Algonquin Provincial Park: Lake Opeongo Loop (8 days / 101 km)
Algonquin Park is my favourite destination. This flatwater paddle starting on Lake Opeongo encountered strong winds creating waves that can make crossing the bay dangerous, but the route gave us enough flexibility that we could wait out the worst of it. The trip offered opportunities for stargazing, fishing, swimming and a few sunny days to enjoy the a sandy beach. The portages were overall not difficult and very scenic. Whiskey Jack Lake is incredibly beautiful with clear water that has a greenish tinge. It’s one of the few green headwater lakes in the park fed from an underground spring.
Trip Completed: July 2023
Trip Summary
| Starting Point | Opeongo Lake |
| Ending Point | Opeongo Lake |
| Duration | 8 days |
| Difficulty | Intermediate |
| Total Distance | 101 km |
| Portage Distance | 16975 m |
| Number of Portages | 14 |
Traditional Territory: This route takes place on the traditional territory of the Anishinabewaki and Huron/Wendat Peoples.
Maps & Resources
Map: Official Canoe Routes Map of Algonquin Park
Canoe Route Planner: Click here to view and edit this route in the interactive canoe route planner
Permits & Reservations
Campsite Reservations: Reservations are required by lake and you can book through the Ontario Parks reservation portal.
Permits: As of 2020, Ontario Parks allows you to print permits at home.
Outfitters & Shuttles
Outfitter: Originally we drove to the start, but had to return to town on the second day and booked a water taxi from Algonquin Outfitters to get us back to the campsite.
Trip Report
Day 1: Opeongo Lake Access Point to Opeongo Lake North Arm (15.6 km)
This trip report starts with a misadventure.
I left Ottawa early on the morning of the 34th birthday, set for a trip that would bring my brother and I from Canoe Lake to Cedar Lake (via the Nipissing, connected from north of Whiskey Jack) to Opeongo.
We met at Opeongo as planned, left one vehicle, and launched from Canoe Lake. We made it to a site near the Little Otterslide portage on Burnt Island Lake. I’ll skip this portion of the trip, as it is well covered in other reports. It had been a very rainy day, but sitting under a tarp – rain pouring down – after a dinner of steak and asparagus, I realized that I forgot medication that I could not go 10 days without.
Unscheduled Day
We made a game plan to head back to Canoe Lake, call a pharmacy in Huntsville and have them transfer my prescription refill, pick it up (and grab some McDs along the way), then return to the park. We swung by the Canoe Lake office to register a new route (mapped out under the tarp the previous night) with some very sympathetic staff, and made our way to Opeongo.
So, for the continuous trip, we launched off Opeongo. We finally arrived back at 4pm, conscious of the powerful north winds. Crossing Algonquin’s largest lake in these conditions would be hellish, to say the least. We booked a water taxi from Algonquin Outfitters, which brought us to the site just across a small bay from the portage to Happy Isle Lake. The driver absolutely gunned it, and we blasted through wind, rain and waves at about 80 km/h. It took barely 10 minutes to make it to the far side of the North Arm.
Campsite: The site is a great one. Large, spacious, with numerous tent spots and open areas of sky. It came with the warning, however. Earlier in the day a party had to be evacuated after a woman slipped on wet rocks and broke her wrist. Water access was quite steep.
It is a popular site, however. Finding firewood was a chore. But we found enough to rehydrate some chicken fajitas and plan for the next morning.
We started the trip just after the new moon. The night was very dark, and the clouds had finally cleared, revealing a brilliant sky of stars, accompanied by a chorus of loon calls. We enjoyed them with the first cigars of the trip and some whisky. Bed around midnight, closing off an unexpectedly hectic day.
| Total Distance | 15.6 km |
| Time | 3.9 hours |
| Portage Distance | 0 m |
| Number of Portages | 0 |
Day 2: Opeongo Lake to Happy Isle Lake (5 km)
We woke up around 9, both feeling like the previous two days deserved a bit of a sleep in. Powerful winds out of the NW persisted; we were glad to have a site so close to the portage. The waves across the North Arm yesterday afternoon looked dangerous to cross.
Breakfast tacos and coffee to start the day, making use of the leftover tortillas and fajita sauce. First time this year doing this recipe and I added too much water that took a long while to evaporate off. Lesson learned.
We noticed the other night as we were huddled under the tarp that there were a few patches in need of some TLC. Used duct tape to patch burn holes and rip on the edge.
We were on the water at noon, crossing the bay to the portage. A dock has been built here (likely by Algonquin Outfitters for their taxi), so the landing was easy. While lashing the paddles to a handle carrier I made, my sunglasses slipped off my head and between the space between two sections of dock. Hilariously unlucky. Glad I brought a spare pair.
The 2200 m portage is an easy one, despite the length. Largely flat and clear, with a bench and canoe beam to rest about half way through. We didn’t want to be double carrying on a portage this long, so while my brother took the barrel (60-70 lbs, I’d wager), a day pack on the front, fishing kit and paddles. I took the 115L pack (45-50 lbs), canoe (40 lbs) and PFDs for a single carry. We had agreed to keep this configuration, and on the rule of thumb that all portages over 500 m should be single carried.
The sandy beach at the end of the portage was nice for a quick rest. We paddled against a stiff headwind, claiming the peninsula site on the north shore. It was a short travel day, but we didn’t mind taking it a bit easy before a big push the next day.
Campsite: The site was awesome, with a high rocky hill in the middle. Room for 3ish tents. The NW shore was very exposed to the wind, however.
We went swimming, did some laundry while we had a long, sunny afternoon ahead, and spent the afternoon reading. Enjoyed pasta for dinner. Sunset was about 8:45.
The wind died right down, so launched the canoe around sunset for some fishing, but no luck.
Called it a night around 10:30.
| Total Distance | 5 km |
| Time | 2 |
| Portage Distance | 2178 m |
| Number of Portages | 1 |
Day 3: Happy Isle Lake to Burntroot Lake (29.6 km)
We woke up at 6:30, prepared for our longest day of the trip.
The night was cool; maybe 10C. Clear morning with light winds. We made a fire to toast some bagels for breakfast.
We were on the water at 8:30, quickly reaching the 340 m portage to Merchant Lake. It was easy, if muddy. Merchant was a nice looking lake, if a bit boring. It seems very circular. Stopped at the portage to chat with a couple with their two dogs who were just coming from Big Trout.
The 1840 m portage to Big Trout includes a single steep hill that forced me to take a rest after. It wasn’t a long rest, however, as the bugs were quite bad. Unfortunately this would be a harbinger for the rest of the trip. A small turtle was there to greet us at the end of the portage.
The paddle through the marshes at the east end of Big Trout was very scenic. We stopped at an island campsite just as the route took a northward bend for a lunch of homemade jerky and babybels. Decided to take a quick, 15-minute nap after lunch as the hot day was already starting to take a toll. Back on the water within 45 minutes.
We reached the 300 m portage to Longer Lake just after 1pm. There are some cool sawn log stairs along the portage, but otherwise it’s unremarkable.
We breezed up Longer Lake. The current picks up at the north end, near a small rapid. Our map said there is poison ivy along the 40 m portage. That’s putting it mildly. There’s some portage along with the poison ivy. Tread carefully!
We crossed a small pond to the top of a rocky swift and a 25 m portage – ugh, would be a nice time to have my tougher canoe – and relaunched the canoe still in fast water. Careful footing required here.
Launched into Redpine Bay. The sites we passed by along the main route looked very nice. We regretted not booking our stay here.
We paddled around the corner that led into Burntroot Lake and continued up the east shore. We spotted a clearing on the more southern peninsula that suggested the site that shows up on the map, but couldn’t find a campsite marker. Continued up to the second peninsula site on the east shore.
Campsite: Honestly, it’s garbage. The worst site of the trip. Small, poor water access, a steep climb and slippery rocks. But it had been a long, hot day. It was now 5:00 and the sun had worn us out. We took the site anyway. The sunset was a nice consolation, at least.
Found an ample supply of very dry cedar (along with tonnes of moose scat). Rehydrated chicken vindaloo with rice and naan. Delicious and filling (a little too filling!). We called it a night at 10. Paddled/portaged around 28 km over about 9 hours.
| Total Distance | 29.6 km |
| Time | 2 |
| Portage Distance | 2545 m |
| Number of Portages | 5 |
Day 4: Burntroot Lake to Whiskey Jack Lake (7.1 km)
Up at 7:30 feeling great after a long sleep. 2 coffee sort of morning with the rest of the bagels. On the water shortly before 10.
Decent wind out of the west, forecast calling for storms. On the original itinerary we would have been paddling about 30 km along the Nipissing today, which wouldn’t have been ideal.
We were making it to Whiskey Jack Lake today, the furthest point of the trip.
It didn’t take long to paddle up the rest of Burntroot. My shoulder was a bit sore after yesterday’s paddling (didn’t do quite enough stretching), but it wouldn’t be a long day.
The 1300 m portage to Robinson was hellishly buggy. Just an abysmal experience. I would have dug out my bug jacket mid-portage, but I didn’t want to stop long enough. Instead, we just powered through as quickly as possible without stopping. Thankfully a rather easy portage.
Robinson is a nice elongated (E-W) lake with a really cool site on the west end, atop an impressive rock formation. The 75 m portage to Whiskey Jack was also very buggy.
Whiskey Jack Lake is one that I’ve been wanting to visit for years, after someone whose opinion of Algonquin I trust told me it was his favourite in the park. Its remoteness, solitude (we had it to ourselves) and hydrological characteristics make it special. It’s one of the few green headwater lakes in the park, meaning that no other lakes flow into it. Instead, it’s fed from an underground spring. From on top, the water has a slight greenish tinge, a characteristic of the high mineral content of the groundwater. The water is incredibly clear; probably the clearest I’ve ever seen in the park, despite others I’ve been on like Happy Isle, Ralph Bice, and Whitebirch sharing this characteristic.
Campsite: We checked out the three sites closest to the portage. The one on the prominent peninsula, the second site on the south shore, is clearly the best. It’s a small campsite, it would be tight to fit a second tent, but with a spectacular view of the lake, a well-constructed, throne-like fire pit, and the thunderbox high on the hill providing a great view. Home for the night!
Knowing storms were in the forecast, and a rather ominous looking sky was moving in, we got the tent and tarp up as quickly as possible. Happily, it held off for a while yet. Some thoughtful campers left an abundance of firewood, so we didn’t spend as much time searching as previous nights, but certainly didn’t want to leave the site with none when we left.
Lunch of summer sausage, babybels and mustard on wraps. Afterwards, while my brother went for a nap, I read, drank a coffee, and even composed a poem about the lake. A friend of mine has been rubbing off on me, apparently.
Had been hearing loud crashes of thunder for a while, and all of a sudden the wind shifted dramatically from the west to the north. I tried to adjust the tarp to better accommodate a north wind, but could hear a wall of rain heading our way and got caught in it before the tarp was better situated. Had a bit of a laugh at the experience, and then rode out the rest of the storm under the tarp. The rain didn’t last long, but the thunder was very persistent.
Once the storm had passed, I took out the canoe to explore the other sites and try my luck (what luck?) fishing. The third site on the south side is probably the largest if you have multiple tents, but it reinforced my conclusion that our site was the best on the lake. I found an interesting cast iron stove door on this site. Based on what I could find online about Findlay Bros, this stove was likely manufactured between 1890 (after the founder, the brother’s father died) and 1932, when the name was changed to Findlay Limited. I wondered about why it was here, whether there used to be a ranger’s cabin nearby, or a logging camp, but couldn’t find any information online. The site on the west end is rather abysmal. 30 minutes of fishing left me with nothing but wet lures, despite this being ideal trout habitat. My brother similarly had no luck.
Multiple more storms rolled by us, either just to the north or south. Periodic light showers, but no more intense dumps.
Enjoyed cigars before dinner with the last of the first wine skin full of whisky. Had to have a nip out of the second, as it was carrying Gray Jay – another name for the WhiskyJack.
Pot pie for dinner. The sky completely cleared and the wind died down, so we took down the tarp to enjoy the stars. Bed around 11.
| Total Distance | 7 km |
| Time | 2.7 hours |
| Portage Distance | 1401 m |
| Number of Portages | 2 |
Day 5: Whiskey Jack Lake to Hogan Lake (24.8 km)
Up at 6:30. Woke to a calm, cool, misty morning. Just gorgeous. Oatmeal for breakfast and on the water for 8ish.
The short portage (75 m) was once again a morass of mosquitos and blackflies. Not a great sign. We were chased a ways down Robinson by stubborn ankle-biters. The rocky, western site on Robinson also looked very good from this approach.
It was already turning into another hot, humid day, but the bug jackets were well worth it for the 1300 m Robinson-Burntroot portage. Far more enjoyable than the sprint-like traversing it the previous day.
A float plane touched down on Burntroot just as we were launching, back in the bay that leads to Perley Lake. As we were cross the lake back towards Redpine Bay, it took off right on top of us. The pontoons were maybe 40 feet above our heads. Fun experience.
At the south end of Burntroot we met 2 paddlers that were doing the Brent Run. They started at 11 the previous night and were now about 11 hours in. Feeling tired but enjoying it. We wished them well.
There are two nice looking sites on the east shore of Redpine Bay.
We donned our bug jackets for the 735 m portage to Lake la Muir. It was well worth it, save that I left the lower portions of my zip-off pants off. Turns out that was a mistake. A bee or wasp of some sort stung me painfully in the calf. I took some Benadryl at the end of the portage, but the area was sore and swollen for the rest of the day. The 735 m portage starts with a fairly steep climb, but for the most part it is a gentle downhill angle. Not terribly difficult.
We stopped at a nice site on La Muir (I think it was the second on the north short, but could have been the first) for a lunch of peanut butter and dehydrated apple wraps with coffee. Back on the water by 12:30.
The main body of la Muir is a somewhat boring lake, wide and long without many interesting features aside from the tall hill behind the west shore. It kind of reminded me of Smoke Lake, without the cottages. Things changed when we went through the small gap into the bay on the east side of the lake. There was a raptor’s nest on an island in the middle of the bay (I think it was an osprey), several herons and many hawks around. Best wildlife viewing area of the trip.
A current picks up nearing the 670 m portage to Hogan Lake. There’s a large dock and boardwalk to land on, which is a nice touch. Our map noted this is a buggy portage, and he wasn’t kidding. An old logging road intersects the portage. Turn right and keep by the sound of current. Otherwise an easy portage.
Launched into marshlands that felt like they went on forever, especially as the day got hotter, more humid and hazy (we wondered if smoke from the fires in Quebec had made their way back to us). Met a group in 3 canoes who were very ready to make it over to the portage to their site on la Muir. Dressed mostly in bikinis and swim trunks, we warned them of the buggy conditions ahead.
We explored the three westernmost sites (or at least tried to; we didn’t manage to find the first mainland one). The site on the eastern side of the island had plenty of amenities – tables, clothesline, firewood under a tarp, bushcraft chair, but it was more closed in and buggy. After the day’s portages, we wanted some open conditions.
Campsite: The site on the western side of the island is where we ended up, somewhere around 3. There’s a wide beach to land at, and a great set of built-in wood stairs to climb to access the site.
The site was clearly the source of a recent, sizable forest fire that swept along the south shore. Based on the abundance of bushes, shrubs and fireweed that had sprouted up, I assumed it was in the past few years, and a 2018 All of Algonquin trip report that shows the site intact verified my guess. We decided to stick with it.
Thanks to the fire, there was no shortage of wood available. The thunderbox is down a path at the back that’s somewhat choked with new growth. The swimming was excellent (and very much needed after a hot, about 27 km a day with multiple buggy portages), and did some needed laundry.
The wind really picked up around 5. Glad we weren’t on the water.
Ate pork pad Thai (our only shore-bought dehydrated meal) while watching a gorgeous sunset. Unfortunately, the bugs emerged shortly after sunset and stayed bad all night. They drove us into the tent around 10:30.
| Total Distance | 24.8 km |
| Time | 8.1 hours |
| Portage Distance | 2818 m |
| Number of Portages | 4 |
Day 6: Hogan Lake to Big Crow Lake (8.3 km)
Up at 7:45, the previous long day had worn us out. Woke up to find my ankle and foot had swollen quite significantly and were slightly warm to the touch, but weren’t painful. Decided to keep an eye on it but not let it delay us. Checking the weather, we saw that later in the day was calling for gusts over 45 km/hour. We had oatmeal and coffee and got on the water by 10.
The 3750 m portage from Hogan to Big Crow was by far the longest of the trip, of course coinciding with a very hot, humid, hazy day. We expected the bugs to the terrible, and they didn’t disappoint. The hills around the lake were draped in haze, and we both had slightly scratchy throats, reinforcing the idea that wildfire smoke had swept in again.
The portage starts with a steep climb. It was brutally hot in the bug gear, and with the poor air quality I found I needed a rest by the time I made it to the top. Aside from the hill, the portage isn’t too bad, just long. The heat, bugs and air quality wore me down more than the terrain. The whole portage seemed alive with buzzing. Ended up needing 4 short breaks along the way. I noticed one spot intended to rest your canoe across an installed bar near the halfway marker, but it had broken down the middle.
Where the portage is intersected by the 6750 m cart trail, it is very clear to distinguish what route to stay on.
Campsite: By the time we made it onto Big Crow the wind was blowing very hard. Didn’t love the sites on the western shore, so we fought our way down the lake and crossed the SW corner bay, staying on the westernmost site on the lake, which we reached around 1. It’s a large spacious site with a distinct area between the fire pit and tent sites. There’s room for 4 or more tents. Thankfully the site was well sheltered from the wind, and not buggy.
I was feeling the previous day’s long paddle in my shoulder as we were battling the strong headwind, so I didn’t mind the short paddle day. Once the tent and tarp were up, we had summer sausage and cheese wraps with coffee for lunch, then I laid down for a nap.
With a long stretch of afternoon ahead of us and poor weather, I taught my brother to play Tak. It’s a wonderful game inspired by my favourite book series; a bit of a cross between Go and Chess. He was a quick learner, and we enjoyed a number of games throughout the afternoon and evening.
A couple of groups paddled down the lake, clearly having trouble against the wind. The group of 2 canoes that took the site across the bay from us looked on the verse of tipping when trying to turn. We realized that we really hadn’t seen many people on this trip, outside of the always-nutty Canoe-Burnt Island corridor.
My brother collected a generous amount of firewood, leaving me to rest my swollen ankle. Apparently, there’s quite the stash on top of a large hill/cliff heading towards Little Crow. I got to work sawing the wood as he dropped it. The work to get everything prepped for the evening early paid off, as a storm rolled in around 6. We stayed warm and dry under the tarp with a fire blazing.
Enjoyed another night of pasta for dinner, followed by the best quality cigars of the trip and a generous pour of whisky. Bed around midnight.
| Total Distance | 8.3 km |
| Time | 3.5 hours |
| Portage Distance | 3750 m |
| Number of Portages | 1 |
Day 7: Big Crow Lake to Opeongo Lake (16.9 km)
Up at 7:15. A lot of rain overnight, but we stayed dry.
The forecast is calling for a hot, dry day with light NE winds, with stormy conditions the following day. Good motivation to make progress up Opeongo.
We got a fire going and I made jalapeno parmesan corn bread. I tried a similar recipe on a long trip last year, but it turned out very dry. This year’s try was excellent and a very satisfying way to start the day. On the water by 10:30.
We quickly crossed Little Crow and entered the Crow River, which took about an hour to get through. The lily pads at the mouth of the river are surprisingly intact for the amount of travel this route must see. Unfortunately, no moose to be seen, but lots of birds.
On Proulx Lake we overtook a group of 9 in three 3-person canoes that had paddled by our campsite while the corn bread was still cooking. I really love the speed of the H2O’s Paramount 16.6 asymmetrical design canoe.
We made it to the portage to Opeongo around noon. There was a large group (likely a camp) getting themselves organized. We took a water/snack break to give them a head start.
This portage has a 1400 m option, or a 1000 m option, followed by a 200 m paddle, followed by another 200 m of portaging. The loading/unloading seemed like entirely too much work, and we decided to stick with the portage the whole way. The first 1000 m is a wide, flat cart trail, while the last 400 m climbs over a large hill. Seems we were the only ones taking this option, as we overtook several groups getting loaded for the short paddle. My still-swollen ankle held up well.
We paddled down the eastern short of Opeongo’s North Arm, taking the site in the SE corner before the narrows. It was one of my favourites of the trip. It’s large and open, with great sunny rocks to sit on. Multiple excellent swimming locations and space for many tents.
Unfortunately, it’s clearly a popular site, and the fire pit was badly abused and absolutely packed with burnt aluminium. I cleaned it out and packed up the garbage to take out with us.
By now the sun was out and the temperature soared. Enjoyed some great swimming and read on the rocks to (slowly) dry off, jumping back into the water multiple times.
The woods behind the site were very picked over, so we paddled across the bay to find a spot to collect firewood, which didn’t take long. Some Tak during the afternoon, and fajitas for dinner.
We enjoyed our last cigars and the last of the whisky as we watched a brilliant sunset dip across the far side of Opeongo’s North Arm. My brother constructed a hilarious interpretation of a selfie stick with a long branch and fishing line. We were feeling very triumphant at this point. With a brilliant set of stars overhead I stayed up late enough to collect some shots, then called it a night around 11. We both had long drives ahead of us the next day.
| Total Distance | 16.9 km |
| Time | 5.4 hour |
| Portage Distance | 1350 m |
| Number of Portages | 1 |
Day 8: Opeongo Lake to Lake Opeongo (10.7 km)
Up at 6:30. We got a fire going and enjoyed breakfast tacos. Packed up camp and were on the water a little after 8. The forecast suggested rain would start around 11, with strong storms blowing through in the afternoon.
There was a decent wind coming out of the south, which we were happy to accept compared to the prospect of a stiff crosswind. We meandered through the islands near the narrows, then cut due south to the south shore across Graham Bay. We tracked close to the shore, noticing that one of the sites along at the top of the “thumb” of the hand-looking peninsula had a great rope swing hanging out into the lake. We stopped to explore the site. It has four distinct levels and is one of the most interesting I’ve come across in the park.
The rest of the paddle back to the launch point was uneventful, save the sheer magnitude of people. Almost every campsite was occupied, and boats (personal and water taxis operated by Algonquin Outfitters) were frequently flying by. We had clearly passed the solitude portions of the trip.
We made it to the launch around 10:30, thinking that 2 hours to cover that expanse with a headwind was an excellent speed. Including the day before, it took us about 3 hours to cross the full N-S extent of Opeongo, with added detours to our site and keeping favourable wind directions.
The rain started just after 11, just as we had finished separating and loading gear. We got a bit wet loading the canoe onto my car, but considered it great timing to miss another thorough drenching.
My brother departed for SW Ontario, looking forward to taking his kid for ice cream, while I made my way to Cobden. After a trip of this length, I was craving a meal from Whitewater Brewing, and indulged in crispy chicken tenders with a chipotle sauce, poutine and a stout. After that, it was short, coffee-fueled drive back to Ottawa and the process of drying out my gear.
| Total Distance | 10.7 km |
| Time | 3 hours |
| Portage Distance | 0 m |
| Number of Portages | 0 |
Menu
| Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | Destination |
|---|---|---|---|
| Road breakfast | Sandwiches | Steak and potatoes | Burnt Island |
| Loaded oatmeal: powdered peanut butter, powdered milk and dried cranberries | McDonalds | Fajitas | Opeongo |
| Breakfast tacos | Fried bread | Paste with ground beef | Happy Isle |
| Bagels with peanut butter | Jerky and cheese | Chicken vindaloo | Burntroot |
| Bagels with peanut butter | Summer sausage and cheese wraps | Pot pie | Whiskey Jack |
| Loaded oatmeal | Peanut butter and apple wraps | Pork Pad Thai | Hogan |
| Loaded oatmeal | Wraps and summer sausage | Pasta | Big Crow |
| Corn bread | Jerky and cheese | Fajitas | Opeongo |
| Breakfast taco | Road lunch | ||
| Extras | Instant soup | Instant noodles | |
| Instant rice | Instant noodles |
Author Bio
I’m a climate change specialist by vocation and a backcountry camper by obsession. Algonquin Park is my favourite destination, but you’ll often find me paddling the lakes and rivers around Ottawa. I’m mostly a flatwater paddler, but am building up to more challenging northern whitewater rivers. I’ve been tracking all the lakes I’ve visited in Algonquin for years (with the caveats that I must paddle or hike to them to count them). At the start of the pandemic, I set a goal of getting to 100 different lakes visited. On this trip, I blew past that threshold, reaching a new total of 107.