View topic - Massasauga tips?

Planning a trip with my wife, who canoes rarely, to Massasauga for the first time. Looking for any tips or tricks for that park. Was thinking of a 2-3 night trip. Preference is for solitude and campsites with great views.

• One access point versus the other
• Preferred lake, non-preferred lakes
• Nice route
• Etc.

Also, what is the date on the latest map? Mine shows 2005, but it doesn't appear to show some of the portages referenced in other threads. e.g. Into Creswicke lake

I have found the following links and threads in my searching:

https://myccr.com/phpbbforum/viewtopic. ... 07&t=43210
http://www.angelfire.com/blues2/bcaron/campsite.html
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewe ... aCu_pGqXok


Thanks,

Allan.

Unlostify has a great Massassauga map.

I've left from Pete's Place access many times and it's a good place to start. You have to paddle a bit to get campsites with good views though. Lots of cottages/boat traffic on the way out.

317 was a good site with great views. Just careful through Woods Bay as it's fairly large water if you're novice paddlers and the wind kicks up (but that could be said for a lot of the park).

I like Pete's because there's no portages to get to some good sites.

Check this out:

http://www.angelfire.com/blues2/bcaron/campsite.html

Oops you found that already.

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I've done nothing but beginner trips in recent years, and Massassauga has never disappointed. Since you mention the Creswicke portage and I just found out about it for myself last year, it's about 3x longer now than it originally was with the decline in water levels in that fenside area, and the extension was not cut new but simply routed along the original orienteering trail. By massassauga standards it's a full-on portage, so I might not recommend tacking it on top of the two portages just to get into Vicary, for a trip with a beginner. If you decide to do it though, camp 107 is one of the good ones.

Hello all,

Not really new to the site, but my previous incarnation went dormant, and I am too dim to resurrect it. Haven't had time to keep up whilst the kids have been occupying every spare second.

Anyway, enough of the excuses. Since having kids, I've taken them to both Spider Lake and Conger Lake in The Massassauga. Both terrific successes, several times. Even bullied them into swimming in Spider lake in May last year!

But...I have negotiated time away from patriarchal duties for a solo trip the last week The Massassauga is open (up to Oct 25), and want to get a bit more adventurous. Meaning, closer to the bay. I'm an experienced paddler, but I've heard it mentioned that I should be more cautious now that I could create orphans.

If I were to head west from Pete's Place, out to Sharpe Island or thereabouts, what am I getting myself into? Not overly bothered about rough weather, but I'd like to be able to enjoy myself around a campfire and not freeze my nethers off.

Would love advice and/or warnings from any of you familiar with that area late in the season.

I was out the 2nd last weekend of the season last year, temps were 0 to 10 the first day and about 2 to 13 the second, with no rain and no wind. I based the decision to go on the no rain part of the forecast, and quite enjoyed the paddle through the maze of islands, the cottages pretty much deserted. The majority of them tend to be smaller traditional cottages and aren't out of keeping with the landscape at all so they don't really mess with the experience, unlike the way you might normally think of cottages on canoe routes. Still new to the area you're headed to but was out recently at camp 324 and it's not one of the better campsites, try somewhere else. And, as far as campfires go, 324 and surroundings was quite denuded of any firewood, as I suspect all the bayside island sites are because from what I saw they're used by power-boaters not paddlers. With the sea lift they have at their disposal they can pack in chainsaws and fuel and by virtue of motoring to camp have by definition more campfire time to spend burning the available wood. The night I was at 324 the folks are 323 were sporting an e-saw actually which is more environmentally correct these days. Anyway, what I did specifically go looking for, and found, was a good portage across Moon island between carston bay and an unnamed bay. It's not cleared per se, but the put in and take outs are easy to spot and it's an easy walk through open woods over a slight ridge. May be of some use depending on your route.

I recommend you leave from Oastler and stay on Spider Lake on site 3, 4 or 5. There is a short portage and much less boat traffic than if you left from Pete's Place. You can also view pictures of the sites on the reservation website which should be helpful!

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Cheers, thanks for the tips jbishop & jbrave.

Have done Spider Lake many times. Absolutely love it (14 & 21 in particular), but am feeling like I need to explore a part of the park I haven't got to yet.

Not worried about temps or rain-if it happens, it happens, and I can't control it-just wonder if I'm biting off more than I can chew if the wind's up on the day I have to put in. That portage jbishop mentions might come in handy in that case.

Only one way to find out, I suppose. Have heard good things about 326 & 327. I doubt privacy will be an issue this time of year, nor is the size of the tent pad as I'll be on my own. Always expect island sites to be short on firewood; I'll plan to toot around and forage.

Thanks again, excited to reacquaint myself with MyCCR!

I wonder why you are committed to MPP? Don't get me wrong, it is a great place and I am going there this weekend but paddling out in the bay that late in the year seems like it could be dramatically unfun.

Why not Killarney or, failing that, Algonquin? Both would allow for much more privacy and safer paddling.

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 Killarney Campsites - check it out... http://sites.google.com/site/killarneycampsites/Home

I haven't ever seen the bayside area on a truly windy day so that's definitely a factor to consider. Up to 20 km/h that I have seen though is fine, with so many islands there aren't a lot of extended reaches to worry about. I'd almost rank the possibility of getting off track in the maze of islands as a higher risk. Of course, I like puzzling over the map, whereas a gps dispenses with that particular problem. What you can also say about the area is that it has good paddle/portage/driving distance ratio.

Me too. Like you say, there are enough windbreaks to make it manageable, and wandering around is a large part of the reason I'm going in the first place, rather than back to the (stupendous) parts I already know.

I hear what you're saying, WWWGOD, but I'm willing to take the risk if only because I'd rather spend the extra hours on the water than on the road. I always say the dangers are wind, rain and cold, and that I can deal with any two out of the three. Heading out tomorrow morning, and it looks like all three are in the forecast, but hopefully the gods of the bay dole them out two at a time. We shall see. There's always fire and scotch to sustain me.

Is the OP still interested in this?

If so - worthwhile camping places: Clear Lake; Crestwicke, Canoe, Spider is good but as the main access lake it is busy. I really like Canoe Lake this Oct and it is shared with just one other campsite. Also a simple portage takes you to South Channel of Georgian Bay for lots of exploring and day trips.