I visited Woodland Caribou Provincial Park in NW Ontario a couple of year's ago for a weeklong trip and would highly recommend it for anyone wanting to get away from the crowds at Quetico and the BWCWA. It's 150-200 miles or so north of Quetico adjacent to the small town of Red Lake, and is easy to get to.
For the one and only time in my life we used an outfitter (Goldseekers), and never regretted it. Without the local knowledge that an outfitter offers you may struggle getting permits or even finding some of the better put-ins by getting lost on the maze of forrest roads.
In terms of topography/ecology it's very similar to Quetico, but with the huge difference that it's never been logged. In an entire week of paddling we only saw 6 other canoes far in the distance, and that includes putting in and taking out. Although we weren't so lucky, if you get there early enough in the spring you may even catch a glimpse of a caribou.
If you want to canoe and camp in lake country to your heart's content without worrying about crowds at portages and full campsites, this is the place for you!
For the one and only time in my life we used an outfitter (Goldseekers), and never regretted it. Without the local knowledge that an outfitter offers you may struggle getting permits or even finding some of the better put-ins by getting lost on the maze of forrest roads.
In terms of topography/ecology it's very similar to Quetico, but with the huge difference that it's never been logged. In an entire week of paddling we only saw 6 other canoes far in the distance, and that includes putting in and taking out. Although we weren't so lucky, if you get there early enough in the spring you may even catch a glimpse of a caribou.
If you want to canoe and camp in lake country to your heart's content without worrying about crowds at portages and full campsites, this is the place for you!
