Here is a step-by-step guide highlighting how you can use the interactive Canoe Route Planner to plan a canoe route.
To recap, the Canoe Route Planner allows you to plan out a canoe trip from start to finish, including paddling and portaging distances, estimated time, permits and more. It is available to all Trip Reports members.
Click here to use the Canoe Route Planner
1. Select Your Destination
In the dropdown menu, select the destination you want to create a route for. In this example, I’ll select Algonquin.
2. Select Your Access Point
On the left side of the screen, you’ll see a list of access points in Algonquin. If you already know which access point you want, click on the name to start planning your route. If you don’t know which access point you want, hover over the name to see its location within Algonquin.
3. Select Your First Campsite
Hover your mouse over campsites to get information about it. All campsites will include permit information (by lake, by site, etc) and the estimated time to reach the campsite from the access point.
You can add the campsite to your route by clicking on the “Add Campsite” button. As you add campsites, the route information will appear on the left. You’ll be able to see the total paddling distance and portaging distance. Click on the downward arrow in the right corner of each day to see a breakdown of the individual portages.
4. Save Your Route
Continue adding campsites until you are happy with the route. At any point, you can click ‘Save’ or ‘Save As’ to save the route to your account (so you can visit it later). If you click ‘Save As’ you can name your route before it saves.
You can view your saved routes by clicking My Routes in the main menu. Click on any of the routes to see them on the map.
5. Adjust Your Settings
At any time, you can adjust your settings to change the estimated time it takes to reach your next stop. Click the gear icon in the main menu to adjust settings like:
- Paddling speed
- Portaging speed
- Number of portaging trips (single, double or triple carry)
- Boat loading / unloading time
Also if your route will go through whitewater or rapid, you can specify the maximum difficulty of rapids you expect to paddle. This will determine whether your route goes through rapids or takes the portage instead, which will influence the time estimation.
6. Export / Share Your Route
When you are happy with your route, you can export or share it. Click ‘Download’ in the main menu. Then you’ll have the option to download the route information as a table (CSV file), GPS coordinates (GPX file) or as a route summary and map (PDF file).
You can also copy a link to your specific route and share the link to allow someone else to view your route.
Happy adventuring!
So that’s the basics of using the Canoe Route Planner! If you’d like to try it out yourself, click here to become a member.
I hope you enjoy exploring the Canoe Route Planner. If you have any questions about using it, please feel free to contact me.