WCPP or Kilarney?

[Bob B.]

I have never been to Kilarney before. I am thnking my dog Jake and I might want to trip either WCPP or Kilanrney this year as the drive is roughtly the same distance from my house, just different directions. My interests always remain the same, I am solo so loops are best. I look for the great beauty of the north country, smaller lakes are better ( smaller waves - less wind bound) and excellent walleye fishing. I have found those criteria in spades up to WCPP. Do any of you trippers have any suggestions for me?

Not sure when I will travel this spring/summer, not sure the duration, my average trip is around 10 days, some more some less. I am ok with longer portages if required. I look forward to any info you can share with me.

Regards,

Bob.

 

[frozentripper]

Killarney interior canoe route campsites have to be reserved well in advance, IIRC six months in advance if you want something good. It's possible that many of the campsites available during May aren't available now, since they'll be reserved as soon as people can get them... but check. July and August reservations should become available in the next few weeks but I'm sure there are some hardcore types waiting out there, ready to jump on the best ones at the first possible moment.

Myself, I don't go to Killarney any longer since the competition for campsites and crowding. Late in the season is still an option, once cold weather sets in and the place empties out. For me, the best features in Killarney are the white quartzite ridges and spending time up there while basecamping.

You might be able to plan out a decent canoe trip from the Willisville area access or one of the less popular access points, since those should be less crowded than popular access points on Hwy 637, but again be prepared to spend time online planning the route around what reservations are possible.... good luck.

 

[yellowcanoe]

Killarney may still be notable for its turquoise lakes.. The result of acid rain which made no fish too. It is crowded and I have not been there for twenty years.. It was crowded than and I would expect still remains so. It would be a very nice park for hiking.

I have been to WCPP too several times.. I much prefer it for canoe travel. You will see very few people and the fishing seems to be excellent.. Some of the WCPP lakes can be large but for the most part they are moderate size lakes.

WCPP portages tend not to be long but some can still be challenging. Often in groups of three.

 

[Robin]

I have never been to Killarney but have been to Woodland Caribou Prov. Park once. I found WCPP to be everything I thought it would be, and more. I saw 2 canoes (iirc) in the 12 days, some amazing wildlife, barely used pristine campsites, total silence, excellent fishing.

It was a long ride for me, about 28 hours so I never found the time to return. I did find the crown land north of Nakina Ontario to be a very close equal, thanks to my good friend Rob Haslam (Memaquay). It's a lot closer from the east coast, (18 hrs), equally pristine, amazing wildlife (I saw wolves, woodland caribou, huge bull moose, bears, etc) and great walleye fishing at the bottom of every rapid.

If I lived 15 hours from WCPP I would be back often.

 

[Bob B.]

Thaks you for all the very quick and excellent replies ... Kilarney does not seem so interesting to me if hte fishing is bad and I have to reserve camp sites, not my scene at all. Looks like WCPP will be getting some more of my attention ... I must be careful as lots of my very favorite places on Earth are long gone in that park - don't think my heart could take seeing that. I will have to find new timber to explore - likley plenty of that in the park.

Bob.

 

[Terry Q]

Not far from Killarney is French River Provincial Park. Between lake Nipissing and Lake Superior, it offers plenty of paddling opportunities. The French River flows from Lake Nipissing to Lake Superior, but the Pickerel River is a flat river that you can use paddling west to east that avoids the rapids found on the French River. There is a short portage back to the French River that makes access back to Lake Nipissing easy. Portaging is required to get from one pool of water to the next and there are numerous routes you can put together. Motor boats are found on some of the lakes, but they can’t gain access to many areas of the park.

I paddled it in the fall and don’t recall seeing but a handful of people throughout my five days. Access is limited and you will have to pay to park.

This is the old historic fur trading route which every Canadian fur trader took from Lachine to grand Portage. It is filled with history and if you do research ahead of time you will be able to follow the old routes. The portage back to Lake Nipissing has been there for hundreds of years, and there are places on the portage where I can guarantee every missionary, every native american, every explorer and every voyager put his hands, and you can join them.

 

[yellowcanoe]

Terry Q was this last fall? We are considering going back there but the forest fire damage from last summer has us concerned.

 

[Boreal Birch]

Terry Q.........
Your guarantee of every missionary, every Native American, every explorer and every voyager........ may not be correct, not everyone followed that trade route, most maybe did, but not all, of course I could be wrong.

 

[Terry Q]

Terry Q was this last fall? We are considering going back there but the forest fire damage from last summer has us concerned.

I was there about ten years ago. Don’t know anything about a fire, but the terrain is a lot like boundary waters where the burning, I assume, would be hit or miss. Lots of lakes and islands.


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[Odyssey]

Here is a tool that might be handy to estimate the severity of fires in Ontario last year. Tick the - Fires Out - box to see their location history. You can't see any updated satellite imagery to assess boots on the ground scenery with this but at least it suggests ranges and locations. Scroll and zoom the map to your target location. I'm currently using it for other route possibilities elsewhere.

http://www.gisapplication.lrc.gov.on...r=AFFES_ONLINE

 

[Terry Q]

Terry Q.........
Your guarantee of every missionary, every Native American, every explorer and every voyager........ may not be correct, not everyone followed that trade route, most maybe did, but not all, of course I could be wrong.

Until the formation of the Hudson’s bay company, where the beaver pelts were brought north out of lake Winnipeg, all the east west travel went through the French River, it was the only route that made sense. The very first European to see the Great Lakes was Etienne Brûlé in around 1610. As a teenager traveling with Samuel de Champlain, he was set east to Lake Huron to live with the native Americans that would travel to Lachine to trade with the French. He would eventually be the first white man who was accredited to “discovering” four of the five Great Lakes. And ALL the early missionaries went this way, they wrote about it in their journals.

 

[Pook]

Psst...

French River does NOT flow from Lake Nipissing to Lake Superior, but rather from Nipissing to Georgian Bay of Lake Huron.
But yup, your historical summary- at least from a northern North American perspective- as pretty accurate.

Bruce

 

[Marten]

Hey Bob, You should come to Quiet Journey gatherings during Canoecopia. We can each grab a beer and cry into it as we reminisce about special places that have gone up in smoke. We could study the maps for possible routes. I might have Farmer rooming with me.

 

[Terry Q]

Psst...

French River does NOT flow from Lake Nipissing to Lake Superior, but rather from Nipissing to Georgian Bay of Lake Huron.
But yup, your historical summary- at least from a northern North American perspective- as pretty accurate.

Bruce

I knew that, it’s near Killarney, that’s how this discussion started. I just visualized the ultimate goal because I’m old.


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[Bob B.]

Hey Marten,

It would be great to visit with you and Farmer again. I really like visiting with the Quiet Journey group at the Copia show. They were very helpful last year with myself and Jake's 12 day trip to Quetico. I really look forward to those precious few days on March to visit old buddies and reminisce magical trips of years gone by.

I will look for you guys.

Bob.

 

[yellowcanoe]

I knew that, it’s near Killarney, that’s how this discussion started. I just visualized the ultimate goal because I’m old.


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Did you read the book French River:Canoeing the River of the Stick Wavers by Toni Harting? Full of history and trip suggestions. We may piddle around in that area this year. Its been some eight or ten years for me since I have been there though two years ago we went around Philip Edward Island.

 

[Iskweo]

You cant go far wrong with WCPP as long as you figure out where the worst burns were and avoid them. The MNR may have a map of recent burns, and often you can distinguish them on a satellite image as grey areas...they stand out pretty well, as do clear cuts outside of the park.

Its not much farther to go to Marshall Lake north of Geraldton....

I have a couple of local trips in mind and perhaps one up in Norway House on the Gunisao River. Ahhhh to dream.

Whichever route you choose, enjoy it.

Christine

 

[Bob B.]

Christine,

PM sent,

Bob.

 

[Odyssey]

We drove over the French one summer heading north to somewhere else. We stopped to stretch our legs, and dream of someday paddling this historic route. They hadn't yet rebuilt the French River Provincial Park Visitor Center. Although there was a small trail we didn't follow it down to the Recollet Falls. We never did fulfill that dream, maybe someday. I like the Pickerel River idea.
Never been to Killarney, and despite the supposed wow factor of that place never felt inclined to go. It's long been known to be very popular.
And despite having lingered on my paddle wish list for years now WCPP also hasn't seen me and my partner. That's a really big and faintly hoped for maybe.
So that's three strikes from me offering you Bob any helpful information whatsoever. But wait a sec. I can recommend Geraldton, and not just because a friend lives and trips there. (But that is a really huge something that shouldn't be dismissed.) I thought I'd like it there. Instead I found I loved it there. Marshall and Gripp smacked me full in the face. Then Summit blew me away. And the Kap lulled me with it's charms. But it may just have been the company. There was that too. It was one of those places that was never even on my radar for paddling wish lists, but it sure as heck should've been. Hope to get back. Maybe someday.

 

[memaquay]

Just to echo what Robin and Brad and Christine said.....The Marshall Lake Loop is a very good choice this year. All the ports were cleared last year, and we will be redoing them early in June. Crown land, great fishing, nice scenery, maps are posted on this site. If you have any interest send me a message.

Just a side note, if you are interested in historical routes, this is one of them. We will be opening up the Frog Creek ports this year, which was the traditional way that First Nations accessed the Ogoki watershed from as far away as Lake Superior.