Algonquin: Magnetawan to Misty Loop (4 days / 46 km)
Algonquin Provincial Park provides an iconic backcountry experience in Ontario. While the park offers plenty of front country camping experiences, its true essence is in the backcountry with its classic terrain of inland lakes, rivers and streams to explore in its 7,725 square kilometres.
Magnetawan Access Point on the west side of the park boundaries and away from the busy Highway 60 corridor, which allows for a quieter experience while accessing the park. It’s about a 1-hour 15-minute drive northeast of Huntsville, ON. For gear rentals and purchases, Algonquin Basecamp is an outfitter located in Kearney, ON, which is along the way to Magenatwan and is where we rented our canoe.
Trip Completed: August 2025
Trip Summary
| Starting Point | Magnetawan Access Point |
| Ending Point | Magetawan Access Point |
| Duration | 4 days / 3 nights (including 1 rest day) |
| Difficulty | Beginner |
| Total Distance | 46 km |
| Portaging Distance | 6.6 km |
| Number of Portages | 12 |
Location: Algonquin Provincial Park
Traditional Territory: This route takes place on the traditional territory of the Anishinabewaki and Huron/Wendat Peoples.
Maps & Resources
Guidebook: No guidebook used
Maps Used: Jeff’s Maps, West Algonquin
Interactive Map: Click here to view and modify this route using the interactive Canoe Route Planner
Permits & Reservations
Campsite Reservations: Reservations are required for each lake that you are staying on, and each lake has a maximum number of sites. Specific sites are not booked, and each lake is first-come, first-served to secure your spot. Reservations can be made on the Ontario Parks website, found here: Ontario Parks Reservation System
Permits: There is no need to pick up permits, but it’s recommended to carry a copy (electronic or paper) with you during your trip. You can print or simply have a copy on your personal device before heading into the park. If leaving a vehicle at the access point parking lot, that will also need to be registered within your online reservation.
Know Before You Go
Season: This route would be suitable from the Spring through the Fall.
Cell Reception: No cell service. We did a test connecting our iPhones to the satellite for emergency purposes and managed to send/receive a text message back home. Research ahead of time and ensure your device has capabilities, and you understand how to connect, before relying on this as a means of emergency communications.
Water: Plenty of access to water with using your personal water filtration/purification method(s).
Wildlife: Wildlife is abundant in Algonquin Park. Some of the more exciting wildlife include Black Bears, the Eastern Algonquin Wolf, Beavers, Moose, Loons and a variety of other mammals, waterfowl and birds.
Waste: Each campsite has access to a thunderbox. Other than that, pack out what you bring in.
Outfitters & Shuttles
Outfitter: We used a local outfitter for our canoe rental – Algonquin Basecamp in Kearney, which is approximately a 30-minute drive north of Huntsville, ON. They also rent all backcountry gear if you do not have your own. They have quality gear and are excellent to deal with. They also supply camp gear, fuel, food, etc, for purchase for any of your last-minute needs. They provide canoe delivery to Rain, Magnetawan, and Tim River access points for a fee.
Trip Report
Day 1: Magetawan Access Point to Queer Lake (11.5 km)
As we usually do, we travelled up into the area the night before the trip. We stayed approximately 45 minutes south of Kearney in Bracebridge. After some breakfast and a last-minute gear check, we got our coffees and headed north to the outfitters.
Driving from the outfitters to Magetawan Access Point is approximately a 45-minute drive on both paved and gravel/dirt roads. A good portion of the drive is on dirt logging roads, which can be rutted and narrow. Use caution when driving and watch for wildlife. There are 3 parking lot zones at the access point, washroom facilities and an area to temporarily park and off/on load gear and canoes. The outfitter will allow you to either transport your canoe from the shop or have one delivered/ready at the access point for a fee.
After loading our canoe and setting off around 10:30 am, we had a short 10-minute paddle through Magnetawan Lake to the first portage of the day. We planned to single carry all the portages for the day to cut down some of the travel time. One of us carried the canoe pack and canoe while the other carried the food barrel, day pack, along with oars, fishing rod and PFDs strapped to the food barrel. At the end of the short and easy 130m portage, we arrived at Hambone Lake. Hambone has 3 campsites on it, and with fairly easy access; you do see a number of families and first-time trippers accessing these sites.
A short 20-minute paddle through Hambone led us to our second portage of 290m and into Ralph Bice Lake. Ralph Bice is a larger lake (6km from end to end) that can experience some wind and waves. There are 20 campsites on Ralph Bice Lake, and it’s a fairly popular lake due to its easy access. Generally, heading from West to East on this lake allows for a downwind paddle.
After around a 1h 15min paddle, we stopped for some lunch at the start of the third portage of 450m into Little Trout Lake. After an easy 30-minute paddle past the 11 campsites on Little Trout and a short 180m portage, we finally arrived at our first lake, Queer Lake. As we entered Queer, there was a distinct difference in the quietness and fewer people. We only saw one other group on the lake.
Daily Portage Summary:
| Magetawan Lake to Hambone Lake | 130m | Gradual slope up and back down |
| Hambone Lake to Ralph Bice Lake | 290m | Gradual slope up and back down |
| Ralph Bice Lake to Little Trout Lake | 450m | Gradual slope up and back down |
| Little Trout Lake to Queer Lake | 180m | Gradual slope up and back down |
Campsite: Of the 12 campsites on Queer Lake, we had 3 campsites that we were targeting and managed to find our second priority site on the point of the lower eastern peninsula. Arriving around mid-afternoon, the site had a nice and easy rock landing for unloading and swimming. The site was spacious and could easily hold 2 tents with space for a tarp shelter if needed. After setting up camp and attending to camp chores of finding an appropriate food barrel hang location, processing firewood, getting our gravity-fed water filter set up, etc, we went for a swim and had plenty of time to relax.
Our first night dinner is usually steak and baked potatoes over the fire, and this trip was no different. After dinner, we cleaned up and settled in for an amazing sunset on the shoreline while being serenaded by the sounds of the loon calls. As the sun set, we relaxed by the fire and closed out the day before calling it a night and heading into the tent.
I would rate this campsite as good. It has an excellent landing area, lots of space and a south-western sunset exposure.
Day 1 Summary:
| Total Distance | 13.1 km |
| Portaging Distance | 1.1 km |
| Number of Portages | 4 |
| Campsite Reservation | Reservation by Lake – Queer Lake |
Day 2: Queer Lake to Misty Lake (12.4km)
After a leisurely breakfast, we packed up and left camp mid-morning. We had a short paddle of 500m or so to the first of 2 portages for the day.
Portage from Queer Lake to Little Misty Lake (2420 m): The first one was a longer portage of 2410m. We decided to continue with our approach of single carries, but would take breaks as needed. The portage was fairly straightforward with a mix of some muddy, rocky and elevated boardwalk sections. We ended up taking 4 breaks during the portage and managed to complete it in 1.5 hrs. After taking a break and having a snack, we loaded up the canoe and headed out into Little Misty Lake.
Little Misty is just as it sounds, a small and narrow lake in which the Petawawa River flows through with only one campsite on the lake. After a short paddle, we arrived at the second and last portage of the day.
Portage from Little Misty Lake to Misty Lake (950 m): The portage was fairly typical except for 2 steep descending sections towards the end. We took a break at the mid-point of the portage before arriving at the western bay of Misty Lake. The bay was a typical marshy Algonquin vista as we paddled through the lily pads and into the main body of Misty Lake. Misty Lake is a medium-sized lake in the park, and we experienced some side winds that we needed to tack against. We continued paddling, heading east to find our site.
Daily Portage Summary:
| Queer Lake to Little Misty Lake | 2410m | Long portage with a mix of mud, rock and elevated boards over creeks. There are 3 sections of up and down that will test your legs if you have heavy loads. |
| Little Misty Lake to Misty Lake | 950m | Moderate portage with 2 steep descending areas towards the end of the portage. |
Campsite: We had a site in mind that we were hoping to get but had to paddle through most of the lake to get there. The site is often referred to as #9 in some reviews, and it did not disappoint. The site has a southern exposure and is along the narrows at the east end of the lake, just past the island with 3 sites. The site has an easy landing / unloading area with the canoe. With its massive rock perimeter, there are 2 distinct areas on the water that you can enjoy sitting, swimming or stargazing. The interior of the site is protected from the water by trees and has enough space for 2 tents and a tarp shelter if needed.
A path leading to the thunderbox has ample food barrel hanging locations that are far enough away from the main camp. The views from the waterfront were amazing, watching other paddlers pass by, moose crossing the narrows, and the opportunity for viewing both sunrise and sunset was unmatched. I would rate this site as amazing and highly recommended if you are able to get it. I had a moose sighting at the thunderbox, and I think both the moose and I were trying to do the same thing……a large bull moose was about 20 feet in front of me through the brush, and I didn’t even notice him until I sat down. After exchanging some glances, I quietly left and allowed him to move on.
Day 2 Summary:
| Total Distance | 12.4 km |
| Portaging Distance | 3.4 km |
| Number of Portages | 2 |
| Campsite Reservation | Reservation by Lake – Misty Lake |
Day 3: Relaxing Day on Misty Lake
Given we had a short time to camp this year, we decided to stay on Misty for 2 nights and enjoy some paddling, relaxing and swimming. The weather was amazing for both days on Misty Lake. We went for a morning paddle east towards the end of the lake and looped around and returned for lunch. After dinner, we went for an evening paddle in the other direction, exploring some of the bays and old Ranger Cabin ruins that were marked on Jeff’s Maps. The final day/night is always bittersweet, reflecting on the amazing time in the park but also realizing our time is coming near an end. We stayed up later, enjoying the fire, talking and going over our plans for the following day.
Day 4: Misty Lake to Magetawan Access Point (20.4 km)
After waking to another amazing sunrise over the narrows of Misty Lake, we took our time and enjoyed breakfast and coffee on the waterfront. It was then time to pack up camp, load the canoe and start our journey back to the access point. We had calm waters as we paddled west towards the end of Misty Lake and to our first portage. It was the same 950 m portage into Little Misty that we had on day 2. The late descents on this portage coming into Misty turned into early steeper ascents as we headed back west on the trail.
Arriving back into Little Misty Lake, we took our time and had a leisurely paddle heading towards the mouth of the Petawawa River. The Petawawa flows from west to east, but is a gentle flowing river, which is more of a larger creek than a river from my perspective. The meandering river flows through beautiful marshes, lily pads and of course, beaver dams. We encountered 9 dams through the river section. Two of the dams had openings and we were able to navigate through them, 2 of them we were able to scoot over and the remaining 5 involved getting out, standing on them and pulling the canoe over. Totally manageable and somewhat enjoyable, adding to the adventure.
The river section is approximately 5.5km with two small portages of 430m and 130m around some falls sections. At the mouth of the river, we entered the east end of Daisy Lake. Daisy is a narrow lake which provides a scenic paddle along the shores, as you pass the 7 campsites on the lake, and some rock face edges along the 4km paddle heading west. As we approached the end of the lake, we turned north towards the 410m portage into Acme Lake (also known and marked as “The Pond” which more closely reflects the body of water). At the end of the lake is a very short portage of 50m to access Hambone Lake.
At this point, we are nearing the end with just a couple of kilometres remaining to reach Magnetawan Access Point, including the final 130 m portage. As we approached the dock, the area was very busy. It was late afternoon, and many others were either packing out or heading into the park. After a quick unload, my son stayed with our gear while I went to the parking area and brought the truck down to load our gear. We then headed back towards the outfitter to return our canoe gear. We were staying in Huntsville that night, so we headed to the hotel, had a well-deserved hot shower and then headed into town for some drinks and dinner and to reminisce on our trip and discuss plans for the annual father-son canoe trip the following season.
Daily Portage Summary:
| Big Misty Lake to Little Misty Lake | 950m | Moderate portage with steep ascending areas at the beginning of the portage |
| Petawawa River Portage #1 | 430m | Gradual slope up and back down |
| Petawawa River Portage # | 130m | Gradual slope up and back down with a couple of steeper sections at the midpoint |
| Daisy Lake to Acme Lake | 420m | Gradual slope up and back down |
| Acme Lake to Hambone Lake | 50m | Gradual slope up and back down |
| Hambone Lake to Magnetawan Lake | 130m | Gradual slope up and back down |
Day 4 Summary:
| Total Distance | 20.4 km |
| Portaging Distance | 2.1 km |
| Number of Portages | 6 |
| Campsite Reservation | Return to Magnetawan Access Point |
Reflections
For my son and me, this was our third backcountry canoe trip in Algonquin and our first that was away from the busier Highway 60 access points. We have frontcountry tent camped for over 10 years and started backcountry camping after he left for university. This was also our first year having all of our own gear with the exception of the canoe, which made the trip more exciting and personal.
Reflecting back, our approach to single carry seemed to work well for us. We are both physically strong and able to carry the weight of our packs and canoe through the various terrains of the portages. If I were alone or not quite as strong, I would definitely double carry most of them, especially the longer ones.
Highlights include the amazing sunrises and sunsets, swimming, campfires and of course my thunderbox moose sighting (note – I will now always take my phone to the thunderbox to capture these rare opportunities).
The Petawawa is a beautiful paddle. We were paddling upstream, but the current is really negligible other than the beaver dam crossings.
If you’re a beginner to intermediate backcountry canoe tripper and only have 3-4 days, I would highly recommend this route. For those who might be newer and less adventurous, I would recommend staying on with Ralph Bice Lake or Daisy Lake to test the waters of Algonquin backcountry canoe tripping.
Will we be back? I would absolutely consider Magnetawan Access Point again at some point. Likely not in the near future, as we are working our way through the park with a goal of tripping from all of the 29 designated access points.
Author Bio
As a fairly new backcountry canoe tripper, I am definitely hooked with my third season in the books. Having recently retired, I am starting to plan more trips, including solo trips and more remote wilderness parks, to advance my skills and build a solid foundation to expand from. My wife and I typically camp in our 5th wheel, travelling around North America, but she has also dipped her toes in the water this summer with her first backcountry canoe trip in Frontenac Provincial Park.
Instagram: @teebs1968
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