Canoe day trips

In Mississagi Provincial Park, you can check out Cobre Lake. It offers a pleasant day paddle trip, or you can combine it with the well known hiking routes.

You can find another canoe day trip at Ompa Lake off Highway 639, 21 km north of the city. Low water levels have restricted access to Wolf Lake, Polar Bear Lake, Gashen Lake and Semiwite Lake, but you can still enjoy a short day paddle or overnight trip.

Dunlop Lake to Mace Lake

The Dunlop Lake/Mace Lake route takes three-to-five days and is 42 km. It requires over nine portages.

Begin the route at Dunlop Lake, 10 km north of the city. From the public landing, there is a 2.5 hour paddle to the first portage on the lake's northwest shore. The portage leads north into Ten Mile Lake. Bring your PFD and avoid paddling in poor, windy conditions.

From the northwest bay of Ten Mile Lake, a short portage leads you to Ezma Lake. This is the first of many smaller, secluded lakes. A couple more short portages leads you to Swamp Lake and Upper Mace Lake. Upper Mace Lake has:

• Islands
• Wetlands
• Sandy beach on the southwest side
• Large, secluded bay

Exit Upper Mace Lake southwest, by portaging to Lake No. 5 and the long and narrow Lilypad Lake. From Lilypad Lake, you can portage on the west side of the stream or lift over the beaver dams and obstructions in the stream itself. A shorter route leads from the southeast bay to Claim Lake. Another route takes you southwest from the Lower Mace River to Pathfinder and Rodge Lakes, then north to Claim Lake. Pathfinder and Claim Lakes have campsites.

From Claim Lake, portage to the western tip of Dunlop Lake, then paddle 15 km back to the access points.

Alternatives:

• Start at Dunlop Lake then join the Flack Lake/Ten Mile route for an extra loop, or exit through the access point at Flack Lake.

Elliot Lake to Depot Lake

The Elliot Lake to Depot Lake route is a 32 km, one-to-three day trip with four portages.

It is an excellent route for novices or family groups. You are never more than 10 km from the City of Elliot Lake. When in season, you can find blueberries along this route.

During low water conditions, you can find many blueberries along the route.

Alternatives:

• Extend the route through McCarthy Lake and link to the Quirke Lake/Whiskey Lake route

Flack Lake to Ten Mile Lake

The Flack Lake/Ten Mile Lake canoe route is a 30 km, four-to-five day trip with over 13 portages.

The route starts at the east end of Flack Lake in Mississagi Provincial Park. Paddle west across the south end of the lake toward Old Baldy, a bare quartzite pinnacle. Portage uphill to Bruce Lake or to Olympus Lake. You can find an old uranium drilling site on the long portage to Astonish Lake.

At the end of Astonish Lake's long, southern bay is a portage to Ten Mile Lake. Paddle west down the northwest arm of the lake to another portage leading to Hyphen Lake.

You can choose to portage to Gibbery Lake to the northwest. The main route leads east down Hyphen into Callinan Lake, then north to Dollyberry Lake. Arrive at Bobowash Lake through a long portage up the lake or a short portage from the far north end of the lake.

Two short portages then lead to Samreid Lake, which has several islands and bays for exploring. Its northeast tip is the route's longest portage leading across two small lakes, then down a steep, rocky cliff to Flack Lake. Paddle 2.5 km east to Mississagi Provincial Park.

Alternatives:

• Portage to Gaff, Birthday and Gibbery Lakes or hike off the main route
• Extend the route by joining the Dunlop/Mace Lake route on Ezma Lake or Ten Mile Lake

Quirke Lake to Whiskey Lake

The Quirke Lake/Whiskey Lake canoe route is a 60 km, three-to-six day trip with 14 portages.

This is a circular route that begins and ends at the Quirke Lake boat launch. Access the route off Highway 639, about 17 km north of Elliot Lake.

Alternatives:

• Extend the route by going on the Elliot Lake/Depot Lake route through McCarthy Lake
• Extend the route by going on the Dunlop Lake/Mace Lake route through Dunlop Lake

Semiwite Lake and Helenbar Lake

The Semiwite Lake and Helenbar Lake is a 10 km, one-to-two day trip with two portages.

Access this trip through Mississagi Provincial Park. You can choose to combine it with a hiking trip on the Helenbar Lookout Trail for a great view of the lake and countryside.

Start from the park's boat launch and paddle the shore of Semiwite Lake east to the portage. At Helenbar Lake, you can find a historically significant plane crash site, wetlands, streams and bays.

Many shoreline campsites are available for the night.