Killarney Provincial Park: Bell Lake to David Lake Loop (3 days / 20 km)

The Bell - David Loop is a great weekend trip, and one of the most popular routes in Killarney. It enables you to enjoy the wilderness - without being too challenged. This loop gives you a relatively calm experience when canoeing and a good mix of easy to moderate portages with one longer/tougher, partially uphill portage from Balsam Lake to David Lake.

We took the trip at the end of September, which allowed for some awesome fall foliage while the weather was still very comfortable and the days of reasonable length.

Trip Completed: September 2020

Trip Summary

Starting Point: Bell Lake Access Point

Ending Point: Bell Lake Access Point

Total Distance: 22 km including 4 portages (ranging in length from 30 m to 745 m)

Duration: 3 days / 2 nights

Difficulty: Beginner with some camping/canoe experience.

Location: This route is located in the east corner of Killarney Provincial Park.

Traditional Territory: Killarney Provincial Park is located on the traditional territory of the Mississauga and Anishinabewaki (source).

Maps & Resources

Guidebook: Killarney and the French River, by Kevin Callan (Recommended if planning on taking multiple trips in the Killarney Area)

Map: Killarney Provincial Park: Backcountry Hiking and Canoe Route Map (Updated 2023)

Interactive Route Map: Click here to view and edit this route using the Canoe Route Planner

Permits & Reservations

Campsite Reservation: You need to book your campsites on the Ontario Parks Reservation System. Starting 2022, you must book a specific campsite, not a campsite on a specific lake. You can see a list of campsites on the Ontario Parks website here.

Camping Permits: We picked ours up at the Main Office (George Lake) in Killarney Provincial Park, but were made aware that we could have picked up our camping permit at the Bell Lake Office.

Outfitters & Shuttles

For this trip we used Killarney Outfitters for our canoe ...