I'm planning our first trip to WCPP mid June. My thought is to drive to the Onnie Lake entry point and paddle to Glen, fish for the week and paddle out. We are very excited to fish the world class lakes in WCPP. My options for vehicles are, a Dodge Grand Caravan or a Subaru Forester. Am I going to have problems getting there with either? or both? I would like to have our car there rather than using a shuttle because I'm unsure of timing. Also, how hard is the rout from Onnie to Glen. Are there any tricky portages I need to be aware of.

Thanks, S

As far as to Onnie, the dirt/gravel road is generally in good shape but it does deteriorate a bit before you get to Onnie (Hjalmar lake put-in). If i remember correctly, the road gets bumpy and rutted with some jutting rocks between the Johnson EP and Onnie EP. I made it without a problem in my CRV. I think you just need a bit of clearance on your vehicle to make sure that you don't bottom out (ouch!). It's graded out again afterwards almost down to Leanno but I haven't been down there in awhile. You should be fine with either vehicle choice. Others on this site probably have more up-to-date intel (as well as the park office).

Unless the road has changed, you could drive a Prius to Onnie. But check with the parks office to be sure.

They are experiencing near record water levels this year. You may want to check with the park for any washouts.

For a portage update watch the last few of the Dutchman videos listed in the other thread here. The road got used an awful lot in fighting last years big fire so the park office should know how they left it. Be aware that Onnie is crown land so know the rules that forbid camping by non residents (green zone.)

Hi all... please note that the road conditions to Johnson, Onnie, and Leano have drastically changed. In an attempt to manage the large wildfires that we experienced most of last summer, this roadway was widened and resurfaced to act as a fire break. This is a huge improvement for the park users going forward.







This of course, if not compromised by other events. As mentioned by Marten above, we are currently experiencing floods in NW Ontario & Manitoba. Countless of washouts have occurred, including Hwy 105 to Red Lake. Naturally, the highway gets priority for repairs and the back roads will follow. The extent of the damage is not known yet as we are only able to drive to the first washout pass Black Bear Lodge. But for the time being, it is safe to say that road access to entry points are not possible for at least a week or more. Contacting the park office (807.727.1329) or staying in touch with your outfitter is advised.
Park staff have been limited but I believe they will soon be updating the park trip planning site where all the current details will be shared including an updated fire map. Here is the link:
WCPP Trip Planner

Thank you for that picture and update! At least there was some good that came out of those devastating fires. Hope the flooding subsides without too much damage. We as a paddling community in the States are experiencing the same spring flooding and we're looking forward to calmer waters soon!