Temagami: Donald Lake Loop (4 days / 36 km)
A variation of this loop can be found in Kevin Callan’s book, Top 60 Canoe Routes of Ontario. With no official paper map in circulation, planning this route was done with a combination of Kevin’s guidebook, an old copy of Jeff’s map for Southern Temagami and the Ottertooth website. The latter appeared to be most accurate in terms of portage and campsite locations.
The route starts in Kukagami Lake at the Sportsman’s Lodge and loops around through Donald Lake and a series of smaller lakes into Matagamasi Lake before making its way back into Kukagami for the return trip. Most of the lakes on this route are quite large and extra care should be taken in shoulder seasons and high winds when plotting your course. Most portage take-outs are well marked, but depending on the map you are using, they may not be in the same location (I have made considerable effort to accurately mark the waypoints for this trip on the Google Maps route). Expect significant blowdowns in early spring before anyone has had a chance to clear the trails. Portages range in distance from lift-over to 1000 m.
We paddled this route as a ‘Plan-B’ when my paddling partner broke his wrist a week before a whitewater trip and we felt navigating rapids would be too difficult for him. Our criteria for the trip was that it needed to be completed in 4 days, with minimal portaging and staying around 40 km of travel. There are several ways of completing this route, but this one met our requirements the best.
Due to the big, sometimes volatile water conditions, and sporadically maintained portages and campsites, I would recommend at least intermediate tripping skills in all but the most ideal conditions.
Trip Completed: May 2023
Trip Summary
Location: Chiniguchi Waterway Provincial Park, Temagami, Ontario
Traditional Territory: This route takes place on the traditional territory of the Anishinabewaki ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯᐗᑭ
Maps & Resources
Guidebook: Top 60 Canoe Routes of Ontario, Kevin Callan
Map: Jeff’s Map Southern Temagami, Ottertooth Chiniguchi Southern Tracks
Interactive Map: Click here to view and edit this route in the Route Planner.
Permits & Reservations
Campsite Reservations: Chiniguchi Waterway Provincial Park is a non-operating park. No campsite reservations are required at this time.
Permits: No permits required.
Know Before You Go
Season: Expect the potential for cold weather spring and fall. At the time of this trip, we experienced low single digit to negative temperatures at night.
As this is a non-operating park, portages can be difficult to find and may be poorly maintained. Prepare for extra time on portage trails, especially in early spring, before routes have been cleared of blowdowns.
Most of the lakes on this route are quite large. Wind can be a serious concern. Plan your route accordingly to avoid swamping.
Lake Trout, Walleye, Bass and Northern Pike can be found on many of the lakes on this route. The entire route falls within Fisheries Management Zone 10. Some lakes are classified as fish sanctuaries and no fishing is permitted year-round. Check regulations for the area at Fish ON-Line (gov.on.ca)
Cell Reception: There is no cell service.
Water: Yes, water should be boiled or treated/filtered.
Wildlife: Bear, moose. wolves, loons, beavers.
Waste: Thunderboxes are present on some campsites. Pack out garbage. Did not see garbage receptacles at the launch site.
Outfitters & Shuttles
Outfitter: Sportsman’s Lodge
- Parking $10/day
- Boat Launch $10/boat
- Canoe rental $35/day
- Other gear rental available
Shuttle: No shuttle was needed.
Trip Report
Day 1: Sportsman’s Lodge to Donald Lake (10 km)
The day started early with a long drive from Niagara at 2am to Kitchener to pick up my trip partner before setting off for the Sportsman’s Lodge on Kukagami Lake. We arrived shortly after 8am and were on the water by 9. Immediately, the wind picked up and it started to rain. Before we were even out of sight of the lodge we were pulling ashore to gear up for a cold, wet day.
To put things into perspective, this trip was a backup plan for a river trip, but in the week leading up to the trip, my paddling partner broke his wrist. So we opted for a flatwater trip vs the original plan for a whitewater adventure. As we stopped to get suited up in rain gear, my trip partner realised that his rain jacket didn’t fit over his waterproof cast. Pulling out his leatherman to cut the sleeve, He started to cut through the cuff. Before I had the chance to get the words out of my mouth, “Don’t stab yourself”, it was too late. It happened. The short two-inch blade of the leatherman jabbed straight into the same hand as his already broken wrist. Ten minutes into the trip, with the launch still in sight, I thought to myself, “It’s over, off to Sudbury for some stitches”. After a fair bit of spilled blood and some impromptu first aid, my trip partner insisted on pressing on despite a significantly compromised left hand.
With a heavy northerly wind churning up white caps coming from the direction we were heading, we weaved through islands and inlets along the eastern shore of Kukagami, taking cover wherever we could to prevent getting swamped.
We continued along until we reached our first portage, a 310m shortcut across a large peninsula that divides the lake in two with only a small channel at the opposite side of the lake. From a distance, look for a distinct saddle between two hills. That is the general location of the portage. Once you get closer, you should be able to spot a red post on the shore. The portage was uneventful and fairly well maintained.
After the first portage, it was only a short paddle through a series of islands before making a crossing to the second (and last) portage of the day, a 950m portage from Kukagami Lake to Donald Lake. The crossing was a bit rough till we reached the shelter of the north shore. According to the GPS topo map, the portage was located on the point. It was not there. We did some reconnaissance along the shore to the right of the point. This turned up nothing that looked like a trail. We then moved on to the left side of the point and within a matter of minutes, we spotted a clearly marked portage, complete with a yellow portage trail marker. Later, we would discover that the only map identifying the proper location of the portage was the online interactive map on the Ottertooth website.
The day was growing late and the wind on Donald Lake was no better than Kukagami. After being on the road and then the water for close to 14 hours we realized that we would not be reaching our desired destination on Donald and decided to stop at the first reasonable-looking campsite we came to.
We were on the water longer than we had expected, but we had enough time to set up camp, get something cooking, and collect some wood for a small fire. After being beaten by the wind all day and a little worse for wear, sleep came quickly, but it wouldn’t last.
Campsite:
Thunderbox: Yes Firepit: Yes Firewood: Abundant
Beautiful site on a point. Views in all directions, however, it is fairly exposed. A narrow path separating the point from the mainland leads to a thunderbox. Two fire pits on the point to choose from depending on prevailing winds, plus another, more sheltered fire pit off the point. Plenty of flat spots to pitch a tent. Firewood is scarce right on the point, but a short walk past the thunderbox leads to plenty of standing deadwood.
| Travel Time | 6.5 hours |
| Paddling Distance | 10 km |
| Portaging Distance | 1260 m |
| Number of Portages | 2 |
| Campsite Reservation | No Permit Needed – Non-Operating Park |
Day 2: Donald Lake to Matagmasi Lake (14 km)
The night was sleepless. The wind did not subside and the temperature dipped below zero. My first night sleeping in a hammock was not pleasant. I thought I was prepared. I had an underquilt and sleeping bag rated to -7℃, but my inexperience in setting it up combined with the unexpected windchill factor made for a very cold night.
By morning, I couldn’t feel my hands or feet. I made the “hammock-rookie” mistake of not setting up in a well-sheltered area. That, combined with a small tarp that offered minimal coverage, did little to protect me from the wind. I knew I wasn’t going anywhere till the sun came out and had time to warm me up. So, I made some coffee, pulled my down jacket up over the bottom of my sleeping bag and lined the bottom of my hammock with some Thermarest Ridgerests that I always have with me (hindsight: I probably should have done this sooner, but I’m stubborn). My trip partner didn’t have a much better sleep on the ground. He was cold, but he wasn’t a “rookie hammock camper swaying in the wind without enough insulation” cold. Needless to say, we weren’t getting up very quickly.
When we eventually did get up, we broke camp and moved all our gear to the leeward side of the peninsula we were camped on. There, the sun was already shining and the wind was non-existent. However, the blackfies were a minor nuisance, but not biting. We fired up the Thermacell and got a hearty breakfast into us before setting off for the day.
The trip up Donald Lake to our first portage of the day was the calmest we had seen so far. Donald Lake is crystal clear and you can see straight to the bottom. The lack of wind allowed us to get our lines in the water for the first time as we weren’t fighting to keep water out of the boat. We trolled for a short while with no luck until we reached the north end of the lake where we had originally planned to camp the previous night. The north end is stunning. There are a few island campsites to choose from in this area and the shoreline is dominated by high cliffs.
The portage from Donald Lake to Colin Scott Lake (100 m) is hard to miss. It’s a very steep, smooth rock incline jutting straight out of the lake. If the conditions were wet, walking up this portage would be incredibly difficult. The seemingly daunting task of carrying my Royalex boat up this hill was enough to decide to take a lunch stop and do a little shore casting before proceeding. The portage is short however, and once at the top of the hill, you’re already about halfway. The rest of the walk is a gentle downward slope to the next lake.
We passed through a couple of smaller lakes and two more portages before reaching Matagamasi Lake, our final lake of the day: portage from Colin Scott Lake to Gold Lake (160 m) and portage from Gold Lake to Matagamasi Lake (330 m).
Matagamasi is a large lake that branches into two narrow channels at the north end. We would be spending the rest of the day paddling the McCarthy Bay branch of the lake. Matagamasi Lake is an access point lake, so motorboat traffic was a possibility. We did pass one cabin that was occupied by a couple of shuttling gear out for the start of the Walleye season that weekend. We saw them once more transporting another load of gear from the boat launch and that was the last we would see of them.
We reached camp later than we had anticipated but also travelled further than we had planned. We set up camp and then decided it was a good idea to lighten our load for the next day’s portage by having a feast of all the heavy food items we had packed. The stars made an appearance that night and we stayed up just long enough to enjoy them for a bit before settling in for a well-needed sleep.
Campsite:
Thunderbox: No Firepit: Yes Firewood: Average
Great location on a long rocky point. Site appeared to be well used by humans and wildlife alike. The site is situated on a series of parallel hillocks (glacial moraine/drumlin?) that runs along the shoreline and serves as a game trail. It was well visited by moose. Two fire pits on the site and plenty of space for tents. There was a makeshift thunderbox that crumbled under the weight of my trip partner mid-poop. Cat-hole it is! As the site was well used, there wasn’t much firewood close by, but a short walk produced enough for a fire.
| Travel Time | 5.75 hours |
| Paddling Distance | 14 km |
| Portaging Distance | 570 m |
| Number of Portages | 3 |
| Campsite Reservation | No Permit Needed – Non-Operating Park |
Day 3: Matagamasi Lake to Kukagami Lake (4 km)
Paddling the extra distance the previous day put us in a good position, with only a short paddle to the first portage of the day, which also happened to be the longest of the trip. We broke camp early and set off with the hopes of finishing the day early as we only had a short distance to cover.
When we reached the portage from Matagamsi Lake to Doon Lake (1.1 km) and started walking it, we quickly discovered it was poorly maintained and we were most likely the first people to pass through this year. The trail was riddled with blowdowns and so overgrown in some spots that you could barely see it. I portaged my boat as far as the trail would let me then began leap-frogging gear, while my trip partner ran a load of gear the full length of the portage and doubled back for my gear drops. As I doubled back for the canoe, I cleared the trail of blowdowns and any trip hazards. It was calm and sunny and the blackflies decided to come out and pay a visit. At about the midway point of the portage, the trail crosses a gravel path (we later learned this road leads right back to our launch point).
After a few hours of slogging through the portage, we finally had all our gear on the other side. Drenched in sweat and exhausted, we took a quick break to refuel then got back on the water for a short paddle across Doon Lake. The east end of Doon was very shallow and marshy and the outdated Jeff’s Map we were using showed a portage into Kukagami Lake that avoids the marshy section of the lake. Since the map’s printing, beavers have dammed the lake and the water level has risen allowing for easier travel. Because of this, a shorter portage has been cut to gain access to Kukagami (it can be seen on the Ottertooth interactive map – the new portage trail is 175 m). This portage can be found right next to the dam that raised the water level in the lake.
On the other side of the portage was the site we intended to stop at for the night. It is marked on most maps for the area and was one of the last potential sites on Kukagami before making our way back down the lake to our launch site at the Sportsman’s Lodge. Our first order of business was to get all our soaked clothing dried out. The wind coming off the lake made this a breeze. A stand of cedars along the shore sheltered our tent locations quite well. With camp set up and our gear drying, we collected some firewood, made dinner and looked back on the successes and struggles of the day. We had a short paddle out the next day but needed an early start as we would be meeting friends at Massasauga that afternoon for another trip. We let the fire burn down before we extinguished it and called it a night.
Campsite:
Thunderbox: Yes Firepit: Yes Firewood: Abundant
Site appeared to be a popular stop over for anglers, but in good shape all things considered. Someone had gone to great effort building a table and sawhorse. Unfortunately, they also decided to leave a tent set up for what appeared to be the entire winter. Disrespectful if you ask me. After confirming there were no occupants, we decided to spend the night anyway as there was no signs of someone returning any time soon. There was a lot of blowdown surrounding the site and obscuring the path to the thunderbox. Only a few bits of flagging tape indicated that there was one. We cleared the path and regained access. Standing dead wood everywhere made collecting firewood effortless. Few good spots for tents (would have been more). Well sheltered.
| Travel Time | 4.5 hours |
| Paddling Distance | 4 km |
| Portaging Distance | 1275 m |
| Number of Portages | 2 |
| Campsite Reservation | No Permit Needed – Non-Operating Park |
Day 4: Kukagami Lake to Sportsman’s Lodge (9 km)
The running theme of the trip was no different today. Paddling straight into a headwind the entire way back to the lodge. We broke camp early and set off, knowing that the wind would only pick up later on. The lake that battered us on the way out was now doing the same in the opposite direction. Maybe not quite as badly as at the start of the trip, but enough to slow us a little.
As we were now on the opposite side of the lake, we skipped the portage over the peninsula and made for the narrow channel that divides the lake in two. The channel was well sheltered and offered us a short break from the wind. On the other side, the reality of returning to civilization was upon us as we entered into a stretch of the lake that was peppered with cottages. With it still being early in the year, we were fortunate enough to still have the lake to ourselves, but the sense of the trip drawing to an end couldn’t be ignored.
As we approached the point we went around on day one, we managed to locate the short lift-over (20 m) we somehow missed the first time. The sandy entry and exit made it effortless to drag the boat over without emptying gear. There is private land adjacent to this lift-over, so be sure to respect the landowners and use the correct access because there is another spot that looks like the portage. Once we were back in the water, with the lodge in sight and only a short distance to go, we knew the trip was over. In ten minutes or so we would be back on land, loading the car up to set off for trip #2 later that day.
| Total Travel Time | 1.5 hours |
| Paddling Distance | 9 km |
| Portaging Distance | 20 m |
| Number of Portages | 1 |
| Campsite Reservation | N/A |
Reflections
As disappointing as it was to cancel the river trip and make a last minute switch to a back-up plan, this trip was a pretty sweet consolation prize. For my first time in Temagami, I can understand why people are drawn to it. If Algonquin and Killarney had a love child, it would be the Chiniguchi. It is dramatic and subtle all at the same time. I’ve never felt such a great sense of being in true wilderness despite only being in the southern reaches of the region.
Did we bite off more than we could chew? No, but we rode on the razor’s edge a little considering the state of my trip partner and what was supposed to be a more laid-back trip for someone with a broken wrist. He managed better than most people would in that condition and as a novice canoe tripper, he wasn’t scared off from doing future trips with me (I have a tendency of doing that to newbies).
The route itself was great and I wouldn’t change a thing about it. It’s difficult to find a four day route in Temagami that isn’t too heavy on portages or doesn’t cover a ton of distance. Donald Lake is beautiful and seeing the pictographs on Matagamasi are something I will cherish for many years. I do wish the weather had cooperated with us a little better so we could have done some more fishing, but such is life.
No one ever remembers good weather…it doesn’t make for an entertaining story.
Author Bio
Bill has been in a canoe since before he could walk. From a young age, summers were often spent taking trips to one of Algonquin’s numerous campgrounds. Here he learned the skills passed down by his father who as a new Canadian immigrating from Scotland many years prior, learned when he was a kid in those very same campgrounds. This is where his love for the outdoors began. It wasn’t till his early 20’s that he caught the backcountry bug and took the family camping trips of his childhood to the next level. Twenty years later (with a bit of a hiatus to start a family) he is bringing his children into the backcountry to carry on the tradition and introduce the next generation of explorers to wilderness travel.
Instagram: @thunderboxdiaries