on the agenda ? Enjoy !