🛶 Exploring the Backcountry of Ontario, Canada 🛶 Quetico 🛶
🛶 Exploring the Backcountry of Ontario, Canada 🛶 Quetico 🛶
Quetico Canoe Routes
Quetico Provincial Park
Quetico Provincial Park has some of the best backcountry canoe routes to offer in Ontario, Canada. Located about 175 km west of Thunder Bay, Ontario. The park borders the USA on the south side and the BWCA - the Boundary Water Canoe Area.
The following below is directly from the Ontario Parks website:
Quetico is an iconic wilderness class park renowned for its rugged beauty, towering rock cliffs, majestic waterfalls, virgin pine and spruce forests, picturesque rivers and lakes
World famous destination for backcountry canoeing with over 2,000 lakes and 460,000 ha of remote wilderness. You can explore the heart of the park for two days or two weeks.
Adjoins the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness of the Superior National Forest in Minnesota
Quetico is recognized as an International Dark Sky Park by the International Dark Sky Association (IDA)
Quetico Canoe Routes
Quetico Provincial Park - Video of Silver Falls, Cache Bay
Portaging thru Burn Area
Quetico Canoe
Route #1
Quetico Provincial Park
This canoe route provides a bit of everything that Quetico has to offer. Peaceful lakes to breath taking waterfall sections. We planned on doing this route over 10 days so that we could enjoy some time to explore and to also get some fishing in. The route is below and then I will go into greater detail about preparing and completing this trip in the remote backcountry of Quetico Provincial Park.
Flew from Toronto, Ontario, to Thunder Bay, Ontario
Rented a car in Thunder Bay and made the drive towards Atikokan, Ontario
Attended Camp Quetico Outfitters for canoe rental and overnight accommodation
Dropped off at Stanton Bay Access point, Quetico Provincial Park
Pickerel Lake
Dore Lake
Sturgeon Lake
Russell Lake
Chatterton Falls
“Have a Smoke Portage”
Kawnipi Lake
Atkins Bay
The Falls Chain
Saganagans Lake
Jasper Lake
Ottertrack Lake
“Monument portage” - portage along the border of Canada & USA
Cache Bay to Ranger Station
Picked up by float plane back to the Camp Quetico Outfitters
Quetico Canoe Routes
Quetico Provincial Park - The Falls Chain Section
Quetico Provincial Park - Canoe Route #1
Videos of Quetico Canoe Route 1
Night One on McAlpine Lake, Quetico Provincial Park
Quetico Provincial Park Cache Bay Ranger Station Canada USA border
Quetico Provincial Park Beaver Float Plane out from Cache Bay
The Food Menu
Very similar to preparing for Wabakimi trips, Quetico is approximately 175 km drive from the Thunder Bay airport. Prior to flying from Toronto to Thunder Bay, the most significant planning and time, after settling on our route, was how to get 10+ days of food and all our gear on the Air Canada flight from Toronto to Thunder Bay. To accomplish this, 10+ days (breakfast, snacks, dinners) were all prepared beforehand and were dehydrated. Once this was done it all had to fit inside a 30 liter blue canoe barrel.
All of the below had to fit in the 30 liter barrel and be under 50 pounds for the flight. The food barrel can be checked in at the airport as an oversized separate checked bag. Another option we have done is packed all the food in a normal suitcase. We would then rent a food barrel from the outfitters.
Here is the dinner menu:
Spaghetti with beef
Bean and Beef Burrito
Shrimp & Sausage Jambalaya
Chilli Mac
Sheppard’s Pie
Tuna Casserole
Hawaiian Caribbean Rice Gumbo
Hungarian Goulash
Pulled Pork
Beef Stew
Breakfast:
Precooked steel cut oats packed with
Hemp seed
Flax seed
Canadian maple syrup
Coconut
Cinnamon
Dehydrated peanut butter
Fresh fruit dehydrated
Snacks included:
Homemade beef jerky in different flavours
Fresh fruit dehydrated
Homemade soups dehydrated (Split Pea Soup & French Onion)
Mac and cheese precooked and dehydrated
Baked beans with hot sauce dehydrated
Cliff Bars
Camp Quetico
Outfitters
Camp Quetico Outfitters
Camp Quetico Outfitters, is located on Highway 11 and is east of Atikokan, Ontario. They are on Eva Lake and they are very close to several Quetico Provincial Park Access points. We have used both the Stanton Bay and the Nym Lake access points from Camp Quetico. They provided a shuttle service from the camp to the access points. We have stayed at the lodge for the night before or for night after a backcountry trip. The accommodations in the cabins are fantastic and the homemade cooking is awesome. They have canoe rentals and any equipment you might require and take care of all the required park permits for you.
If you are considering a backcountry canoe trip in Quetico Provincial Park, reach out to them for assistance. I have provided a link below that takes you to their website that has all the contact information you would require.
Quetico Canoe
Route #2
Quetico Provincial Park
This canoe route was a loop that we changed on the fly as we travelled. It provided some excellent canoeing on both small and large lakes while also some small river travel. We planned on doing this route in 10 days so that we could enjoy some time to explore and to also get some fishing in. The route is below:
Flew from Toronto, Ontario, to Thunder Bay, Ontario
Rented a car in Thunder Bay and made the drive towards Atikokan, Ontario
Attended Camp Quetico Outfitters for canoe rental and overnight accommodation
Shuttled to Nym Lake Access point, Quetico Provincial Park
Batchewaung Lake
McAlpine Lake
Kasakokwog Lake
Quetico Lake (large lake - lots to explore)
Jean Lake (from Conk Lake area)
Little Jean Lake
Yeh Lake
Lonely Lake
Walter Lake
Elizabeth Lake
Jesse Lake
Marie Lake
Batchewaung Lake
Nym Lake Access point
Shuttled back to the Camp Quetico Outfitters
GPS Tracking:
Track 1 day 1 - Sept 12 - Nym Lake Access to McAlpine Lake 17.56 km 5 hr 57 min
Track 2 day 2 Sept 13 - McAlpine to Quetico Lake 18.51 km 7 hr 27 min
Track 3 day 3 Sept 14 - Quetico to Quetico Lake 11.27 km 3 hr 17 min
Track 4 day 4 Sept 15 - Quetico to Quetico Lake 14.33 km 3 hr 41 min
Track 5 day 5 Sept 16 - Quetico Lake to Little Jean Lake 16.0 km 5 hr 33 min
Track 6 day 6 Sept 17 - Little Jean Lake to Lonely Lake 11.19 km 7 hr 52 min
Track 7 day 7 Sept 18 - Lonely Lake to Jesse Lake 7.97 km 4 hr 1 min
Track 8 day 8 Sept 19 - Jesse Lake to Batchewaung Bay 11.91 km 4 hr 1 min
Track 9 day 9 Sept 20 - Batchewaung Lake to Nym Lake access 6.02 km 2 hr 5 min
Quetico Canoe Routes
Quetico Provincial Park - Quetico Lake - Pictographs on Rocks
Quetico Provincial Park
Future CANOE ROUTE #3
Quetico Canoe Routes
This canoe route has been planned but has not been attempted. We are looking at possibly this September, 2025 or 2026.
Float plane from Quetico Outfitters to Cache Bay
Head west to Swamp Lake
Monument Portage
Otterrack, knife and Speed Lakes
Sucker to Basswood Lake
Heading north to Burre and Dell Lakes
Yum Yum Lake
Kahshahpiwi Lake
Keefer and Sark Lakes
Metacryst to Baird Lake
Keats, Chatterton and Lonely Lakes
Walter, Elizabeth and Jesse Lakes
Maria Lake to Batchewaung Lake
End of trip at Nym Lake Access Point
Cache Bay to Nym Lake (2022 Fire Burn area mapped)
