Interesting places I have camped this year
by MagicPaddler
Trip Type:
Paddling Canoe
Entry Date:
05/14/2026
Entry & Exit Point:
Quetico
Number of Days:
18
Group Size:
2
Trip Introduction:
Six day bushwhack from Dack Lake to Turn Lake
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The first is a little lake with no name and does not deserve a name. We found a fairly easy bushwhack out the east side of Dack Lake into a nice no name lake which we exited by the creek out the north east corner. With another short bushwhack we were on a shallow lake and with rain threatening we decided to camp here. We chose a spot on the north side of the lake. If you find your self on this puddle looking for a camp site, I suggest you try some place else. The next day after 2 failed attempts to get to Swartman Lake we pulled the canoe down the creek and entered Swartman Lake. We chose a camp on the east shore near the north end of the lake for 2 nights. Not a bad place to camp but no place for a fire pit. Later Stew spotted what looked like a fire pit on a rock outcropping on the east shore near the island. The pictographs are on the west side of the lake due west of the north end of the island. The next day we headed south with the first obstacle being a bushwhack to Poulin Lake. After such a struggle to get into Swartman this was a breeze. After crossing Poulin we had a 230 yard fairly easy bushwhack to a open creek. There were few obstructions until we were near where the creek comes out of a lake. At that point there were 2 beaver dams. The first was holding back about 1 foot of water and the second was holding back about 4 feet of water. Both required unloading and reloading the canoe. With a couple of missteps, the 4-footer got both of us wet. After that we were on a 3 part lake that is just West Of Turn Lake or Wot Lake. We referred to the westmost section as Wot 1 the center section a Wot 2 and the east section as Wot 3. Wot 1 and 3 are50 foot deep and Wot 2 is 16 foot deep. We checked out a couple of possible campsites on Wot 1 but found a 4 star on Wot 2. The camp site is on the north east side of the lake. From the rock landing there is a well-maintained moose path up past a couple of hammock pads to a 30 foot by 30 foot flat rock porch with an elevated lake view. Clear a little caribou moss and pull a couple of rocks together and it would be a safe fire pit. Behind the rock porch there is an open wooded area suitable for tent and group tarps. We stayed 2 nights on Wot 2. The next day it took us 4 hours to bushwhack from Wot 3 to Turn Lake. The rest of the trip was like so many other people’s trips. Highlights of the trip were completing the bushwhack from Dack Lake to Turn Lake and the wild life. We saw 5 moose,1 skinny spring bear, 2 Otters, one mink, and lot of the usual critters.
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