View topic - Gull River Provincial Park (Northwestern Ontario)

In seeking a drive-in/drive-out canoe route, close to Thunder Bay, I have become enamoured by the prospect of paddling through Gull River Provincial Park.

Through preliminary research results, my desire is to put-in at the bridge crossing Mooseland River on Highway 811, paddling the Mooseland River to where it joins the Gull River, and following the Gull River to Highway 527. Alternatively, it would not bother me to travel along Highway 811 to Kitchen Lake road, following it to where it crosses the Gull River in Kaiashk Nature Reserve and put in there.

I understand that in the past the MNR "managed" a canoe route in what is now known as Gull River Provincial Park. It is also my understanding that a pamphlet on the Gull River Canoe Route was pubished by the MNR, and I have contacted various sources to acquire a copy of this pamphlet.

My suspicion is that this is not an oft-travelled route, and that "traditional" portage trails and campsites are overgrown and require significant maintenance and grubbing to make useable.

I am curious to know if anyone in this canoeing community has any first hand experience with this route that they'd care to share, or is aware of any other sources for information on this route.

Any assistance or direction would be greatly appreciated.

Ken
http://kokanie.ca/canoe-trip-reports

Ken: I have a copy of the MNR Gull River Canoe Route pamphlet that you could borrow to copy. Since we both live in TBay, the exchange can be easily arranged. Contact me @ pjcotton@tbaytel.net. Good Luck with your trip planning.

Thanks Phil, I'll be in touch with you once I can figure out my availability to meet in person.

Best Regards,
Ken

Ken

I remember talking to Bill Ostrom years ago about paddling the Gull. You may want to try and reach him at Chaltrek.
I also have the old pamphlet if you can't get a copy from Uncle Phil.

Pete

Phil,
Why don't you just scan it into PDF and email it. Much simpler unless you both want to see each other!!!

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Mencken
You can never have too much education-me

As many of my internet friends and the volunteers of The Wabakimi Project can attest, I'm a klutz when it comes to computers. I don't have the hardware nor do I have the expertise to scan the pamphlet.

I am happy to report that I have acquired a wide variety of very useful information from various sources.

Thanks to all in this canoeing community who offered to share.

Chances are looking pretty good that we will venture down the Gull River in mid to late June, and I will take the necessary steps to document and collect information that can be shared with the canoeing community and the park authorities.

All the best

Ken

As a matter of closing this topic off, a detailed trip report of our journey down the Gull River from the Kitchen Lake Road crossing to the Highway 527 crossing can be found at http://kokanie.ca/gull-river-canoe-route.

The report includes links to a downloadable annotated 1:50000 map of the Gull River Canoe Route (its a big 22 MB file be patient in downloading it), various planning documents, photography, video and a downloadable version of my gps track with waypoints.

This is a challenging whitewater route, that can only be run in May or June, where portages are difficult to find, grown over and where campsites are virtually non-existent in the upper portions of the river. Although road accessible, this route in the Gull River Provincial Park should be treated as remote northern backcounty.

Regards,

Ken

Thanks for your trip report! I really enjoyed the mix of nice still photos and video showing each day's journey on the map. Your captions below the photos were very informative. Congratulations on a great trip and report!

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