Killarney Provincial Park: Johnny Lake to George Lake (12 days / 94 km)

If you want to experience ALL that Killarney Provincial Park has to offer, this is the canoe route for you. Starting on Johnny Lake and ending on George Lake, this route makes a big counterclockwise loop of the park, passing through 19 lakes and 2 bays. Highlights include David Lake, where you can take a rest day to hike Silver Peak, and Nellie Lake, the clearest lake in the park.

I paddled this route as a canoe guide, leading six campers between the ages of 14 and 16. They didn’t have much canoeing experience, so we were definitely not a speedy group.

So although this trip took us 12 days to complete, I think it could easily be done in 9 days (7 paddling days + 2 rest days). We had some really short days at the beginning, and we always took two trips on portages, which slowed us down.

Trip Completed: July 2014

Editor's Note: Usually I don't include trip reports that are this old, but I think this is such an awesome route that I want others to consider it. I have a lot of notes on the actual route we took, but I don't have thorough descriptions of all of the campsites - hopefully, you still find it helpful!

Trip Summary

Starting Point: Johnny Lake

Ending Point: George Lake

Total Distance: 94 km

Duration: 12 days (including 2 rest days)

Difficulty: Intermediate

Location: This route is located in Killarney Provincial Park, on the north shore of Georgian Bay. It begins in Johnny Lake, located in the southeast corner of the park, and ends at George Lake, located in the southwest corner. What I love about this route is that it circles almost the entirety of the 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: Ba...