Wabakimi Provincial Park: Lookout River – Whitewater Lake Loop (10 days / 170 km)

This ten-day trip into Wabakimi Provincial Park is a challenging route through remote wilderness and serves as an excellent introduction to the area without requiring the use of an outfitter or float plane drop-off. It starts with boarding the cross-Canada VIA rail and getting off the train at Shultz’s Trail, 24.7 miles west of Armstrong Station, Ontario. The train can be boarded from Armstrong Station, which is accessible by car, or even from Toronto.

We boarded the train at Sudbury Junction where parking was free and rode the train to Schultz’s Trail. The canoe route ends at Little Caribou Lake where a shuttle back to Armstrong Station can be arranged for a moderate fee. The train and shuttle fill in the gaps to make this a loop, so no parts of the trip need to be repeated. 

This loop offers the paddler a little bit of everything from experiencing whitewater rapids, large lakes, stunning vistas, world-class walleye fishing, wildlife encounters and easily accessible trails. Better yet, this route has only one portage greater than 1000 meters in length.

Trip Completed: August 2022

Trip Summary

Starting Point: Schultz’s Trail - 24.7-mile marker. Call VIA in advance to book space on the Bud car for your canoe and to inform them of the mile marker. This is not a scheduled stop and needs to be pre-arranged. 

Ending Point: Little Caribou Lake. Take out at the bridge where Caribou Lake Road crosses the creek leading out of the south end of the lake. From there, it is a 6 km drive back to Armstrong Station. A shuttle can be arranged for a moderate fee with Wabakimi Clem at (807) 372-1346. E-mail: wabakimiclemq@outlook.com 

Total Distance: 170 km

Duration: 10 days (weather is temperamental in Wabakimi and there is a possibility of becoming windbound on the larger lakes.)

Difficulty: Advanced due to the area’s remoteness and temperamental weather patterns. 

Location

This route is located in Northwestern Ontari...