Upper Ottawa River--Thorne/Temiscaming/Mattawa/Deux Rivieres/Driftwood/Deep River

CanadaOntarioOttawa
Submitter & Author Information
Route submitted by: 
PedlPadl
Trip Date : 
2019-07-21
Additional Route Information
Distance: 
170 km
Duration: 
6 days
Loop Trip: 
No
Portage Information
No. of portages: 
2
Total Portage Distance: 
4500 m
Longest Portage: 
3000 m
Difficulty Ratings
River Travel: 
Novice
Lake Travel: 
Novice
Portaging: 
Easy
Remoteness: 
Intermediate
Background Trip Info
Water Levels: 
Medium
Route Description
Access to Put-In Information: 

Public boat ramp at the south end of Long Sault Island, Thorne ON/Temiscaming QC.

Technical Guide: 

Updated 2020 September and 2021 August

This is a scenic and historically significant route that could be divided into several different trips of varying length. It is all flat water, basically like a big long lake, but can get choppy when it's windy. Portages are easy and there's access to amenities at points along the way.

Went in mid July 2019 in perfect weather and there was very little traffic. I only saw a few motor boats until approaching Driftwood and even after that only two or three fishing along the way to Des Joachims. The next section after that was busier but still not bad. I met one other group of paddlers between Klock and Deux Rivieres just out for a couple of nights. I repeated the Thorne to Mattawa section in September 2020 and Mattawa to Stonecliffe in August 2021 and it was even quieter.

Finding good information was a bit difficult, this is what I came up with but if anyone knows more, please jump in. Kevin Callan covers part of the route in his book Top 50 Canoe Routes of Ontario [1] which is a good resource from Mattawa downstream. However, the uppermost section is not well documented. Callan describes some of it in some videos he posted but I could not find any maps. A potential source of information was the Algonquin Canoe Company (ACC) [2] based on Long Sault Island in Thorne who had maintained some campsites along the route in the past. They were very friendly and helpful but not the encyclopaedia of local knowledge I had hoped for. I ended up going into their store the day I arrived and eventually got a photocopy of a map with their notes on it which was very helpful the first day but did not extend beyond that. I won't post their map but will post my own map with any information I was able to verify. ACC also have canoe rentals, some supplies, an interesting souvenir shop and may be able to provide parking or a shuttle (I just got dropped off and did not return there). They do not use "Ontario" or "Quebec" to identify which side of the river, just river left or right so I'll do the same.

Camp sites are sparse on some sections, there are private properties here and there, and it is a large body of water so just paddling along looking for a site is difficult if you don't know where to look. The terrain is generally steep, rocky, and heavily treed so there are few suitable spots.

Wherever you camp, bear in mind the water levels can change by a few feet overnight if adjustments are made at the dams.

Ontario Power Generation (OPG) used to publish a brochure with information on the dam bypass routes but they don't seem to any more. When I contacted them, I received an automated reply that they would respond as soon as they can but they never did. For my second trip I contacted them again and got a quick reply this time. They sent me a scanned copy of the brochure and a bit more information. The maps are not very detailed, the directions are in the upstream direction and didn’t seem too clear.

I carried the Small Craft Charts [3] which are very good although perhaps more detailed than necessary and they are missing a couple of things (upstream boat ramp at Des Joachims and ramp at Deux Rivieres). There is a companion guide, Sailing Directions [4] that has some descriptions and aerial photos of the boat ramps that is somewhat helpful for background but some details are out of date.

Topographic maps [5] are awkward because the river crosses several sheets but they can be viewed on line and were helpful while preparing.

It's not too easy to get lost but it is a long distance and my old GPS was useful for taking a position now and then.

I did not monitor my cell phone closely but I think had cell phone signal about 5 km from Thorne, then it faded away until approaching Snake Creek. After that I had a good signal everywhere I checked.

Trip Journal/Log/Report/Diary: 

All distances are approximate and can vary depending on how closely you follow the shoreline.

The scenery is mostly forest and rock with impressive rock faces protruding here and there and occasional streams and weed beds. Most of the section from Long Sault Island to Des Joachims has sparse cottages and feels quite secluded and could have been a lake in Algonquin Park except for the few settlements. The highway is close by in some places and can often vaguely be heard but was not disturbing at any of the camps. The trains only run occasionally from Mattawa to Temiscaming; downstream of Mattawa the tracks have been removed. There are numerous tributaries, bays and a few waterfalls that one could spend a lot of time exploring.

Started at Long Sault Island between Thorne ON and Temiscaming QC where the Timiskaming Dam defines the modern-day end of Lake Temiskaming and start of the Ottawa River (note 3 different spellings of Teimiskcaming just to give confusing search results).

Put-in is the boat ramp at the south end of Long Sault Island. Current from the dam tailrace soon declines. There is also a small ramp at Thorne at the end of Maple St that I used on my second trip. Highway 63 parallels the river for 5 km then turns inland and it gets much quieter (the noise and smell from Tembec also disappear). The highway was not busy even on a July weekend but on Tuesday at Mattawa, I saw a number of logging trucks heading up and down there so it may be much worse during the week (and would also make the drive up on the winding road more nerve wracking).

There is supposed to be a campsite a few km downstream on an island near where highway 63 turns inland and one about 11 km downstream around Beauchene Bay but the blog I saw wasn’t really clear which side of the river they were on and I did not locate them. Beyond that, the next one I'm aware of is another 4 km on a small island on the right. There seems to be another 800m farther down, on a peninsula (maybe island at high water) also on the right. One was marked with an old, faded sign that resembled ones I found accompanying new ACC signs later but it was not on their map. They looked like okay camps, a little rocky and exposed. 2 km farther down on the right there is a large private chalet on a point of a bay where the creek from Langevin Lake enters the Ottawa River (cannot find a name on this creek on any map). Around the point and up the bay near the mouth of the creek is a sand spit with a large campsite. There is no outhouse but there is a metal fire pit and table. It is marked on ACC's map but there were no signs on the site. There is an ATV road at the back and there were a few cans but it was mostly quite clean. I did find a piece of broken glass on the beach and there was pile in the trees marked with an orange cone (which had been cleaned up on my second trip). After checking out Jocko River downstream, I backtracked here for the first night.

The next site is 2 km farther downstream at Jocko River. Again there is a large private cottage with a dock at the point but up the bay a short distance there is a campsite on the south-east side. It didn't look great but it would still do for a night. I thought there was an ATV road but on further inspection it maybe just a rough trail (maybe the portage around the falls at the end of Jocko R?). It was not marked on ACC's map, nor were there any signs. The mouth of Jocko River is shown enclosed by a large piece of private land on the Crown Land map and the Mining Claim map shows mining claims over the same area. The Jocko River Provincial Park map shows it ending abruptly at that property. The park description does not give any explanation but does say the route is used for canoeing and connects to the Ottawa River so one would think the portage must be allowed for public use but what about the campsite? I was told that the area used to be a farm and is now used by a hunting club. There was a discussion about it on myccr.com a few years ago that did not seem to resolve anything. I posted a message there but have not received a reply.

500m downstream of Jocko River there is an ACC sign on a tree and the note on their map said it needs work. This is within the area shown as private land but ACC has not yet found any more information for me. It looked like a fire pit had been attempted on a ledge but I can’t see how it could ever be a camp site.

About 5km downstream of Jocko R there is a lodge and some cabins on the left and almost straight across the river on the right is Coxey’s Landing where a rough road allows public access to the river. Someone there told me people do not camp there, just use it to launch small boats for fishing. ACC's map shows two more sites about 500m and 1000m farther downstream on the right but I could not find them or see any signs posted. There were a couple of potential spots and their notes did say they needed work so they could be quite overgrown.

The next camp I could locate was 22 km downstream of Jocko River on the left at Snake Creek. 400m upstream of the mouth of the creek is an ACC sign on a tree but again there is not, was not and never will be a campsite on the steep rocks. The creek mouth has some wharfs set up by local lodges and clubs and there is road access (I'm sure the same white truck in Callan's video was still there, but it did drive away and come back so it is running again). There is an assortment of vehicles and some old oil tanks (once used for floats I assume) and it's a bit of a junkyard actually. But the campsite a few metres away was in very good shape and there is a bit of sand and some smooth rocks that make a decent take-out. Smith's Landing and Wilson's Landing across the river have roads but I was told the properties are all private.

4 km downstream on the right is the mouth of Bangs Bay and there is a place called Nature's Harmony Eco-lodge maybe 1-2 km up a path and road which is something like 2 km up the bay on the north side. They have cabins but also (new for 2019 according to their website) tent camping and I might look into staying there if I did this again.

From Snake Creek it's 9 km to the take-out above the Otto Holden dam. The take-out is the old Temiskawa [6] ramp on the right and the signs are kind of tucked in the trees and not visible until you're quite close (Photo 9, 10, 11). The portage signs and route are well-maintained but there are no facilities of any kind. A box that used to contain portage information pamphlets has obviously not been used for years. The construction contact sign is a bit confusing; this is not an island so I assume “construction island” means the construction site itself which is inside a gate near the dam and not on the road and I don’t know who would go there unless they had business in there and I don’t know who would be arriving by boat in that case but I guess they have to put up a sign at all access points. Since there is no way of knowing any of this beforehand and once you’re there there's no where else to go, I ignored the construction contact duct-taped phone number and just followed the portage signs. The “Extreme Danger” is inside the fence where the dam and wires are, not on the portage. Other than a few workers parked vehicles on the side of the road, the portage was clear. The portage begins on paved road with an uphill climb, then goes onto a small road/trail and is mostly downhill. The very end has a few metres of cobbles to get over to reach the water. My cart was ideal for this and made for an easy portage of about 1.5 km.

300m downstream of the put-in is the Temiskawa [6] lower ramp. There was some construction work in progress but nobody there. There was an outhouse that was a bit overgrown and did not look like it was being maintained but not in bad shape. There were no signs at the ramp but the paved road that connects it to highway 656 is gated and locked and OPG told me there is no longer a marine bypass there so the portage is the only option.

About 1km from the put-in, Antoine Park is on the right. A provincial park long ago, it’s now run privately. I stayed there on my second trip and it was very nice with tent sites close to the beach and drinking water taps. Facilities are limited, 2 toilets and 2 showers, BYOTP and sanitizer and flashlight because the lights in the washrooms don’t work. There is also no garbage removal, you have to take it with you. It was a long day from the camp above Jocko R to Antoine Park (over 30 km of paddling and 1.5km portage at the dam) but I found it was worth the effort for the certainty of having a campsite. They have a small website with contact information [8].

It’s 7 km from the dam portage to Explorers Point in Mattawa. I beached the boat there and walked 900m or so up to the Tourist Information office near the traffic circle and used their washroom (I could not figure out the status of the marina washrooms as there was still work being done to repair damage from the spring floods (in 2020 they were closed due to COVID-19, 2021 they were open to the public)). There is also the Lions park 1.5 km downstream.

There are things to see and do in Mattawa if you have time. Where the railway bridge meets the Quebec shore there is a trail up to the 3 crosses. It’s a scramble up the embankment to the tracks, there is a makeshift ladder up the rock wall, and the trail is quite steep and rugged but well travelled and marked with flagging most of the way. I took about ½ hour to climb up and there are nice views of the rivers and town.

Leaving Mattawa, pass by the mouth of the Mattawa River and under the train bridge; I had no trouble getting through the first span although the main channel is out in the middle. There is some current there.

Next stop was 12 km downstream on the left at the mouth of Edwards River where there is a smaller sheltered camp site and a larger more open one. Both were in good shape and there is a trail back to a scenic waterfall. These seem to be the closest sites downstream of Mattawa.

There is another site 5 km farther downstream on the right. 1.5 km beyond that, Klock road meets the river. There is a dock there, not clear if it's private. Next to it is the mouth of Aumond Creek where there is a campsite on the east bank. An ATV trail goes up to the rail bed and across the bridge someone has built a fire pit in the middle of the road so I guess camping is also allowed there but it's a bit far from the river.

7 km farther downstream on the right there is a camp site, just upstream of where the Hodgson railway point used to be. I met a group of canoes who had just camped there and said they had fixed it up a bit and it was good. At the railway just behind, the rails and ties have all been removed so trains would not be a concern, although ATVs may use the old railbed.

There are supposed to be a few more sites on the left before reaching Deux Rivieres but I did not verify their locations. At the mouth of the next bay about 2 km from Moose Bay, there is a large campsite but I don’t know if it’s private. About 2 km farther,  on the south side of the peninsula at the mouth of the next bay there is a nice picnic spot but it looked a bit sloped for camping. There is another large camp with bush road access where Gibson Creek meets the river but again, can’t tell if it’s private.

At Deux Rivieres there is a public boat launch with an outhouse and picnic tables but no overnight camping. If you stay to the right approaching Deux Rivieres, there is a gap between the shore and the first small island where the bridge or causeway to the old ferry road has been removed and the boat launch is straight ahead through the gap. The main channel required for large boats goes around the big island. The ramp is not shown on the Chart although it's mentioned in the Sailing Directions. Other than that and Antler's Kingfisher Lodge, there is not much at Deux Rivieres; the gas station and store are long closed and the Hilltop Cottages and Campground that Callan and the Sailing Directions mention changed owners and the number I eventually tracked down was out of service. The old ferry ramp on the Ontario side has fire pits where people have obviously been camping and there are no signs to the contrary but I don't know if it's legal.

After exploring the old ferry stations, I proceeded about 8 km downstream to a campsite at Moose Bay. It was a bit hard to spot, above the river a few metres, overgrown with moss and a dead tree fallen across it which was small and rotten enough I cleaned it up with my collapsible saw. The site is rocky and there are holes in between some of them to watch out for which should presently be visible because I'm sure I stepped in every one of them. The take-out is a bit steep and rocky (on the other side of the little point in front of the site there is a small lagoon that makes a better take-out if the water is high enough) but there was a flat enough area for a tent or two and the view was nice. I propped up a couple of rotten boards that were lying around to make it a little more visible.

There are a few more camp sites a few km downstream but I did not check them.

Next day was 34 km to Driftwood Provincial Park, an excellent park with luxuries like picnic tables, flush toilets and running water. Along the way is Bissett Bay (14 km from Moose Bay) where Bissett Creek meets the Ottawa River. Although there are many cottages, there is apparently no boat ramp or public access and I ended up stopped on the highway embankment for a break. 4 km before reaching the boundary of Driftwood is Stonecliffe where there is a boat launch. There are no facilities or camping but a 750m walk up the road is Yates General Store which is the last chance for supplies if you need anything before Des Joachims (Driftwood office only has a few things). Yates has a ton of stuff in that small store and I grabbed some orange juice (can't do that on every canoe trip).

4.5 km past Driftwood there is a park on a point at Mackey with steps down to the water and the township website says washrooms but I have not been there. There is a boat launch but it is a few km up Mackey Creek at the highway and not a very convenient stopping place.

Day 6:

From Driftwood it's 12 km to the Des Joachims dam. The take-out is on the north-east end of the south channel. I have marked it on my map but I have never seen it shown accurately on any other map. It is shown on the Rapides des Joachims carte-sentier [7], a map of trails published by the municipality, but that does not clearly show the road and portage. After reaching Chemin du Moulin it seems to follow trail #10 on that map. Again, the ramp is tucked in the trees and hard to see until you're close. The signs were propped up in the trees and the flagpoles were bare and overgrown by tree branches but the brush was cleared and the borrowed McDonalds garbage can was clean. There were a few fire pits around the landing and no signs about camping or anything else but I don't know if overnight camping is allowed. There are some organized places on the island and ACC has an office there also but didn't research them.

The portage begins on a gravel road then turns onto an ATV road then a bumpy path. It's fine for a carry portage but if using a cart, don't follow the portage; just turn right on Ch. du Moulin, then left on Ch. Principale and follow it down to the bottom.

The Ontario side is much more developed along this section but there is little on the Quebec side. There are numerous sand beaches.

6 km below the dam on the right there is a picnic area at Meilleurs Bay with tables and outhouses. Another 8 km from there is Burkes Beach at Pt. Alexander which appeared to have an outhouse.

Deep River is 20 km from the dam and was the end of the trip for me.

Conclusions and recommendations

Excellent trip. I used a 13 ft touring kayak and a cart for the portages and it worked extremely well. The only real camp site concern I had was the second night at Snake Creek where there are no other alternatives that I could find.

Maps Required
Topo Maps (1:250,000): 
Canadian Topographic Maps, 031L & 031K.
Other Maps: 
Small Craft Chart #1553, 1554 & 1555, published by the Canadian Hydrographic Service department of Fisheries and Oceans, Ottawa, Canada.

Comments

Post date: Sun, 08/07/2022 - 19:12

Comments: 

Apologies for the slow reply, I only saw the comment about maps of route now so you may have sorted it out already. I think all I did was zoomed to the level that I wanted then clicked the save icon on the toporama page. It's sometimes quite slow to fill in all the details and I have to wait a minute until it all appears.

Post date: Thu, 12/17/2020 - 10:47

Comments: 

Hello;  

Thank-you for the informative trip report.  I am planning to paddle from Lake Temiscimang to Ottawa next summer and liked the maps you posted in your trip report.

Most of the maps you made available were based on NRCan's Toporama mapping service.  I am curious how you were able to obtain the finest level of detail across a wide geographic area.  When I zoom in to reach the finest level of detail, the geographic extent is relatively small.  When I zoom out to cover a wider geographic area, the level of detail is not as fine.  How did you capture the finest level of detail across larger geographic areas?  I could do a serives of screen captures with the fine level of detail and mosiac them together, but I was hoping for a more elegant solution.

Have a good day.

NS_Kayaker

 

 

 

Post date: Mon, 09/21/2020 - 16:53

Comments: 

Updated 2020 September

Post date: Mon, 08/12/2019 - 10:14

Comments: 

Thank you so much for the post, maps, photos and links. I am planning to do the last leg of this trip in a few weekd (Mattawa down). I have also used K. Callans book to research the trip - your imput is much appreciate as there is very little info about this portion of the Ottawa available.

In fact, there is very little info on paddling the Ottawa and I should post the information I have gathered for the lower portion - Rapides-des-Joachims (Swisha) down to the Ottawa-Gatineau. I worked on a paddle route for this portion and thus have a lot of data and first hand knowledge. There are so lovely portions of this river. Swisha to Pettawawa being one of the best. Maintained sandy points (Frasers Landing being the best - near Point Alexander) and beaches every 10km or so. Oiseau Rock with its red ochre paintings and hiking trail. Stop at Fort-William for fish and chips and a beer!

Cheers!

P.s Hopefully I'll be commenting again afte my trip!