Opeongo-Laveille Route | ||
| Route description submitted By: | ||
General Info | Difficulty Ratings | |
| Distance: 85 km Duration : 5 days Loop Trip : yes | River Travel : intermediate Lake Travel : advanced Portaging : Difficult Remoteness : intermediate | |
Portage Info | Maps Required | |
| No. of Portages : 11 Total Length: 9530 m Average Length: 866 m Longest Portage : 5305 m | Other Maps Algonquin Provincial Park Map published by Friends of Algonquin Park | |
Handicapped Accessibility | GPX Data for this Route | |
 Suitability : poor | no gpx data found | |
Route Description | ||
| Start at Opeongo access
North through Opeongo Lake P 1390 m to Proulx Lake North through Proulx Lake North on Creek North through Little Crow Lake East through Big Crow Lake East on Crow River P 240 m L around rapid / dam P 155 m L P 1220 m R around rapids East on Crow River P 385 m L P 170 m L P 205 m L P 110 m L East through Crow Bay East into Lake Lavieille South through Lake Lavieille South through Hardy Bay P 90 m South through Dickson Lake P 5305 m west to Bonfield Lake P 260 m to East arm of Opeongo East then south through Opeongo to finish | ||
General Comments | ||
| This trip is generally not very crowded. Portages are difficult.
Lake Opeongo is a tough lake to paddle in high winds. If one plans to arrive late to Algonquin on the first day, it might be wiser to make use of the water taxi that will take one to North or East arm. The most spectacular part of the trip lies in the areas of Big Joe Lake and Lac Lavieille. Spend extra time here if you can. On Big Joe lake is a spectacular lookout on the shore near the ranger cabin. There is even an abandoned watch tower by the lookout (climbing of which is prohibited, but who`s looking). Also, Crow River (the one between Joe and Lavieille) will take the good part of a day to paddle. I did this trip a little over a year ago at the end of August, and we encountered hardly anybody. Scott Helmer | ||
Trip Log / Diary | ||
Photo Gallery | ||
User Submitted Information | ||
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Submitted by: Mark Williams | ||
Be sure to check out the white pine stand labelled on the Algonquin Canoe route map. The hike in is about 1.5k and is well worth the trip...the trees are huge. | ||
Submitted by: Wild Child | ||
There is an error in the route description. Big Joe Lake is actually Big CROW Lake. | ||
Submitted by: Tanya McPherson | ||
If you want to get out of the populated Opeongo lake area quickly, a shuttle is available to take you and your boat north on Opeongo Lake to the beginning of the first portage. This is a great trip. The portage is challenging but everything else is beautiful. | ||
Submitted by: Ian Tennant | ||
A great trip. Although I paddled Opeongo to the first portage. I was sure jealous of the "water taxi" that took people from the Opeongo Store to the first portage. Opeongo is not an easy lake for a canoe when the winds pick up (I would recommend the shuttle). The moose on Crow River were everywhere. We must have seen 5 or 6 in one day. | ||
Submitted by: Terri Plaitis | ||
The Dickson Lake portage is a killer. Our friends managed a single trip within approx. 2 hours. My boyfriend and I opted to do it in 11/2 trips and it took us approx. 2 h 50 minutes. The Eastern Arm of Opeongo is a great place to go swimming and cool off. I was thankful we had booked a watertaxi so that I could kick back and relax at the end of the trip. | ||
Submitted by: Jerry Pepera | ||
The Wright cart trail is smooth going and you can shorten it by putting back in at the campsite at wright lake. This eliminates a large hill climb at the finish. | ||
Submitted by: Justin Boutin | ||
Did this loop a few years back. It is a lot of hard work (especially near the end) but the rewards are worth it. Actually booked the ranger cabin on crow instead of campsite. The fishing was phenomenal on both lavieille and dickson. Just dragged big pike lures along behind the canoe. Best spot was between the south side of the island on lavieille and shore, on your way to dickson. Caught many lakers and a few brookies that were almost the size of the canoe paddle blade. Saw many moose. Great trip. I highly recommend. Take advantage of the water taxi. You will be thankful, especially after the dickson/bonfield. Good Luck!!! | ||
Submitted by: John Grubbs | ||
Took this loop in the late 1950s with eight other fellows from my fraternity at U. of Cincinnati. We went to Opeongo four years in a row. Crow River was low the year we made this loop, and we probably waded 1/3 of the way from Big Crow to Lavieille so the canoes would float. Caught a mess of frogs on the river near Lavieille and had frogs' legs that night. On Opeongo we encountered two fellows who flipped, had nothing tied in, and lost EVERYTHING except canoe & paddles. We took the loop clockwise, and even this long after doing it I remember one of the last portages as being very tough. By the way, I read all the other comments above. What is a cart trail? :) Sounds like something that might have come in handy with those old 1000 lb. wooden canoes. | ||
Submitted by: Texoz | ||
Great trip - definitely take advantage of the water taxi. We did the loop in 5 days with two days at Dickson at the end of the trip. Had moose walking thru campsite at Big Crow lake - recommend staying at campsite on north side of Crow River. Crow River makes for a long day of portage and canoeing in early August. Other than that - great loop for beginner or intermediate and a wonderful way to get away from it all. | ||
Submitted by: Ken L | ||
Did this trip in early 80's 6 of us. started the monday of July long weekend. Were able to shoot the rapids on the Crow river. 2 portages Opeongo to Proulx and the killer Dickson to East Arm. | ||
Submitted by: Keith M | ||
Did the Opeongo-Crow-Lavielle-Wright-Opeongo loop in July 2005 in three days, no water taxi, no time for fishing! It was beautiful, lots of moose, but I recommend the water taxi in hind sight. Crow River was very low - we dragged our canoe a fair bit. Next time, I will try to spend more time at north end of Lavielle! | ||
Submitted by: flyrod | ||
May 2007 this route was quite busy. Lots of anglers looking for trout. Every waterway is a popular trout fishing destination. | ||
Submitted by: Gary | ||
Did the Opeongo-Dickson-Lavielle-Crow-Opeongo loop (reverse of most) with a YMCA group of 15 in 5 canoes in late July 1969, all portages in one trip. Two nights on Lavielle for fishing break. Kept 5 Lake Trouts, all 24-33 inches. Threw 18" ones back. WOW enough for 15 to eat!!! | ||
