It would be with my family of four. Cost for overnight camping alone (at 2012 prices...five night trip) would be $215. Are there other fees that I should be aware of? Does anyone know if we'd all need passports? I have one, husband's is expired, and kids don't have any.

How much does a shuttle to an entry point cost?

It would not be next summer as I know we could not afford an expensive trip like this one next year. Must wait until the little one is attending public school instead of daycare. :)

Kids would be 15 and 6 at the time of the trip. I think we'd take a 3-man canoe and a solo canoe.

Your shuttle cost could run you $200 (or more) to get to an EP like Leano or Lund Lake ... and that is one way.

You'll need either a passport (or passport card) for each person.

There are no permit costs and no advanced acquisition requirements (at this time), but if you plan to fish you'll obviously need a fishing licence (annual) and an Ontario Outdoor Card (3 years) for each participant (Neither child should need one so long as an accompanying adult has a license).

dd

You could do a 5 day trip to Nopiming, or any provincial park in Manitoba and it would cost you $30 in fees, no need for a shuttle,(unless you plan on exiting in Woodland :) And if you do your homework, it will cost you nothing. It would be a more kid friendly place too.

Technically, you do not need a passport to get into Canada, it is getting back in US that you will need a passport. They do often ask for a passport going into Canada, but I have never been asked in Fort Frances.

Nola,
$15 per NIGHT per adult and $6.50 per night for ages 6-17 years old.
2012 Rate. It is a Per Night in the Park Charge for Camping.
You DO NOT need a permit to park in the Ontario Parks.
You can email WCPP park and give them a Credit Card and they will email you the permit back to print on your computer at home to take with you so you do not have to stop at the park office or anything.

The Leano Route Shuttle by ground for Red Lake Outfitters is $180 in 2012 for 2 people Plus and additional $25 for each other person. I think Harlan would work with you on that for Linnea. This is ONE WAY.
And NO your car wont make it down that road. Or you could go in at Johnson entry which is a little cheaper.

The Manitoba Side has a Provincial Park Card you buy and hang from the mirror of the vehichle ($30) in 2012 gets you into Mantitoba Provincial Parks. You can buy these over the Counter where the sell most fishing licenses or at Wal-Mart in Canada or Canadian Tire.

YOU adults need a passport for SURE.

Bottom Line: U.S. and Canadian citizens ages 15 or younger with parental consent will be allowed to cross the borders at land and sea entry points with certified copies of their birth certificates rather than passports.

CERTIFIED COPIES OF BIRTH CERTIFICATE Key word CERTIFIED

Email me if you have questions on the Park or one of the others who responded as many folks have made this treck to WCPP

Uncle SunCatcher :)

Hmm. Perhaps I am dreaming of Manitoba, then. :)

quote nojobro: "Hmm. Perhaps I am dreaming of Manitoba, then. :)"

Are you also dreaming of designated campsites? That's a common feature of Manitoba wilderness parks ... a place with a metal fire ring.

True, it would likely be more kid friendly ... I guess it is a function of what you are looking for.

Ontario does seem to go out of their way to make it expensive for family travel.

dd

to designate campsites or not is a management issue, all of the campsites I encountered in Nopiming showed less wear and tear than campsites in Woodland I encountered. I have noticed the same thing in Quetico. Although you can camp anywhere in the two Ontario parks people seem to camp at the same place everyone else does, and since places to camp are not always obvious, people have little other choice. The point campsite on Glenn I spent a night was almost totally raped. I cannot fathom how people can cut down standing live trees.

in Nopiming (can't speak for other Manitoba parks) they have fire boxes with grates on top that swivel open, allowing you to have a camp fire unrestricted by a grate or cook on a grill, an improvement over BWCA fire grates IMO

and if you want a more rustic/wild experience, just paddle across the Manitoba/Ontario border next door to Snowshoe-Eagle chain of lakes which are Crown Land camping in Ontario.

Zara, do you know where I'd get info about canoe camping in Manitoba? Like maps, etc.

Bird River
the manitobe folks on CCR were helpful
Manigotagan

note that Ontario border is just a days paddle away for motivated paddlers, in the north Woodland Caribou is directly adjacent, in the south the Bird River will require an additional days paddle thru crown land to WC

the roads (313, 315) to these areas is paved until it crosses the Bird River before it dumps into Lac du Bonnet, then it is gravel, a little better maintained than those on Ontario side, certainly passable by 2WD cars.

the put in could give you the wrong impression, that it is crowded, these are just day paddlers who are car camping nearby, the routes discourages them from going further.

Here is an overview map for

Nopiming Provincial Park

and

Atikaki Provincial Wilderness Park

dd

If you are planning a back-country trip in Manitoba be sure to monitor the forest fire danger levels leading up to your trip date. The lower cost in Manitoba leads to less support from the government agencies. Since they do not have as many resources for fire control they will ban travelers from heading into the bush when the fire danger reaches certain levels. Best to know before you get to your canoe launching site.

I'm sure if you contacted Harlan at Red Lake Outfitters he'd let you know if there was a more kid-friendly experience in WCPP and help you plan the trip. Just go on his website and send him an e-mail. It is worth EVERY penny to try out WCPP. If you go on facebook and look at Red Lake Outfitters, Harlan posts pictures and there are kids in the pictures! We had a fabulous time in there in August. The shuttle was wonderful, Harlan is a great outfitter, and the experience we had in the park was top notch. Happy trip planning!

I'm sure it's worth every penny. But I'd still have to actually have the pennies. :)

a Woodland Caribou trip can be inexpensive if you are willing to do your homework (that's what this forum is for, right?) and have the experience and equipment to pull it off, if you don't, open your wallet

if you are an experienced BWCA tripper all you really need is a high clearance vehicle and maps, which can be free online, you have everything else

Nojobro,

Drop me a line or an email and we can chat about some route options that would work for you.

Cheers,

Harlan Schwartz
Red Lake Outfitters

quote ZaraSp00k: "a Woodland Caribou trip can be inexpensive if you are willing to do your homework (that's what this forum is for, right?) and have the experience and equipment to pull it off, if you don't, open your wallet

if you are an experienced BWCA tripper all you really need is a high clearance vehicle and maps, which can be free online, you have everything else"

And I'd need the daily camping fee payments, right? And I don't have a high clearance vehicle. We have all the gear...except the right canoe. I think we would rent or borrow a solo canoe and use my uncle's tandem. The canoe cost would be the same if we were tripping in the BW...it's the nightly fees that get me. It's just a lot for a family. Solo, no problem.

quote solotrip: "Nojobro,


Drop me a line or an email and we can chat about some route options that would work for you.


Cheers,


Harlan Schwartz
Red Lake Outfitters"

Routes for WCPP? Or in Manitoba?

quote nojobro: "


And I'd need the daily camping fee payments, right? And I don't have a high clearance vehicle. "

You don't need a high clearance vehicle to get into Johnson or Onnie, at least you didn't this year anyway.

Alan

Do you have a map of the park yet? Planning my trip got a lot easier once I could sit down with the map instead of trying to put together bit and pieces of route information on the internet. Clears up a lot of things.

Alan

quote nojobro: "

quote solotrip: "Nojobro,



Drop me a line or an email and we can chat about some route options that would work for you.



Cheers,



Harlan Schwartz
Red Lake Outfitters"

Routes for WCPP? Or in Manitoba?"

WCPP of course!

To not waste any money you should hold out until the new map is printed. Hopefully it will be done by the new year.

"And I'd need the daily camping fee payments, right? And I don't have a high clearance vehicle. We have all the gear...except the right canoe. I think we would rent or borrow a solo canoe and use my uncle's tandem. The canoe cost would be the same if we were tripping in the BW...it's the nightly fees that get me. It's just a lot for a family. Solo, no problem."

yes, but it's not clear what your intended route is, so can't really answer that, too many variables, I think you need to say what your intent is, because as you can see you are getting conflicting information because people don't know what your basic route is:
WC only?
Manitoba only?
Manitoba & crown land?
Manitiba, crown land, & WC?

when we know that, there can be more specific answers

quote ZaraSp00k: ""And I'd need the daily camping fee payments, right? And I don't have a high clearance vehicle. We have all the gear...except the right canoe. I think we would rent or borrow a solo canoe and use my uncle's tandem. The canoe cost would be the same if we were tripping in the BW...it's the nightly fees that get me. It's just a lot for a family. Solo, no problem."


yes, but it's not clear what your intended route is, so can't really answer that, too many variables, I think you need to say what your intent is, because as you can see you are getting conflicting information because people don't know what your basic route is:
WC only?
Manitoba only?
Manitoba & crown land?
Manitiba, crown land, & WC?

when we know that, there can be more specific answers"

OK, I totally understand that...but not really knowing anything other than I've read people's WCPP trips and it seems like a great place...I don't really know where to go. I don't know enough yet to narrow it down. Good thing I'm not planning on going until at least 2014. :)

quote Marten: "To not waste any money you should hold out until the new map is printed. Hopefully it will be done by the new year."

Thanks, do you know where I can get the map when it's available?

Noj,

We currently stock the Official Park Planning Map (the one that is being phased out), and once the new map is printed we will have ample supply. I'd be happy to notify you at that time and send one out.

Cheers,

Harlan

quote solotrip: "Noj,


We currently stock the Official Park Planning Map (the one that is being phased out), and once the new map is printed we will have ample supply. I'd be happy to notify you at that time and send one out.


Cheers,


Harlan"

OK, drop me a line. I know you already did and I haven't replied. :) After I have the map then I will know more, and I'm okay with waiting a bit.

quote solotrip: "Noj,


We currently stock the Official Park Planning Map (the one that is being phased out), and once the new map is printed we will have ample supply. I'd be happy to notify you at that time and send one out.


Cheers,


Harlan"

please, let me know too.

I have pre-ordered a 2 year supply of the maps so there should be no issue with supply.

It's looking like the map will be available for spring 2013, likely by April at the latest.

Cheers,

Harlan

what improvements with the new maps? new portages? campsites marked?

"Good thing I'm not planning on going until at least 2014. :) "

then throw the high clearance vehicle required out the window, a lot can happen between now and then

and who knows what they will do with camping fees between now and then