Wabakimi Camper Camping

[Black_Fly]

After a couple shake down trailer runs, I’m thinking of camping north of Armstrong near Little Caribou or Caribou lake. Anyone familiar with boondocking opportunities up there? I’d like to get close to the water and away from other camps unless a commercial campground is the only option.

Thanks,
Tony

 

[jdeerfoot]

You can get somewhat out of Armstrong on maintained gravel roads, including to Caribou/Little Caribou, but unless you want to go on unmaintained and abandoned logging roads your options might be limited.

My advice would be to contact Don Elliott at Mattice Lake Outfitters or Clem Queville, both located in Armstrong (contact info for them located on the Friends of Wabakimi website). There are a number of lakes in the area which have bush road access and camping spots with some of them being unmaintained. Some of these are very popular with locals in the know and heavily used on weekends. And I assume Crown Land Camping Fees would apply.

 

[Gamma1214]

I've found this link helpful when determining park boundaries and whom to contact for permits. It also gives some information on private land (shows, for example that Mud River Station is owned by the Whitesand First Nation) and then you may be able to obtain permission to camp there as well.

Ontario Map Viewer

www.lioapplications.lrc.gov.on.ca

(In the above case, Whitesand has not responded to my inquiry so I may be marking the edge of their land carefully on my maps and hustling to catch the train in the am)

 

[jdeerfoot]

Almost any outfitter, resort, etc can sell you the necessary camping permits in Ontario. Or go to Manitoba where there is no Crown Land Camping permit required. Clem Quenville, a great resource for shuttles, etc is a Whitesands First Nations member and he has allowed people he was shuttling, etc to camp on his property before/after trips in the Armstrong area. Same with Jonah Belmore at the reserve north of Savant Lk on Hwy 599 - he shuttled our cars 2 years ago storing them at his place on the reserve during our trip. He allowed us to camp at the reserve pow-wow area the night before our trip. In a couple of weeks I will be in Armstrong and a local friend there is allowing us to park the RV on his property during our stay.

 

[Black_Fly]

I’m not big for Apps, but The Dyrt is excellent and worth the $60/year. It consolidates campgrounds across ownership (public-private, local, state, federal) onto one map, with a link or phone number for reservations for each campground. Of particular interest are the Free Camping areas (disbursed camping). I’m paying the fee because this is solid information from one source.

Alas, it doesn’t work for Canada.

I’m still resisting a GPS, although many locations are simply coordinates.

Plenty of time before the bugs die down to a tolerable level for a possible Armstrong visit (and fuel becomes affordable again). I’ll call some outfitters. I’d really prefer to be close to a public landing where I can come and go and leave my rig overnight here and there. And my dog has to be welcome, of course.