Killarney Provincial Park via McGregor Bay – Bell Lake to Carlyle Lake (12 days / 82 km)
In July 2025, my co-tripper, Elsie, and I set out on a 12 day / 11 night canoe trip in Killarney Provincial Park, leading a group of five young people from a summer camp in Algonquin. Over the course of 12 days, we managed to cover much of Killarney, visiting well-known areas such as Nellie Lake, O.S.A. Lake and David Lake, as well as a brief stretch outside the park heading through McGregor Bay and Baie Fine.
Our trip was incredible! We had a fantastic time exploring Killarney and enjoying its natural beauty, learning more about the history of the area and connecting with nature. Our route allowed us to see much of the park, and at times challenged us physically, with lots of steep and tough portages. Although we enjoyed the route, it could be refined a little to be more consistent in terms of its difficulty and the length of each day.
Trip Completed: July 2025
Trip Summary
| Starting Point | Bell Lake Access Point |
| Ending Point | Carlyle Lake Access Point |
| Duration | 12 days / 11 nights |
| Difficulty | Intermediate |
| Total Distance | 82 km |
| Portaging Distance | 16 km |
| Number of Portages | 25 |
Location: Killarney Provincial Park
Traditional Territory: This route takes place on the traditional territory of the Mississauga and Anishinabewaki
Maps & Resources
Guidebook: Information from Jeff’s Maps and voyageurtripper.com!
Maps Used: Jeff’s Maps – Killarney
Interactive Map: Click here to view and modify this route in the Canoe Route Planner
Permits & Reservations
Campsite Reservations: In Killarney Provincial Park, permits must be booked for SPECIFIC campsites – certain older maps have different, outdated reference numbers – Jeff’s Maps for Killarney definitely uses the correct numbering system.
Permits: We picked up our permits at the Killarney Kanoes permit office after booking them online – staff were friendly and helpful, and it took less than five minutes.
Know Before You Go
Season: We tripped in July, and as such, the weather was hot! In twelve days of tripping, we experienced less than six hours of rain. In many ways, the amazing weather made our lives easier (no wet tents, no wet clothes, no wet packs!), but the heat did create problems at times with temperatures regularly above 30 degrees Celsius (sunburn, risk of heat exhaustion, dehydration). Water temperatures were high throughout, so we had some lovely swimming, although the heat did often carry through into the evenings – leading to very hot tents!
Tripping in July also means that while there are fewer mosquitoes than in early summer (May/June), a few bites here and there are pretty much unavoidable, especially on some of the more covered portages or campsites.
Cell Reception: We have no idea! But the trip was completely doable without any external information.
Water: Drinking water is accessible everywhere. Filter/treat/boil as usual.
Wildlife: There are black bears in the area. We followed bear canoe protocol to be safe (especially as we were leading a group of children).
Waste: Thunderboxes were provided at every campsite we used, although be wary of varying quality… At Bell Lake Access Point, there were toilets to use and facilities for garbage disposal, unlike at Carlyle Lake Access Point.
Outfitters & Shuttles
Outfitter: We brought our equipment with us from Camp Arowhon in Algonquin Park.
Shuttle: Similarly, we used a minibus with a canoe trailer from Camp Arowhon to transport us and our equipment.
Trip Report
Day 1: Bell Lake with Lake of the Woods Trail (0.4 km + 5 km hike)
On a beautiful July day, we arrived at Bell Lake Access Point in the majestic Killarney Provincial Park. Following a rather bumpy 30-minute drive down the access road, we came to a decently large parking lot that was almost full, and unloaded our equipment. While my co-tripper brought our canoes, packs and barrels down a well-maintained 50-metre track to the wide and beachy put-in, I headed over to Killarney Kanoes (outfitter and permit office) and collected our permits.
After a 400-metre paddle to our campsite, we quickly got our site set up. Site #131 was extremely close to the put-in, and as such had evidently seen considerable use over the summer thus far (we were able to fill a garbage bag with refuse left at the site and drop it back at the Access Point the following morning). As we were able to unpack our trailer, paddle the 5 minutes to the campsite and set up before 4 pm, we decided to head back to the access and follow a hiking trail that had been recommended by the permit office.
The route was straightforward, easy to find and not particularly challenging, although it was steep at points and required walking back up along the entry road. The view from the lookout over Lake of the Woods was pretty, if not spectacular, and the afternoon’s activity felt like a worthwhile use of our time! We didn’t follow the full route as we were wary of getting back to the site and cooking dinner, but it was a fun excursion nonetheless.
That evening, we cooked up some hotdogs and were treated to the gentle splashing sounds of two turtles mating right by the water’s edge – a process that lasted for several hours into the evening. Then it was time for bed!
Campsite: #131 – The campsite featured a large rock face overlooking the water down to the Access Point and provided a lovely view for the evening. It also offered several good tent spots – well sufficient for our party of 7. However, the firepit was on the smaller side, and the thunderbox (although well-maintained), offered little privacy from the rest of the group!
The refuse – including beer cans, discarded camping equipment and food packaging – was likely a consequence of the campsite’s location, being so close and accessible. On the flip side, we were left a healthy supply of treated firewood, which was a rare gift!
| Total Distance | 0.4km |
| Portaging Distance | 0 m |
| Number of Portages | 0 |
| Campsite Reservation | Bell Lake – Site #131 |
Day 2: Bell Lake to David Lake (6 km)
We woke up and made breakfast (bacon, eggs and hash browns) fairly quickly, so we were on the water just before 10 am. After a 50-minute paddle heading westward down Bell Lake, we reached our first portage of the trip!
Portage from Bell Lake to David Creek (680 m): The trail was well-maintained and fairly easy to locate (to the right of the Silver Peak trail dock), and we finished it in around 45 minutes with a double-back.
Fairly early on in the day, it became apparent that the heat would be a significant factor in our trip! Especially around midday, the July sun was extremely potent, meaning that sunscreen application and frequent rehydration were priorities for the well-being of our group.
Arriving at David Creek, we quickly noticed a MASSIVE beaver dam was blocking our way forward. The dam was over a metre above the water level on our side, and looked to be a daunting challenge. Thankfully, upon further inspection, we found that a small (<10 m) track through the trees to the right hand side of the dam had been cleared, and we used that to get around! It was, however, very narrow and fairly steep, so manoeuvring the canoes was somewhat challenging.
Portage from David Creek to David Lake (210 m): Nevertheless, we were back on the water within five minutes or so, and headed on to our final portage of the day. We paddled for about 10 minutes to the 210m trail, which was very well maintained and easy to navigate. It took us a little over 15 minutes to get all of our kit across, with a double back!
Throughout David Creek and onto David Lake, we had been in awe of the scenery, admiring Killarney’s famous mountains and in particular, Silver Peak, which we could see to our left for much of the day’s travel.
After our final paddle through the islands and inlets to the north of David Lake, and our campsite #183, we made camp at about 1:45 pm. The day had been pretty light in terms of workload, and so we cooled off in the outrageous heat with a spot of swimming, before deciding to try our luck with some dutch oven cooking and our apple crumble went down well!
Campsite: #183 – The campsite was situated on a large sloping rock face which provided some lovely spots for swimming and sitting! The large firepit and thunderbox were both well maintained – the thunderbox down a trail behind the firepit into the trees. The rock face didn’t provide many flat or soft tent spots, so we found a clearing in the woodland past the thunderbox to pitch our 3 tents.
| Total Distance | 6 km |
| Portaging Distance | 1 km |
| Number of Portages | 2 |
| Campsite Reservation | David Lake – Site #183 |
Editor’s Note: The timestamps on the photos are incorrect. The digital camera had the wrong date settings. This trip is from July 2025.
Day 3: David Lake to Great Mountain Lake (7 km)
Our third day in Killarney was very much defined by the day’s sole portage – a 2780 metre BASTARD of a trail that provided both a mental and physical challenge…
After some breakfast, we were on the water by around 10.15am for a day we expected to be challenging. As we paddled back across David Lake to its westernmost point, we were hit with a sudden flurry of rainfall, which lasted only about 15 minutes. The paddle took roughly an hour from our campsite (#183) to the daunting 2780m portage. Due to the length and elevation of the portage, we planned to take a break in the middle to allow us to double back and bring all of our kit to the halfway point of the trail, although one of the guides may have slightly underestimated the time that this particular portage would take to complete…
Portage from David Lake to Great Mountain Lake (2780 m): The beginning of the portage was fairly flat, although not particularly well maintained, as much of the first 200~ metres was overgrown, and there were multiple fallen trees to clamber over. One tree was of such a diameter that my co-tripper (5’2”) couldn’t get over the log without her feet leaving the ground. After a stretch of fairly manageable and much more open forest, we made it to what I thought would be a good break point.
Tripping in early July, the mosquito population of Killarney was still very active, and as such, we were incentivized to keep moving so as to avoid excessive bites! After a quick snack bar, we headed up a steep embankment – marked at 11 degrees for 60m on Jeff’s map. The hill was hard work, but not overwhelming, and we powered through.
It was at this point that I became aware that we were less far along the trail than I had initially thought. The track was seemingly neverending, winding through endless identical swathes of forest. If not for some helpful red pieces of marking tape along the way, it would have been very easy to lose our way. After another 20 minutes of walking, we reached the second stretch of significant elevation, marked at 13 degrees for 190m.
This was brutal, a steep woodland path that opened out to an exposed rock face. With a canoe and a pack, balancing on the exposed rock was especially difficult, and at one point, I opted to ‘lunchbox’ the canoe with the help of another person to make sure that I didn’t lose my footing! After some winding forest (including some muddy patches) we finally reached the end, heading down a steeper woodland trail to the put-in, which was rather narrow and steep.
All in all, it had taken a little less than an hour to reach the end. With a double-back and some more breaks, we had spent roughly 3 hours on this particular portage, and it was definitely the most challenging aspect of our trip!
The paddle afterwards was very straightforward, and we reached site #241 within 30 minutes, ready for some hot food and lots of sleep. Great Mountain Lake was very pretty, with some mountains towards the southern edge of the lake overlooking the water.
Campsite: #241 – The campsite offered some lovely spots to swim, especially after our sweaty day on the portage, and there were two well-looked-after firepits to choose from. However, tent space was somewhat limited for our larger group, and the thunderbox was a proper trek away… (not ideal for late-night crises).
| Total Distance | 7 km |
| Portaging Distance | 2.8 km |
| Number of Portages | 1 |
| Campsite Reservation | Great Mountain Lake – Site #241 |
Day 4: Great Mountain Lake to Howry Lake (12 km)
Following the challenging portage the previous day, we felt that we’d reached a new part of Killarney – less accessible, and less well travelled. For the next few days we saw far fewer other trips as we moved further away from the access points.
Portage from Great Mountain Lake to Fish Lake (440 m): We hit the water at 10 am, heading north towards Fish Lake and a 440 m portage. The trail was well-maintained and relatively flat, although the unload was pretty boggy. After about half an hour on the portage, we reached the other side, and explored the abandoned cabin on Fish Lake – with beds, tables, plates and bottles all intact (although definitely worse for wear).
At this point, having reached Fish Lake, we headed westwards towards North Howry Creek, paddling for a little less than an hour. Jeff’s Maps had warned us that the creek would be very difficult to traverse if water levels were low, but after the late spring of 2025 and the high water levels we’d seen elsewhere in Ontario, we decided to go for it.
Portage from Fish Lake to Gem Lake (150 m): The 150 m portage was decently well-maintained and the trail itself posed no issues. However, the other end was extremely muddy and boggy, and we decided to cut a path around to the right of the put-in to avoid the muddiest stretches.
Despite the initial boginess, the creek was very manageable, with only two short stretches forcing us to hop out of our heavily loaded canoes and drag them.
At the end of the creek, we emerged onto Gem Lake, one of the most beautiful lakes we’ve ever paddled on. The Lake was surrounded by glorious white and wooded mountains, and was more reminiscent of Switzerland than Ontario!
Portage from Gem Lake to Howry Lake (150 m): After a very slow paddle to the next portage, savouring the majestic view, we crossed the final 150 metre stretch with relative ease. The put-in to Howry Lake was a little steep, but following some precise footwork we progressed to our campsite (#246) after a further 45 minutes of paddling, having been on the move for about 5 hours.
Campsite: #246 – The site was not very well marked from the water, but fairly easy to access from the portage after a short walk. Up from the water we found some pretty spacious tent spots and a small-ish fire pit. The thunderbox was without a lid… can you believe it?
| Total Distance | 12km |
| Portaging Distance | 700 m |
| Number of Portages | 3 |
| Campsite Reservation | Howry Lake – Site #246 |
Day 5: Howry Lake to Murray Lake (10 km)
Day 5 presented a dilemma, much like the day before: risk traversing Howry Creek and potential ‘very difficult’ travel due to low water, or head around a longer detour to the north. This time, unlike Day 4, we decided to be on the safe side and head northwards through Van Winkle Lake.
Portage from Howry Lake to Cat Lake (720 m): We were able to carry all of our kit to the start of the portage overland, heading straight from site #246 to the 720m trail. The track was very steep to start, (Jeff says 13 degrees for 140m), but after the initial hill was very manageable.
Portage from Cat Lake to Van Winkle Lake (490 m): We reached Cat Lake at the other end and paddled across without any trouble, sighting the 490 m portage from the other side. This one was also steep at the start, and the unload was pretty challenging, but thanks to our mountain goat-like agility, we scampered up and finished the rest of the portage without much fuss. Then we reached Van Winkle Lake, a pleasant, if unremarkable lake, and paddled its length within an hour or so, not including a brief bagel stop at site #232.
Portage from Van Winkle Lake to Hanwood Lake (90 m): The 90m portage at the end of Van Winkle was a little hard to locate, and very steep, so we opted to ‘lunchbox’ the canoes with two people at each end.
Portage from Hanwood Lake to Leech Lake (150 m): After following Hanwood Lake westwards for another half an hour, we got to a 150 m portage that was marred by a fallen tree. I had to deploy my 6’2” frame and long (model-like) legs to carry the canoes over the log, as my co-tripper’s shorter legs couldn’t successfully straddle the tree! The entrance to the portage was a little concealed in the undergrowth, but we managed to find it alright.
Portage from Leech Lake to Murray Lake (1060 m): We then headed down Leech Lake towards our final portage, with the incredible La Cloche mountains looming in front of us. Savouring the view, we made our way to the start of the 1060m portage, which can be found almost immediately to the east of site 224, down a short creek. The portage was fairly straightforward, ending with a steady descent down towards Murray Lake. Jeff and his Maps had warned us of poison ivy at the portage’s end, so we walked carefully and kept our kit away from the trail’s edge. We didn’t see much, but there’s no harm in being cautious! All in all, the day’s travel had taken about 7 hours, factoring in a few snack breaks!
Campsite: #222 – We were able to walk to campsite #222 from the end of the portage, finding a path along the water. The site was lovely, with a long open clearing and spacious tent spots further back in the woods. The large firepit had been left with a few old tins and a bit of food waste, which was easily cleared. The site also offered an amazing view of the mountains to the south of Murray, and we very much enjoyed an early evening swim in our gorgeous surroundings. The only downside was that the thunderbox was in very close proximity to the fire pit, allowing for a rare experience of watching the fire crackle whilst doing your business.
| Total Distance | 10km |
| Portaging Distance | 2.5 km |
| Number of Portages | 5 |
| Campsite Reservation | Murray Lake – Site #222 |
Day 6: Murray Lake to Helen Lake (6 km)
Day 6 was a big job. Nellie Lake is arguably Killarney’s most famous, and beautiful, renowned for its incredible clear waters (you can supposedly see 30m down!) and an incredible mountain valley. Thanks to its virtues, Nellie Lake permits are extremely desirable, and very quickly booked up, and even though we sorted our reservations at the start of the year, said permits were already gone. As such, we had to start from Murray Lake and portage nearly 4 km to Helen Lake on the other side of the mountain range…
We started bright and early, hitting the water at 8.45am. After a quick paddle across Murray Lake, we unloaded our boats and attacked the portage.
Portage from Murray Lake to Carmichael Lake (1400 m): It was certainly steep at the start (Jeff marks it at 23!!! degrees for 110m) and a definite workout, but after the opening steep section was much more manageable. About midway through, the trail was extremely overgrown, and we opted to drag the boats through some black, mucky water for about 100m to avoid the restrictive branches of the track around. After another steep section towards the end, we finally emerged onto Nellie Lake. All in all, the portage had taken a little under two hours (with a double-back). We’d also stopped to enjoy the two waterfalls along the side of the portage. One waterfall is the subject of Canadian Group-of-Seven superstar painter Franklin Carmichael’s 1939 work ‘Waterfalls on the Way to Nellie Lake’, and was suitably pretty to warrant being recorded in landscape.
Nellie Lake was worth the hype. The water was unbelievably blue and clear, and the mountains surrounding were absolutely gorgeous. We spent a short while searching for sunken boat remains in the neighbouring Carmichael Lake, before paddling down towards Nellie proper. We stopped off at site 206 for lunch and made some very rudimentary sketches of the lake’s eastward expanse, inspired by those Group-of-Seven trailblazers who had portaged and paddled the same paths 90 years prior.
After a moment of reflection, it became apparent that the weather had started to turn a little. Day 6 had been the greyest so far, and we could see big banks of fog lurking at the eastward edge of Nellie, creeping steadily down towards us.
Portage from Carmichael Lake to Helen Lake (2420 m): We headed hastily down to the 2420m portage at the south of Nellie/Carmichael, and quickly unloaded. This trail was long, but surprisingly manageable heading southwards. The portage was gorgeous, with beautiful open forest that allowed the last vestiges of sunlight to filter through the leaves, creating an almost dream-like dappled light.
However, after we moved our kit to about halfway down the trail, the heavens opened, and the final stint of the portage was somewhat rainforestesque. Increasingly loud and intrusive thunderclaps had hung over us for much of the portage, and once the rain began to fall, it absolutely hammered down, drenching our packs and us. The final stretch was much more densely forested and a little more hilly, but manageable, and we finished the trail in about 2 hours (with a double-back). Thankfully, as often seems to be the way with Ontario summer showers, the storm was extremely powerful but very brief, and by the time we had reached our campsite, the rain had stopped. We finally finished our travels at about 4:45 pm, and quickly set up some drying lines!
Campsite: #213 – Disappointing. The thunderbox was a real trek away in the forest, while the exposed rock face offered little in the way of tent spots. The firepit was on the side of a shallow slope, and meant that the cooking area felt quite cramped.
| Total Distance | 6km |
| Portaging Distance | 3.8km |
| Number of Portages | 2 |
| Campsite Reservation | Helen Lake – Site #213 |
Day 7: Helen Lake to McGregor Bay East Channel (7 km)
After the exertion of the previous day, our start on Helen Lake was a slow one, as we finally hit the water at midday. The day’s work was pretty light on the whole, and the paddling was fairly straightforward.
Portage from Helen Lake to Low Lake (100 m): We reached the first portage after about 10 minutes of paddling, and the unloading point was extremely swampy, something that would become a theme throughout the day. The portage itself was quite a steep descent, so watch your footing!
We headed onwards through Low Lake, winding down through a tighter stretch to reach the next portage, and looking out for the impressive meteor impact fractures to its north.
Portage from Low Lake to a Creek (30 m): This portage was again extremely swampy and short, and we quickly progressed onwards to a very boggy and overgrown pond, filled with lilypads.
Portage from Creek to North Channel (60 m): We struggled to locate the start of the next 60m portage, eventually finding it through a gap between grassy banks. We had to drag our canoes through the narrow gap to the start of the trail, but eventually we burst through and into the North Channel!
The North Channel immediately felt different from Killarney Provincial Park. Outside the jurisdiction of Killarney, the Channel was dominated by motorboats and substantial cottages that made us feel significantly closer to civilization! Making sure to stay to the side of the channel, we paddled southwards and towards the dramatically named ‘Russian Pass’. At this point, the wind began to pick up, funnelling down the channels off Lake Huron… We were paddling hard into a headwind, but stuck close to the Channel’s bank and powered onwards.
At The Russian Pass, the water levels were sufficiently high that we didn’t have to use the 60m portage marked on Jeff’s Maps, and we negotiated through the steep channel with some deft sterning. The paddle onto site 302 was pretty brutal as we forced our way westwards against the Huronic headwinds in our path, but eventually, we reached our site at 3:15 pm.
Campsite: #302 – Simultaneously terrible and incredible. The site was easy to find, being on the T-junction of channels East, West and South. It offered a spectacular 270-degree view out over the channels and we saw a beautiful orange sunset. However, the bulk of the site was dominated by an extremely exposed rock face, and was UNBELIEVABLY windy, so look after your tents…
The thunderbox was pretty hard to get to, and required scaling the steep hill to the south of the site, and the tent spots were extremely poor, with little in the way of soft or sheltered ground to choose from. However, the firepit was spectacular, out on the exposed rock with the wind funnelling between the stones like Mother Nature herself was blowing on the coals.
| Total Distance | 7 km |
| Portaging Distance | 190 m |
| Number of Portages | 3 |
| Campsite Reservation | McGregor Bay East Channel – Site #302 |
Day 8: McGregor Bay East Channel to The Pool (12km + 1km Topaz Lake Trail)
Fearing high winds in Baie Fine, we set off especially early on Day 8, hitting the water just after sunrise. The paddle across McGregor Bay to our portage was absolutely stunning with successive islands breaking through the fog as we paddled towards them. At one point, the group spied a bald eagle sitting atop a barren tree – very cinematic! In spite of the mist, navigation was fairly straight forward, with the Blue Ridge mountains to the South dominating the scenery. Reaching the portage after a little less than an hour, we had a nice chat with a friendly waterborne cyclist and local resident, who kindly gave us a weather report.
Portage from North Channel to Baie Fine (890 m): Regrettably, the 890m portage, although flat and minimally overgrown, was one of the buggiest we’d seen, and we sped quickly through the forest to emerge onto Baie Fine.
At this point, the fog was beginning to clear, and we were in awe of the Baie’s beauty! Stretching miles across, we could barely see the other side in the morning light. We hastily hit the water to get ahead of any high winds, and began paddling eastwards. Making sure to keep our boats tightly together, we headed off down the channel. As the morning progressed, the winds grew steadily, but thankfully we were blessed to have the breeze, and the waves, at our backs. The channel was pretty busy with motorboat traffic even earlier in the morning, so we kept to the edge and stayed tight together. After about an hour of canoeing, we reached the narrower channel towards The Pool.
One of the highlights of our day was a column of colour-coded jetskiers that tore past us in the channel, riding in perfect, almost practised formation as they shredded back towards the park. This was the first and, to this day, only time I’ve been overtaken by a jetski on a canoe trip… We reached The Pool after another half an hour on the water, with our team notably depleted as the mid-morning sun emerged. After pitching our tents at campsite #81, we decided to take a nap and catch up on some sleep before embarking on an afternoon hike.
After a bite to eat, we hopped back in our boats and headed to the start of the Topaz Lake Trail, having heard much about the beauty of Topaz. Feeling refreshed after a little rest, we hiked determinedly up the track, which was extremely steep at points. Eventually, we reached the lake, which was certainly worth the hype! With crystalline blue waters and a gorgeous mountain vista, we took a lengthy swimming stop and enjoyed the early afternoon.
It’s worth noting that Topaz Lake was the busiest spot we’d visited on our trip thus far. As you can tell from the aforementioned jetskiers, many holidaymakers journey in from Baie Fine and beyond, meaning that traffic on the water and trails alike is unparalleled. We certainly felt like the odd ones out in our old-fashioned canoes!
Campsite: #81 – Pretty darn good! Spacious and grassy spots to pitch our tents, a well-kept thunderbox and a decently large firepit. A few trails to explore leading up into the woods with some beautiful views out over The Pool and the yachts moored there.
| Total Distance | 12km |
| Portaging Distance | 890 m |
| Number of Portages | 1 |
| Campsite Reservation | The Pool – Site #81 |
Day 9: The Pool to Killarney Lake (13 km)
Day 9 looked to be a long one, as we planned to take a lengthy lunch break on O.S.A. Lake and enjoy the scenery we’d heard so much about. We were on the water just before 10 am, and headed down the creek to the east of The Pool towards our first portage.
Portage from Baie Fine to Artist Lake (490 m): The 490m stretch felt much longer, as it winded along some narrow paths along the river’s edge. The portage was also not particularly well signed, so make sure to keep following the water on your right, and eventually you’ll pop out on Artist Lake!
Artist Lake was beautiful, with Blue Ridge dominating its northern edge and Lilypads dotting the water. We paddled down its length for about half an hour, slowed down a little by the dense lilypads, before we reached the 180 m portage.
Portage from Artist Lake to Artist Creek (180 m): This one had a very steep unload, with deep water making it challenging to take our boats out, but we persevered!
Portage from Artist Creek to Muriel Lake (170 m): Once we got to the other side we followed the next pool’s southern edge round to a straightforward 170 m portage.
Then we were on Muriel Lake, another very pretty part of Killarney with more incredible mountains all around. The water was also extremely clear, and we marvelled at the clarity of the white rocks beneath!
Portage from Muriel Lake to O.S.A. Lake (590 m): We then came to a 590m portage, which was fairly straightforward, opening with a section that weaved via boardwalk across the stream between Muriel and O.S.A. Lakes. There was a fairly steep stretch about midway through, but this was very manageable, and with that we reached O.S.A.!
For those who might not be aware, O.S.A. is short for the Ontario Society of Artists, and links closely to the origins of Killarney Provincial Park. In the 1950s, the Group-of-Seven painter A.Y. Jackson found out that the beautiful Trout Lake was due to be logged, and so petitioned the Provincial government to have it preserved. His letter of petition reached the right offices, and the area surrounding that lake, now named O.S.A., was taken into trust by the aforementioned Ontario Society of Artists! From there, the park grew into the much larger reserve that it is today.
With this in mind, we were expecting O.S.A. Lake to be one of the most beautiful we’d visited, and it didn’t disappoint! With incredible white mountains surrounding the lake and ridiculously clear waters beneath, we hopped happily from island to island until we found a spot for lunch, and took an extra break to enjoy the scenery!
Portage from O.S.A. Lake to Killarney Lake (110 m): After our lazy lunch break, we headed to the eastern edge of O.S.A. Lake and crossed the 110 m portage. There was a lovely, wide beachy landing, and we made light work of the well-maintained trail to reach the start of Killarney Lake. We came across a pretty solidly constructed beaver dam and were forced to hop out of our canoes and drag them over, before winding around the corner through some lilypads into Killarney Lake proper.
The lake was absolutely gorgeous, although very long, and we had to paddle its entire length to reach our campsite in the northeast. Unfortunately, we were battling some not insignificant headwinds, but motivated by dinner, we managed to reach our campsite within about 45 minutes, just after 5pm.
Campsite: #18 – This site was a stunner! A rock face that trailed down to the water gave way to some open clearing behind, with some lovely flat and wide spots for our tents. We even decided to set up our hammock by the water’s edge and enjoyed the cooler evening air! The firepit was large, with log seating surrounds, and well looked after, as was the thunderbox. The only disadvantage to the site was that the put-in was pretty steep and made unloading and reloading our three heavily laden canoes quite challenging.
| Total Distance | 13 km |
| Portaging Distance | 1.4 km |
| Number of Portages | 5 |
| Campsite Reservation | Killarney Lake – Site #18 |
Day 10: Killarney Lake to Norway Lake (3 km)
Day 10 was very much a departure from the previous few days of exertion. We woke up slowly and got out just before 11, heading through the swampy pass up to Norway Lake. The winding river between Killarney and Norway was extremely boggy and riddled with beaver dams, meaning that we had to dismount our canoes several times to drag over the obstructions. At one point, we had to fully unload our boats to get them over a large beaver dam. Expect to get your feet wet if you take this route!
Portage from Killarney Lake to Norway Lake (230 m): Eventually, the swampy river started to narrow until it became impassable, and I ventured into the trees to find the start of the 230 m portage. It turned out that we’d gone straight past it, as the muddy entrance to the track was hardly marked at all, so keep a lookout for boggy openings to your left at the end of this track. With the benefit of hindsight, we would choose to take the 1380m portage to the north to avoid the hassle of constant drags and beaver dam negotiations! (Although we haven’t used this portage so it might be horrible!)
The portage itself was nicely maintained and fairly easy to follow, crossing over a little stream to reach Norway Lake. With that completed, we’d reached our site just after midday, although we found it still occupied. While waiting for the previous tenants to pack up and leave, we floated in our canoes and enjoyed a snack in the sun. Norway Lake was pretty, but not quite as awe-inspiringly beautiful as O.S.A. and Killarney Lakes before it.
Campsite: #31 – Our island campsite was a very comfortable home for our stay. There was a nice view out over the lake from the firepit, and a small shelf nearby. There were a few good tent spots, wide and flat, and a solid thunderbox – although the island setup did mean that any thunderbox visitors were in very close proximity to other campers!
| Total Distance | 3 km |
| Portaging Distance | 230 m |
| Number of Portages | 1 |
| Campsite Reservation | Norway Lake – Site #31 |
Day 11: Norway Lake to Carlyle Lake (5 km)
Our final real day of tripping! Time flies when you’re having fun… On our way over to Carlyle Lake we decided to hike a short section of the La Cloche Silhouette Trail, a popular hiking route that spans much of Killarney Provincial Park.
Portage from Norway Lake to Kakakise Lake (1430 m): The paddle down to the start of the 1430m portage was very straightforward, although the trail’s start was a little confusing (overlapping with the aforementioned LCS Trail), and the wooden boardwalks were very slippery, thanks to heavy rainfall overnight. After a steeper section up to the high point of the portage, we branched off towards Heaven Lake and our viewpoint, leaving our kit at the junction. The trail was steep and narrow but well maintained, and we made it up to the viewpoint in about 15 minutes. Although it was a little foggy, we could see all the way out to Georgian Bay, and it was a worthwhile diversion, especially with our shorter day.
We finished the rest of the trail (all descending and straightforward) and arrived at the end of Kakakise Lake. We decided to paddle down to campsite 52 for some lunch, although we found it very buggy. This day was most definitely the most mosquito-heavy, primarily due to the heavy rainfall overnight that had evidently agitated Killarney’s bloodsucking population. With our buggy lunch finished, we headed onwards to our final portage of the trip, an 860m trail.
Portage from Kakakise Lake to Carlyle Lake (860 m): The start of the portage was extremely steep, so we carried our canoes up for the first 20 m in ‘lunchbox’ fashion. From there on out, things were much easier, and after the initial hilly element, the trail was easy to follow and not too muddy, with some slightly dodgy boardwalks over the muckiest stretches. With the 860m finished (in a little less than 45 minutes with a double-back), we paddled the final 30 minutes to our campsite #101, which we quickly found out was in sight of the access point parking lot!
Campsite: #101 – Nice flat tent spots with a nice view of the lake and easy spots to load/unload our canoes. Our only issue was with the firepit, which was a little small, and some trippers might be bothered by the road noise we could hear from the highway, although after 11 days of tripping it was quite nice to know that civilization was nearby!
| Total Distance | 5km |
| Portaging Distance | 2.3 km |
| Number of Portages | 2 |
| Campsite Reservation | Carlyle Lake – Site #101 |
Day 12: Carlyle Lake (0.1 km)
And just like that, the trip was over! 11 nights later, and here we were, right at the very end. On our final morning, we left the site at 11:50 am, reaching the parking lot at Carlyle Lake Access Point after a tiring 4-minute paddle, just in time for our midday pickup! The put-in was wide and beachy, with plenty of space for multiple larger groups to come and go.
The parking lot was a little tight for our minibus with a trailer, but our talented driver Sheryl, made light work of the three-point turn, and with that, we cruised back home to Algonquin Park!
| Total Distance | 0.1 km |
| Portaging Distance | 0 m |
| Number of Portages | 0 |
| Campsite Reservation | N/A |
Reflections
Killarney is an amazing Provincial Park, and absolutely worth a visit! For us, the most spectacular, interesting and beautiful parts of the park were Lakes Killarney, Topaz and O.S.A in the southwest, Nellie and Murray towards the northwest, and Gem Lake and Howry Lake in the heart of Killarney. Baie Fine and McGregor Bay to the west of Killarney were also absolutely gorgeous, and provide a different experience being on the very fringes of Georgian Bay. While every lake we paddled had something to offer, those areas were highlights, and a shorter, more accessible trip to Killarney Lake or O.S.A. Lake (where the Provincial Park originated) would certainly give a good picture of the Park’s character and unique mountain scenery.
Our route was also quite inconsistent in terms of its difficulty. Most days were arguably not difficult enough (for our enthusiastic group of campers) in terms of their length and the physical challenge of their portages, while some (particularly Days 3 and 6) included very demanding trails that were extremely hard work! McGregor Bay and Baie Fine also pose challenges in terms of the wind – we were quite fortunate that the wind dropped when we crossed Baie Fine, and set off early in the morning in the hopes that we would be able to travel before the waves picked up. Be aware that in those areas, campsites are few and far between, and be careful when paddling in the more open waters of Baie Fine and McGregor Bay when waves and wind can be extremely challenging.
It’s also worth saying that this particular route was very portage intensive – almost 20% of the distance covered was over land, and this definitely impacted the trip! I very much enjoy portaging, in that I love the physical challenge and I loved seeing a whole different side of Killarney’s scenery, but I am well aware that not all canoe trippers are the same!
Would I visit Killarney Provincial Park again? Absolutely!
Would I plan a different route? Probably!
Author Bio
Jamie Dilnot is a university student and summertime canoe tripper from Suffolk, England. Working mainly in Algonquin Park for Camp Arowhon, Jamie has tripped primarily in Algonquin, but has also led longer trips for older campers elsewhere in Ontario. Jamie loves exploring the Canadian wilderness, and is still constantly amazed that North America has so many rivers, lakes and portages to uncover!
Elsie Clifford is a university student and seasonal canoe trip leader from Melbourne, Australia. She has spent two summers guiding trips primarily in Algonquin Park and has also led extended expeditions across other parts of Ontario. Passionate about the outdoors, Elsie loves helping people discover everything it has to offer. Elsie remains in awe of the countless lakes and rivers that shape Ontario and Canada, landscapes so different from those she knows at home in Australia.
Email: [email protected] / [email protected]