View topic - Magnetawan route questions

I am heading up to to the Mag route with a friend next week.

I've never canoed in a "non-operating park" before. Are the portages/camp sites signed? Or do you need to pay close attention to the map/gps

We'll be doing the route outlined in Kevin Callan's top 60 canoe routes starting at wahwashkesh lake.

Appreciate any input from those who've canoed this area.

Portages=Usually not to hard, there's often a certain predictability to it. So sometimes marked, sometimes not. There's the fun in finding your way. In some spots it's way easier than in a tidy provincial park as there will be a pile of aluminum fishing boats cached around the portage, you could forget your glasses and still see it hundreds of yards off by times. Have an actual paper map in hand and one tucked away someplace in case the wind takes it on a journey on you. It was pay parking when we were there in 2013 at Bennetts Bay on the Wah($35 in Aug, maybe no one there in Sept?).

Camps around there don't usually have flagging. They are typically are rocky points with cleared flatter areas for tents. Watch for fire rings. I prefer smaller sites that have not been pounded by 10 person groups. Your lucky having some Septmeber time off, have fun...... Steve

Thank steve, we have a map. The parking is kinda tricky. The lodge only sells permits on Tues, Thurs, Saturdays,,,,

I've talked to the conservation folks who run the parking and we can park there next week and pay later. Also have the map that "backcountryangling" put together on my GPS.

Hopefully it will be fine. I don't mind a little fun in finding the way depending on weather and other factors.

You could go in at Harris Lake marine or crown parking. It's a pretty well trod zone, shouldn't be much trouble. If you go up through the Wah into Farm creek watch for the one turn middle of the way up. Farm creek goes left, Cramadog continues straight. You will get good at making turns. We lost could at hundred 125 or so. Island Lake is nice.

As an alt to Wah to the long port around Canal Rapids, try the route via Kashegaba and Whites. Further detais posted here on CCR

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Old canoeists never die---they just smell that way.

I agree with wotrock...I did the port around Canal Rapids and not only is it long, but it doesn't feel very wild with camps on either end. The route through Kashegaba and Whites starts with a nice waterfall and seems like the better option to me. With the map and GPS, I'm sure you'll have no trouble finding the ports. They were quite clear two years ago. There's also a public/free access point on Wahwashkesh on the map, but if you show up on Friday-Sunday it could be full.

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Wotrok, is this the thread you had in mind? Finding stuff can be hit n miss. Were due to head back to the area next year.

https://www.myccr.com/phpbbforum/viewto ... 08&t=43190

Sorry, no. I posted it several years ago but somebody posted quite a good map of that whole area on here within the past year which included that shortcut. I can't recall who that was though.

As said above, it should be easy to find going in either direction and is a lot quieter than the MNR/Callan route
.

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Old canoeists never die---they just smell that way.

pm sent of our video on the same route from 2017. Hope it helps!

Ken

You'll find more information on this route (and the map I think) here: https://www.myccr.com/phpbbforum/viewto ... 0&start=15

I echo Jonathan and Wotrock; avoid Wahwashkesh if you can. It's a big lake full of cottages. It might be quiet in September, but the route through Kashegaba and Whites is nicer. The one thing I found confusing was the portage out the north end of Whites to the Magnetawan. It's located kind of on an island in the middle of the outlet IRRC.

You can park at Six Mile Lake for free. (Naiscoot Lake) The parking lot is down Blue Heron Trail off Highway 69.