| Starting Lake | Ending Lake | Distance (m) | Commentary | Season | Photos | Report Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magnetawan Lake | Hambone Lake | 130 | Super short and easy portage. Gradual slope up and back down. | August 2025 | Trip Report | |
| Hambone Lake | Ralph Brice Lake | 290 | Gradual slope up and back down | August 2025 | Trip Report | |
| Ralph Brice Lake | Little Trout Lake | 450 | Gradual slope up and back down | August 2025 | Trip Report | |
| Little Trout Lake | Queer Lake | 180 | Gradual slope up and back down | August 2025 | Trip Report | |
| Queer Lake | Little Misty Lake | 2420 | 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. | August 2025 | Trip Report | |
| Little Misty Lake | Misty Lake | 950 | 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. | August 2025 | Trip Report | |
| Misty Lake | Little Misty Lake | 950 | Moderate portage with steep ascending areas at the beginning of the portage | August 2025 | Trip Report | |
| Daisy Lake | Acme Lake | 420 | Gradual slope up and back down | August 2025 | Trip Report | |
| Acme Lake | Hambone Lake | 50 | Gradual slope up and back down | August 2025 | Trip Report | |
| Hambone Lake | Magnetawan Lake | 130 | Gradual slope up and back down | August 2025 | Trip Report | |
| Farm Lake | Bridle Lake | 760 | The landing for the portage is small. Fitting more than two canoes would be tight, but there’s an open grass patch just beyond. I pulled my canoe and gear up and heard the buzzing. On this hot, sunny, early July day, the forest was positively hazy with mosquitoes. I sprayed on a bunch of bug spray, picked up my backpack and canoe, and carried the first load at a quick pace. The portage rises slightly but consistently straight through to Bridle, but at no point is it steep enough to wind you. Even loaded down it took under 10 minutes to reach the next lake. I deposited the canoe and went back for my barrel and paddle. Within 30 minutes of pulling up to the start of the portage, I had launched on Bridle, slick with sweat, Deet, and feeling like I had been pricked by a hundred bites. | July 2025 | Trip Report | |
| Bridle Lake | Shirley Lake | 1320 | It begins with a slight hill, but aside from that and a wet, muddy section about halfway along, I’m really struggling to remember specific details. It was once again extremely buggy, and I decided to wear my fleece to protect my arms and sides, and I was sweating hard as a result. But otherwise, aside from being long-ish, there’s nothing stands out about this portage. The double carry, plus loading/unloading, probably took me about an hour. | July 2025 | Trip Report | |
| Shirley Lake | Crotch Lake | 1030 | This is another longish portage with nothing particularly memorable about it. As expected, I was drenched in sweat due to the heat and layers, and the bugs were noxious in their intensity. But for all that, it’s a level, fairly wide, easy portage. On the way back, I took a quick bushwhack detour to look at Owaissa Lake, essentially a pond with muddy shores, but some very cool driftwood. The bush to access this lake is thick, and there are no trails, so be careful not to lose your way. The portage took me about an hour, including the detour. | July 2025 | Trip Report | |
| Magnetawan Lake | Hambone Lake | 130 | July 2023 | Trip Report | ||
| Hambone Lake | Ralph Brice Lake | 290 | July 2023 | Trip Report | ||
| Ralph Brice Lake | Little Trout Lake | 450 | July 2023 | Trip Report | ||
| Little Trout Lake | Queer Lake | 180 | July 2023 | Trip Report | ||
| Rosebary Lake | Floating Heart Lake | 370 | Nice and short portage, very easy to follow. | May 2024 | Trip Report | |
| Floating Heart Lake | Latour Creek | 1320 | This portage is pretty straight forward, but in the early spring, the trails were quite damp in some areas. | May 2024 | Trip Report | |
| Latour Creek | Loontail Creek | 810 | May 2024 | Trip Report | ||
| Loontail Creek | Nipissing River | 360 | May 2024 | Trip Report | ||
| Nipissing River (around Allen Rapids) | Nipissing River (around Allen Rapids) | 2140 | This was a long one with a couple of hilly areas so we decided to double-carry to save our backs. We ended up carrying our bags to the end of the portage, which got a little bit soggy/marshy near the end and after assessing the depth of water we decided to carry our canoe to the campsite that is 3/4 of the way across the portage and attempt to ride the shallow swifts to our bags. | May 2024 | Trip Report | |
| Nipissing River (around High Falls) | Nipissing River (around High Falls) | 1290 | There is one section that had some poor footing at the start of the descent. We double-carried this portage and took in the view of the falls on the way back to grab the rest of our stuff. If you didn’t have to lug your gear across, this would be a very beautiful walk with great views of the falls. | May 2024 | Trip Report | |
| Nipissing River (downriver to High Falls) | Nipissing River (downriver to High Falls) | 840 | This was another hilly portage, but other than that, it was straightforward since it was mainly downhill. After a quick lunch and some rest, we were glad for no more portages and some time in the canoe. | May 2024 | Trip Report | |
| Nipissing River | Cedar Lake | 930 | May 2024 | Trip Report | ||
| Kioshkokwi Lake | Maple Creek | 890 | Gradual incline | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Maple Creek | 190 | Slight incline | October 2023 | Trip Report | ||
| Maple Creek | 120 | Slight incline | October 2023 | Trip Report | ||
| Maple Creek | 600 | Slight incline | October 2023 | Trip Report | ||
| Maple Creek | 800 | Steep uphill for 100 m | October 2023 | Trip Report | ||
| Maple Creek | 100 | Slight incline | October 2023 | Trip Report | ||
| Maple Creek | 170 | Slight incline | October 2023 | Trip Report | ||
| Erables Lake | Maple Creek | 640 | Undulating | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Maple Creek | Maple Creek | 70 | Relatively flat | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Maple Creek | Skuce Creek | 710 | Steep for 160 m then relatively flat | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Skuce Creek | Little Nadine Lake | 450 | Steep for 80 m at both ends | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Little Nadine Lake | Little Osler Lake | 1010 | Heart Attack Hill, steep uphill 500 m, steep downhill 200 m | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Little Osler Lake | Osler Lake | 710 | Steady uphill incline | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Osler Lake | Nadine Lake | 1820 | Steady uphill for 1000 m, downhill 800 m | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Nadine Lake | Nipissing River | 1430 | Steady downhill | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Nipissing River | Remona Lake | 1930 | Steady uphill for the whole portage | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Remona Lake | Whiskeyjack Lake | 435 | Relatively flat | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Whiskeyjack Lake | Robinson Lake | 75 | Slight downhill for 100 m and then flat | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Robinson Lake | Burntroot Lake | 1285 | Slight uphill for the whole portage | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Burntroot Lake | Burntroot Lake | 75 | Relatively flat | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Burntroot Lake | Longer Lake | 40 | Rocky take out | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Longer Lake | Big Trout Lake | 300 | Relatively flat | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Big Trout Lake | Merchant Lake | 1820 | Uphill for the first 900 m and then flat | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Merchant Lake | Happy Isle Lake | 340 | Relatively flat | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Happy Isle Lake | Opeongo Lake | 2235 | Slight downhill, several areas had very soft footing | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Opeongo Lake | Sproule Lake | 3450 | Steady downhill for 3390 m; more than 30 trees down across the portage, poorly maintained | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Sproule Lake | Sunday Lake | 480 | Slight downhill, several areas had very soft footing | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Sunday Lake | Little Rock Lake | 640 | Slightly steep uphill for 140 m | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Little Rock Lake | Pond Lake | 520 | Steady downhill for 520 m | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Pond Lake | Kearney Lake | 900 | Slight downhill for 900 m, overgrown in places | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Kearney Lake | Whitefish Lake | 1150 | Relatively flat, mostly road walk | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Rock Lake | Pen Lake | 380 | Slight uphill | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Pen Lake | Clydegale Lake | 270 | Slight uphill | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Madawaska River | Madawaska River | 1360 | Relatively flat, in several locations very soft footing and overgrown | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Madawaska River | Madawaska River | 300 | Relatively flat, some soft footing and slightly overgrown | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Madawaska River | Cauliflower Creek | 1480 | Relatively flat, overgrown in places | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Cauliflower Creek | Cauliflower Creek | 2300 | Road walk | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Cauliflower Creek | Cauliflower Lake | 1350 | Relatively flat, overgrown in places | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Cauliflower Lake | Hay Creek | 970 | Relatively flat, overgrown in places | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Hay Creek | Hay Creek | 770 | Slight uphill | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Little Hay Lake | Longer Lake | 1170 | Relatively flat, in several locations very soft footing and overgrown with no obvious trail in places | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Little Longer Lake | Hay Creek | 750 | Slightly downhill, poorly maintained, some bushwacking | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Hay Creek | Little Branch Lake | 260 | Relatively flat, partially flooded, 10 m of paddling in middle of portage | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Little Branch Lake | Billings Lake | 2190 | Relatively flat, overgrown in places | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Billings Lake | Little Billings Lake | 30 | Relatively flat, well maintained | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Little Billings Lake | York River | 2000 | Long but well maintained | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| York River | York River | 130 | Gradual decline | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| York River | York River | 130 | Gradual decline, portage goes around small waterfall | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| York River | York River | 310 | Small climb and then descent, portage goes around Gut Rapids | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| York River | York River | 450 | Rocky, some up and down, portage goes around High Falls | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| York River | York River | 300 | Relatively flat, portage goes about small chute | October 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Amable du Fond | Amable du Fond | 70 | Well travelled, easy and short portage. | June 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Amable du Fond | North Tea Lake | 280 | This portage is pretty well-travelled and offer a relatively easy passage. It’s worth noting that crossing the second portage officially brings you into the boundaries of Algonquin Provincial Park. | June 2023 | Trip Report | |
| North Tea Lake | Manitou Lake | 460 | The trail starts off with a gentle incline, levelling out before descending steeply, especially on the north side by Manitou, so we proceeded with caution. The rocks here were slick! | June 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Manitou Lake | Amable du Fond River | 1330 | This portage starts off flat before presenting some varied terrain and slight elevation changes, eventually levelling out on the east end as we returned to the Amable du Fond River. | June 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Amable du Fond River | Kioshkowki Lake | 1000 | The terrain was relatively flat and easy to navigate. It connects with an old logging road | June 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Kioshkowki Lake | Little Mink Lake | 640 | This is a fairly easy and flat trail. | June 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Little Mink Lake | Mink Lake | 390 | It had a gradual incline followed by a gradual decline, making it relatively easy to navigate. | June 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Mink Lake | Cauchon Lake | 430 | The trail mainly went uphill but wasn’t too steep. | June 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Cauchon Lake | Laurel Lake | 130 | This portage was relatively flat for the most part but had some elevation change towards the east end, leading to some fun falls that the group enjoyed. | June 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Laurel Lake | Aura Lee Lake | 350 | This is another relatively flat portage. | June 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Rain Lake | Hot Lake | 730 | Our first portage is 730 m to Hot Lake and takes a steep climb up about 100 m. Be careful as the climb is washed out by rain and the steps are in poor condition. Once you get to the top the rest of the portage is very manageable. | July 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Hot Lake | Islet Lake | 500 | This was a typical Algonquin portage; relatively wide, flat and well-marked. | July 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Islet Lake | Weed Lake | 40 | A very short portage, or long lift over, with limited space for only 2 canoes to load/unload at each end. | July 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Weed Lake | Wee Lake | 600 | The portage starts at the end of a marshy area and is mostly flat, ending at a muddy and shallow landing. | July 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Wee Lake | Way Lake | 570 | The portage starts flat portage with a slight gradual climb and turns into a long, steeper descent for the last 150 m to the lake. | July 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Way Lake | McCraney Lake | 70 | A short, flat portage opens up to the larger McCraney Lake with a larger landing area. | July 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Little McCraney Lake | Rain Lake | 1980 | The last portage on the north side of Little McCraney Lake has two starting points. The first one you are likely to see is a muddy mess. Fortunately a solo tripper coming the other way suggested we use the second entrance, which adds 130 m to the portage but was dry, about 100 m further to the right (east). The portage follows an old railway bed for almost all of the 1800 m so it is very flat with several muddy sections that are hard to walk around (easiest to walk right through them!). | July 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Smoke Lake | Ragged Lake | 240 | The portage into Ragged is heavily travelled and relatively straightforward, though is quite rocky at the Smoke end and mostly uphill. A “good short steep hike” I’d say. Michaela rocked her first portage, she still had a beaming smile even though her pack was a little heavier than I think she would have liked. We took our time, the double carry full trip took about 30 minutes. | August 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Ragged Lake | Big Porcupine Lake | 590 | This is a carry that climbs over 50 m in elevation along the relatively short trail. The marshy bay leading to the portage was picturesque and we had our eyes peeled for moose feeding in the shallows. And then we headed up the staircase, in some areas it’s a literal staircase thanks to the stone and wooden steps parks staff have laid along the trail. It definitely was a climb, but I found it was over before I had a chance to feel too beaten up. And then we headed up the staircase, in some areas it’s a literal staircase thanks to the stone and wooden steps parks staff have laid along the trail. It definitely was a climb, but I found it was over before I had a chance to feel too beaten up. | August 2023 | Photo | Trip Report |
| Big Porcupine Lake | Boncherre Lake | 200 | Short, easy portage. | August 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Boncherre Lake | Phipps Lake | 175 | The portage was easy, and water levels on the Phipps end were high enough that we didn’t have to carry further. | August 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Opeongo Lake | Happy Isle Lake | 2200 | 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. The sandy beach at the end of the portage was nice for a quick rest. | July 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Happy Isle Lake | Merchant Lake | 340 | It was easy, if muddy. | July 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Merchant Lake | Big Trout Lake | 1840 | This portage 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. | July 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Big Trout Lake | Longer Lake | 300 | There are some cool sawn log stairs along the portage, but otherwise it’s unremarkable. | July 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Longer Lake | 40 | 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! | July 2023 | Trip Report | ||
| Redpine Bay | 25 | Ugh, would be a nice time to have my tougher canoe – and relaunched the canoe still in fast water. Careful footing required here. | July 2023 | Trip Report | ||
| Burntroot Lake | Robinson Lake | 1300 | 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. | July 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Robinson Lake | Whiskey Jack Lake | 75 | Easy portage but very buggy. | July 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Burntroot Lake | Lake La Muir | 735 | We donned our bug jackets for the 735 m portage to Lake la Muir. It was well worth it. The 735 m portage starts with a fairly steep climb, but for the most part it is a gentle downhill angle. Not terribly difficult. | July 2023 | Photo | Trip Report |
| Lake La Muir | Hogan Lake | 670 | 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. | July 2023 | Photo | Trip Report |
| Hogan Lake | Big Crow Lake | 3750 | 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. | July 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Big Crow Lake | Opeongo Lake | 1400 | 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. | July 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Amable du Fond | 1015 | We decided to put the canoe in the water for the 500m section of the river that can shorten the portage. We made it about 80% of the way before the water level got too low to paddle over, and we waded the canoe the rest. Getting ready to portage the final 250m, I looked through the gear and realized my Tilley was missing. I had put it on top of the blue barrel at the end of the last portage, but it must have fallen off. So got to see the 500m low water portion of the portage anyway as we hiked back to retrieve my hat. It would have been a terrible shame to lose such important gear so shortly after beginning. | July 2023 | Trip Report | ||
| Manitou Lake | 1355 | The end of the portage near Manitou was extremely buggy, but overall it was flat and easy enough. | July 2023 | Trip Report | ||
| Mangotasi Lake | Hornbeam Lake | 240 | Easy portage with a nice waterfall. | July 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Hornbeam Lake (around waterfall) | Hornbeam Lake (around waterfall) | 90 | Super easy, short portage. | July 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Hornbeam Lake | Biggar Lake | 140 | July 2023 | Trip Report | ||
| Biggar Lake | Sinclar Lake | 520 | The portage between Biggar and Sinclair (520 m) was pretty forgettable, and we quickly crossed the small lake. | July 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Sinclar Lake | Kawa Lake | 1000 | The portage between Sinclair and Kawa was pretty buggy, and the day was quite muggy in the woods. | July 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Kawa Lake | Upper Kawa Lake | 320 | We crossed Kawa and hurriedly managed the noticeably buggier 320 m portage to Upper Kawa. We put the canoe in the water too soon, however. Apparently the real launch is 50m or so down the submerged dirt road. Added some gouges to the bottom of the canoe in our haste to be away from the bugs. | July 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Upper Kawa Lake | Three Mile Lake | 1220 | We paddled over to the 1220 m portage from Upper Kawa to Three Mile Lake and promptly entered mosquito hell. This was undoubtedly the buggiest portage of the trip, and nothing short of miserable to cross through. We decided on double carrying so that we could stay in constant motion. | July 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Three Mile Lake | North Silvia Lake | 550 | There is nothing particularly memorable about the 550m portage to North Silvia | July 2023 | Trip Report | |
| North Silvia Lake | Boggy Lake | 660 | July 2023 | Trip Report | ||
| Boggy Lake | Dahinda Lake | 1490 | July 2023 | Trip Report | ||
| Dahinda Lake | Maple Lake | 390 | July 2023 | Trip Report | ||
| Maple Lake | Erables Lake | 170 | Short, easy portage. | July 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Erables Lake | Big Thunder Lake | 1500 | The 1,500m portage to Big Thunder wasn’t particularly difficult, but we did get our only moose sighting of the trip on it. We decided to double carry this portage and single carry the 1,700m coming up, and on the way back an adolescent moose burst out of the brush and trotted down the portage ahead of us. | July 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Big Thunder Lake | Mink Creek | 200 | The take-out and put-in for Mink Creek were extremely muddy, but the winding creek was a nice change of pace. | July 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Mink Creek | Mouse Lake | 1700 | Single carried the 1,700m portage into Mouse Lake now that the weight of the barrel was significantly reduced. It started to rain during the last few hundred meters and picked up as we launched onto Mouse. Long but not difficult. | July 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Mouse Lake | Club Lake | 775 | July 2023 | Trip Report | ||
| Club Lake | Mink Lake | 1000 | There’s an interesting old timber building in front of the 1 km portage into Mink. The portage was somewhat buggy, but far less muddy than I was expecting given the amount of rain that fell the day before. | July 2023 | Trip Report | |
| Mink Lake | Little Mink Lake | 390 | July 2023 | Trip Report | ||
| Little Mink Lake | Kioshkokwi Lake | 640 | July 2023 | Trip Report | ||
| Rock Lake | Pen Lake | 375 | The south bay of Rock Lake leading to the portage to Pen Lake was nice and uneventful. I arrived at the start of the 375 m portage to Pen Lake just as a group was starting their final trip back down the trail. The portage is a bit rocky and has some boardwalk parts over mucky areas, but overall just a nice walk in the woods with the sound of falls and rapids to soothe. I’d packed a sandwich lunch from home that morning, and on my return trip, empty-handed, I took the side trail from the portage down to the falls (the trail is marked) and sat and ate an early lunch in solitude by the falls. Probably a neat swimming spot in the rapids, but being alone I didn’t get that adventurous. | September 2021 | Trip Report | |
| Pen Lake | Clydegale Lake | 270 | I packed up camp and gladly said goodbye to that site. I paddled the short distance down to the bottom of Pen Lake and the 270 m portage to Clydegale Lake. This portage was similar to the one from Rock into Pen: a bit rocky, with some mud and uneven ground but overall another really pleasant walk in the woods; also alongside a pleasant stream. A couple of mergansers were wading at the end of the gentle rapids as two large ospreys flew overhead. I spotted a small painted turtle sunning itself on a log a short paddle from the portage, but again, sadly no moose amongst the weedy shallows. | September 2021 | Photo | Trip Report |
| Pen Lake | Night Lake | 1680 | The 1680 m portage from Pen Lake to Night Lake was long and a bit hilly, but not overly difficult. After crossing an old logging road, the trail eventually reveals the blue water ahead of small Night Lake but the portage continues through some overgrown willows along a small boardwalk. There is a small dock at Night Lake, useful in lower water levels. The return trip empty-handed was uneventful, I did spot a garter snake sliding through the trail. When I got back to the beach on Pen where my canoe was waiting, I wished I’d changed into my swim shorts to have a dip off the beach. Oh well. I grabbed the canoe and headed off. There are two canoe rests along the trail (roughly ⅓ and ⅔ the way), but I pushed through without a stop, thankful for the ultralight canoe. I did lament not getting a yoke pad though – I found the removable yoke dug into my shoulders. All told, the 3 trips (5.1 km) took me 90 minutes. | September 2021 | Photo | Trip Report |
| Night Lake | Galeairy Lake | 80 | Once across, I debated trying to single carry the short portage from Night Lake into Galeairy Lake (80 m) just to see how it’d go with all my gear – but I couldn’t be bothered and I ended up carrying the canoe just on my shoulder over the short, somewhat steep, rocky trail. | September 2021 | Photo | Trip Report |
| Galeairy Lake | Rock Lake | 100 | Short and uneventful portage. | September 2021 | Trip Report | |
| Cache Rapids | Barron Canyon River | 420 | The Cache Fall Portage was 420 m along an easy portage trail where you can catch glimpses of the rapids and falls. | October 2020 | Trip Report | |
| Barron Canyon River | Brigham Chute | 440 | At the end of the canyon, we came to our second portage at Brigham Chute, a 440 m portage with a beautiful lookout over the waterfall. | October 2020 | Photo | Trip Report |
| Brigham Chute | Brigham Lake | 100 | The portage led us to the start of Brigham Lake where it was a short paddle to our next 100 m portage around a set of rapids. | October 2020 | Photo | Trip Report |
| Brigham Lake | Opalescent Lake | 740 | We paddled across to the other side for our final portage of the day and the longest portage of the trip. The portage was 740 m from Brigham Lake to Opalescent Lake where we had planned to camp. Somewhat long but straightforward. | October 2020 | Photo | Trip Report |
| Opalescent Lake | Ooze Lake | 650 | Our first portage was 650 m from Opalescent Lake to Ooze Lake. A relatively flat muddy portage leading into a very swampy lake. | October 2020 | Trip Report | |
| Ooze Lake | High Falls Lake | 300 | Our next portage was 300 m from Ooze Lake to High Falls Lake. The entrance was muddy as we unloaded our gear and prepared for our carry. At the end of the portage, there is a second portage which connects high falls lake to a small unnamed section of the river which will take you back through a series of portages up to Brigham lake. The portages are well signed so it is obvious which way we needed to go to get into High Falls Lake. | October 2020 | Trip Report | |
| High Falls Lake | St Andrews Lake | 590 | Our first portage was 590 m from High Falls Lake to St. Andrews Lake. The take-out is difficult up a steep slope with many tree routes, however, this may be easier in higher waters. The take out is difficult up a steep slope with many tree routes, however this may be easier in higher waters. | October 2020 | Trip Report | |
| St Andrews Lake | Stratton Lake | 50 | The next portage was a short and easy 50 m from St. Andrews Lake to Stratton Lake. You end up in a small weedy bay with, sticks and rocks which you need to navigate through. | October 2020 | Photo | Trip Report |
| High Falls Lake | Barron River | 450 | This is the portage that leads you back to Ooze Lake however if you take the left it is a 450 m portage from High Falls Lake to Unnamed River Section 1. When we got to the end of the portage it was a tiny hop across the river to the other side, we paddled all two canoe lengths before the next portage. | October 2020 | Trip Report | |
| Barron River | Barron River | 50 | Easy, short portage, muddy from all the rain from the day. | October 2020 | Trip Report | |
| Barron River | The Cascades | 290 | The next portage was 290 m from Unnamed River Section 2 to The Cascades. This section feels like you are constantly portaging and then paddling only for a few seconds. | October 2020 | Trip Report | |
| The Cascades | Brigham Lake Parking Lot | 350 | October 2020 | Trip Report | ||
| Brigham Lake Parking Lot | Brigham Lake | 270 | You have to be careful on this portage because if you take the wrong direction you will end up in the parking lot; the portage is well signed so we easily navigated through. There are a few log bridges across this section however all of the portages were well signed and mainly flat. | October 2020 | Trip Report | |
| Brigham Lake | Brigham Chute | 100 | Easy portage that ends of the chute, where we were greeted with wonderful rapids and waterfalls. | October 2020 | Trip Report | |
| Brigham Chute | Barron Canyon River | 440 | Beautiful lookout over the waterfall and easy to follow trail. Few up and downs. | October 2020 | Trip Report | |
| Barron Canyon River | Cache Rapids | 420 | The portage had an easy flat path to follow alongside the rapid. | October 2020 | Trip Report | |
| Big Rock Lake | Bryers Lake | 660 | The 660m portage from Big Rock to Byers was the shortest portage for the day. More mud. Luckily I had kept my water shoes on and was expecting it, but hoping it wouldn’t be there. The portage is mostly downhill (yay, for when we need to go uphill on the way back). | October 2021 | Trip Report | |
| Kingscote Lake | Big Rock Lake | 1470 | The map has a note on it that this portage is prone to flooding… I decided to double carry it because I wanted to enjoy the trail rather than have my head in a canoe all day. It was muddy, very muddy. I made it to the end with dry feet with just a pack on my back but decided it would be easier to change into water shoes and just go through the mud. There are a couple of detours around the worst of it that I suggest taking. Oh and make sure to keep right at the fork early on, otherwise, you’ll end up at a dead-end lake. On the way back I was figuring out the best way through the mud and sunk in up to my knee (note to self, keep away from the water/stream/lakeside of a muddy path). Round trip and back again with the canoe, took about 1hr 20min. The portage is not that technical but it does require some skill to avoid all the mud and water. | October 2021 | Trip Report | |
| Bryers Lake | Scorch Lake | 990 | The portage from Byers Lake to Scorch Lake is 990m and it felt long. More of the same, very wet and muddy. Not technical. At the end of the portage is Scorch Lake, but it’s more like a stream at this point… | October 2021 | Trip Report | |
| Bryers Lake | Big Rock Lake | 660 | The portage from Byers Lake to Big Rock Lake was mildly uneventful, it was muddy and there was quite the steep uphill. I had noted it on the other way through but had not realized how steep or long it was until I was trudging up it with muddy feet, all my gear and a tired body. | October 2021 | Trip Report | |
| Big Rock Lake | Kingscote Lake | 1470 | The portage to Kingscote Lake felt quite long and there are a lot of places where there is a boardwalk over muddy or wet terrain, please always be careful on these boardwalks when they are wet (i.e. after even a little bit of rain) they are slightly moss-covered and become very slippery when wet. | October 2021 | Trip Report | |
| Scorch Lake | Bryers Lake | 990 | The portage was muddy as expected and I didn’t make it out with dry shoes. | October 2021 | Trip Report | |
| Cedar Lake | Fry Lake | 1500 | If you’re introducing someone to the joys of backcountry paddling, there are probably better portages to pick for their first carry than the Cedar Lake to Fry Lake climb (1,500 m). This portage starts off uphill and stays that way for the next kilometre and a half. The terrain isn’t super friendly and, when it’s been raining for a day and a half, it’s slippery AF in more than a few places. | August 2017 | Trip Report | |
| Fry Lake | Gull Lake | 1000 | This is another portage that feels like it’s entirely uphill. Uphill, that is, until you get to about the 80% mark and then it’s very sharply downhill. I was carrying solo and, once again the terrain was difficult. I actually lost my footing at one point and did a slow motion tumble at a place where the path slopes across a small hill. Fortunately, both I and the canoe were ok. The rock that I slipped on, however, is probably still suffering from all the verbal abuse I heaped on it that day. | August 2017 | Photo | Trip Report |
| Gull Lake | Glacier Lake | 470 | Straightforward and easy portage. | August 2017 | Trip Report | |
| Glacier Lake | Camp Five Lake | 345 | Straightforward and easy portage. | August 2017 | Trip Report | |
| Camp Five Lake | Varley Lake | 1235 | The 1,235 meter portage between Camp Five and Varley Lake is another long one. However, unlike the other two longer carries along this route, this portage is relatively enjoyable. It’s flat(ish), well marked. | August 2017 | Trip Report | |
| Varley Lake | Camp Wilson Lake | 345 | Short and easy portage. | August 2017 | Trip Report | |
| Camp Wilson Lake | Ironwood Lake | 370 | This one is easy enough. There’s a little bit of up and down but nothing too exciting. | August 2017 | Trip Report | |
| Ironwood Lake | Bug Lake | 760 | Saying the Ironwood to Bug portage adds some elevation would be an understatement. Basically, you start walking from Ironwood, and pretty soon you realize that climbing would be a more appropriate verb to describe what you’re doing. The trail goes up and up, getting steeper and steeper, and then, when you’re pretty sure it a) can’t go up anymore and b) can’t get any steeper it does c) both of those things. There’s about 65 m of elevation change across that 760 m portage and boy, do you feel it. It is, however, nice and wide with decent terrain, so at least the Algonquin Park Portage Design Committee isn’t actively trying to trip you down the hill. | August 2017 | Photo | Trip Report |
| Bug Lake | Little Cedar Lake | 875 | The 875 meter portage down to Little Cedar is just as steep as the one up from Ironwood. I found the terrain less forgiving on this one, particularly the final descent towards Little Cedar that follows along what must have once been a stream bed and is now just an obstacle course of slippery rocks, mud and tears. | August 2017 | Trip Report | |
| Canoe Lake | Joe Lake | 200 | Reaching the end of the lake, we took a short and easy portage to Joe Lake. At around 200 m and wide enough to drive on, this is as easy as any portage gets in the park. | Photo | Trip Report | |
| Joe Lake | Burnt Island Lake | 200 | Photo | Trip Report | ||
| Burnt Island Lake | Jay Lake | 540 | This portage was made more difficult by a steep muddy section. | Trip Report | ||
| Jay Lake | Kooy Pond | 495 | Compared to the portage leaving Burnt Island Lake, this portage has less elevation and is generally easier to traverse. | Trip Report | ||
| Kooy Pond | Treefrog Lake | 110 | Short and easy portage. | Trip Report | ||
| Treefrog Lake | Sunbeam Lake | 390 | The takeout for the this portage is along a steep slope of granite, made even more challenging by some blow-down. After successfully unloaded, the next 390 m of portaging seemed easy in comparison. | Trip Report | ||
| Sunbeam Lake | Aster Pond | 670 | With some notable elevation changes, this portage is a challenge, but nothing too difficult. | Trip Report | ||
| Aster Pond | Willow Lake | 275 | Trip Report | |||
| Willow Lake | Unnamed Pond | 130 | Trip Report | |||
| Unnamed Pond | Bartlett Lake | 470 | Our final portage of 470 m was particularly challenging as it was really just part three of an unexpected 900 m portage. The last leg of this portage is thankfully downhill but ends with a steep descent towards the lake. | Trip Report | ||
| Joe Lake | Canoe Lake | 200 | VERY flat and easy 240m portage around a dam. The trail is wide and there's lots of space for canoes on either end. It's a busy portage! I believe there's a thunder box as well. | Trip Report | ||
| Lake Opeongo | Proulx Lake | 1390 | The portage was in an inlet and was our first and probably our worst encounter with mosquitos. The area around the portage is a little boggy, so layer up on the deet before you get to shore! | July 2020 | Trip Report | |
| Crow River | Crow River | 240 | July 2020 | Trip Report | ||
| Crow River | Crow River | 155 | July 2020 | Trip Report | ||
| Crow River | Crow River | 1220 | This is the hardest portage of the ones on Crow River. | July 2020 | Trip Report | |
| Crow River | Crow River | 385 | July 2020 | Trip Report | ||
| Crow River | Crow River | 170 | July 2020 | Trip Report | ||
| Crow River | Crow River | 205 | July 2020 | Trip Report | ||
| Crow River | Crow River | 110 | July 2020 | Trip Report | ||
| Crow River | Crow River | 385 | July 2020 | Trip Report | ||
| Crow River | Crow River | 205 | July 2020 | Trip Report | ||
| Crow River | Crow Bay | 110 | July 2020 | Trip Report | ||
| Hardy Bay | Dickson Lake | 90 | Quick easy hop between lakes. | July 2020 | Trip Report | |
| Dickson Lake | Bonfield Lake | 5305 | I highly recommend you fill your water bottles before you head to shore for this portage. Both Dickson Lake and Hardy Bay have had algae blooms in the past, so the park does not recommend drinking from these lakes, nor is camping permitted (at least it wasn’t in 2020.) Now this portage is tough, there’s no getting around that. It’s long, hilly, and frankly quite buggy. It was also beautiful, as it traverses lots of varied terrain; though I’m not sure anyone in the group was looking at the landscape. The best thing you can do is to keep moving and to try to take as few breaks as possible to avoid the swarms of mosquitoes. After about an hour and a half of pain, you are greeted by the beautiful sight of a long boardwalk that brings you out to the water - and just like that it’s done! | July 2020 | Photo | Trip Report |
| Bonfield Lake | Wright Lake | 260 | Easy portage feels like a breeze. | July 2020 | Trip Report | |
| Wright Lake | Opeongo Lake | 285 | Easy straightforward portage. | July 2020 | Trip Report | |
| July 2019 | Trip Report | |||||
| Big Crow Lake | Proulx Lake | 1290 | The 1290 m (320 m followed by 970 m, connected) portage into Proulx Lake has a turn-off after about 180 m, giving you the option to float your gear across a small pond. This will waste time and is not recommended, as you will have to unload again after about 30 seconds to continue the portage. There is a nice landing at the end of this portage, a great spot for a snack or rest. | July 2019 | Trip Report | |
| Big Crow Lake | Hogan Lake | 3750 | Start this day early as the portage may take you longer than expected. If you are able to single-carry, this portage should take just over an hour. If you have to make 2 trips across, allow yourself 2.5 hours to complete the portage. After the first 600 m, there is a fork in the trail; the portage goes left and the cart track continues straight. Stay LEFT to continue on the portage trail, which should immediately begin a steep uphill section. The portage crosses the cart track a 2nd time 600 m from the end. This time, walk straight across the cart track and back down into the woods on the portage trail. If you are on a wide, flat dirt road that seems as though a car could drive on it: this is the cart track. Stop and retrace your steps to find the portage trail.The last 300 m of this portage (into Hogan Lake) is a steep downhill. Take your time and use extra caution in muddy conditions. | July 2019 | Trip Report | |
| Hogan Lake | La Muir Lake | 710 | The portage start point is mismarked on the Adventure Map. Continue up the creek for a few hundred metres until you come to a muddy landing. You should hear and/or see a rushing stream to your left, flowing into the creek you are in, as well as a portage marking sign. The first bay before you enter LaMuir has a significant current flowing against you. | July 2019 | Trip Report | |
| La Muir Lake | Big Trout Lake | 2590 | The 2590 m portage into Big Trout tends to be very buggy throughout summer. There is a dock on the Big Trout side which is great for loading canoes. This portage took our group just over an hour. | July 2019 | Trip Report | |
| Joe Lake | Canoe Lake | 290 | The 290 m portage from Joe to Canoe is very wide and flat. There is a side trail down to the water just after the dam. If the water is high enough in this creek, you could put-in here and paddle a short creek section into Canoe Lake. Otherwise, the portage is very easy. | July 2019 | Trip Report | |
| Baby Joe Lake | Lost Joe Lake | 430 | The 430 m portage from Baby Joe to Lost Joe has a narrow creek flowing alongside it. There is another creek section from Lost Joe to the other end of the 430 m portage. These sections are navigable in high water, but the creek is very bony. Do not attempt without swift water paddling experience, safety equipment and a canoe appropriate for white water. After the 430 m portage the creek opens up and deepens. There may be several small beaver dams to haul over. | July 2019 | Trip Report | |
| Cedar Lake | Petawawa River | 960 | The portage was 960 m and had a decline the entire way. | Trip Report | ||
| Petawawa River (aorund Sunrise Rapids) | Petawawa River (aorund Sunrise Rapids) | 685 | This portage was very steep, and basically along a cliff edge near the end of the portage. Watch your footing! | Trip Report | ||
| Petawawa River (around Devil's Chute Rapids) | Petawawa River (around Devil's Chute Rapids) | 860 | A short paddle again brought us to the top of Devil’s Chute Rapids and the old railroad that intersects the top of Algonquin Park. The climb up the hill to reach the portage was no joke! We took multiple trips for safety's sake as the entire hill face was loose gravel. Once at the top, we put down our gear to check out the old railway bridge and the beautiful view overlooking the river below.Getting back into travel mode, we got our gear on and travelled down the railway path which was also the portage. It was a wonderfully flat 860 m of loose gravel. | Trip Report | ||
| Petawawa River (around Big Sawyer/Battery Rapids) | Petawawa River (around Big Sawyer/Battery Rapids) | 695 | Trip Report |