Canoe Lake loop

At a glance

Route overview

The Canoe Lake Loop is one of the most iconic weekend portage routes in Algonquin Provincial Park, and for good reason. Starting from Canoe Lake Access Point #5, this three-day route threads through a chain of beautiful, increasingly remote lakes, offers a real wilderness experience without punishing portages, and puts you on the same water where Tom Thomson paddled in the early 20th century. It’s an ideal route for paddlers stepping up from day trips to their first backcountry overnighter, but experienced paddlers will love it too, especially in shoulder season when the crowds thin and the colours explode.

The route leaves from Canoe Lake, a large, scenic lake that feels wild despite sitting just off Highway 60, and works north through Joe Lake, Tepee Lake, and Fawn Lake before reaching Littledoe Lake for the first night. Day two takes you east through an intricate web of smaller lakes; Baby Joe, Lost Joe, and Little Joe; before settling on Joe Lake for the second night. Day three is a straightforward paddle back to the access point. Total distance: 24.35 km of paddling across three days, with 1,626 m of portaging spread across four carries (the dam portage between Canoe Lake and Joe Lake is used on both Day 1 and Day 3).

Day-by-day breakdown

Day 1: Canoe Lake to Littledoe Lake

The northern push; lakes, a river, and big open water

10.2km paddle   240m portage

Day one is a beautiful, mostly paddling-focused leg that rewards you with a campsite on one of Algonquin’s quieter northern lakes. You’ll launch from the Algonquin Outfitters dock at Canoe Lake and point north, paddling 3.6 km up the lake’s body before reaching the channel split near the dam. Take the right (east) channel, you’ll see yellow portage signs, for the 240 m carry around the dam into Joe Lake.

Joe Lake is a large, narrow lake divided into two arms by a central island. Paddle through the main body, past the island, and continue northwest into Tepee Lake. The passage from Joe into Tepee is seamless, no portage required, and Tepee Lake has a distinctly wilder feel, with the summer camp on its eastern shore fading behind you. From Tepee, continue into Fawn Lake via the Little Oxtongue River. This river stretch is paddling-only, shallow in parts, and wonderful for wildlife watching, it’s a reliable spot for herons and the occasional moose.

You’ll reach Littledoe Lake at the end of this river section. Camp on Littledoe’s shores for the night.

Canoe Lake 240 m portage (dam) Joe Lake Tepee Lake Fawn Lake Littledoe Lake

Day 2: Littledoe Lake to Joe Lake

The hardest day; a long portage leads to rewarding wilderness lakes

7.65km paddle   1,146m portage

Day two is the most demanding day on the water, but also the most rewarding. You’ll leave Littledoe, paddle 1.6 km to the southeast arm, and take on the big portage of the trip: a 1,106 m carry into Baby Joe Lake. This portage is long and hilly; expect a real climb mid-way before the descent to Baby Joe. Plan on a double carry and budget 1.5–2 hours.

From Baby Joe, the route south to Little Joe runs through Joe Creek and Lost Joe Lake; a shallow, rocky river corridor that is generally considered a soft swift rather than a true portage. Most paddlers wade beside their canoe or paddle through depending on conditions, and it’s an enjoyable stretch with a wilderness feel. However, it is highly water-level dependent: in late summer low water you may be dragging over rocks, while in high water the current can make sections tricky. If the river isn’t safely runnable, portage trails exist around the full corridor; budget up to an additional 430 m of portaging if you need to bypass it entirely. Check recent trip reports before your departure to know what to expect.

From Little Joe, paddle 2 km southwest into Joe Lake via the East Arm for your second night. See the camping section below for site recommendations on Joe Lake.

Lost Joe River: Paddle or Portage?

The river corridor between Baby Joe, Lost Joe, and Little Joe is typically run as a soft swift; wade or paddle through depending on depth. It’s the more fun option when conditions cooperate. If you can’t safely run it, portage trails are available; the longest bypass is 430 m. Add this to your day’s total if water levels are low. Check trip reports close to your departure date.

Littledoe Lake 1,106 m portage 40 m portage Baby Joe Lake Lost Joe / River Little Joe Lake Joe Lake

Day 3: Joe Lake back to Canoe Lake

A relaxed return; enjoy what you’ve earned

6.5km paddle   240m portage

The final morning is refreshingly simple. From your Joe Lake campsite, paddle 1.9 km south down Joe Lake, take the 240 m portage around the dam back into Canoe Lake, and paddle 4.6 km south to the access point. Give yourself 3 to 4 hours total, which leaves time for a slow breakfast and a last coffee while the mist lifts off the lake.

On a calm morning this return paddle is spectacular. Canoe Lake is wide and open and, depending on the time of year, the light on the water and hills will look like a Thomson sketch come to life. The 240 m dam portage is the same trail you crossed on day one; familiar now, and quick.

Joe Lake 240 m portage (dam) Canoe Lake Access Point #5

Portage breakdown

This route has four portages totalling 1,626 m (the 240 m dam carry between Canoe and Joe Lake is used on both Day 1 and Day 3). The Day 2 total can increase by up to 430 m if the Lost Joe River corridor needs to be portaged rather than paddled; see below. All trails are well-maintained with signage at every landing. The Canoe-to-Joe portage is famously busy on summer weekends; arriving early keeps the congestion down.

Where to camp

Night 1: Littledoe Lake

Littledoe Lake sits at a quiet junction of the interior; you can exit it north toward Blue Jay Lake, west toward Tom Thomson Lake, south back toward Tepee, or east toward Baby Joe and Burnt Island. It’s an underrated lake. Campsites sit on rocky points with good views, and the lake feels remote despite being only one portage from Canoe Lake. A former ranger cabin once stood on the lake’s north bay; the ruins may still be visible if you explore. If you’re considering an extension, the paddle west to Tom Thomson Lake takes less than 30 minutes and offers a completely different setting worth exploring as an afternoon day trip from your Littledoe camp.

Night 2: Joe Lake

Coming in from Little Joe, you’ll enter Joe Lake via the East Arm; this is where most of the campsites are concentrated. You’ll pass a number of rocky shoreline sites as you paddle southwest through the arm. As you reach the central island, keep an eye on the southeast side: these tend to be the quieter, more sheltered picks that get overlooked by paddlers who grab the first available site. They’re worth the extra few minutes of scouting. Island sites typically have pulley systems for food hangs and thunderbox facilities. Arrive by mid-afternoon to have your pick.

Campsite Booking

In Algonquin backcountry, you book the lake, not the specific site. Any designated site on your permitted lake is fair game on a first-come, first-served basis once you’re on the water. On a popular lake like Joe, arriving late in the day means you could be scrambling for whatever is left. Aim to be on the water early and at your destination lake by early-to-mid afternoon. Reservations open five months before your trip date on reservations.ontarioparks.ca. For May weekends, book as soon as the window opens.

The launch point: Canoe Lake Access Point #5

Most Algonquin access points are a parking lot, a sign, and a muddy put-in. Canoe Lake is different. Operating since 1937, the Portage Store on Canoe Lake is one of the most storied outfitting locations in Canadian paddling; a full-service facility right at the water’s edge that has been sending trippers into the backcountry for nearly a century. As of 2023 it is operated by Algonquin Outfitters under contract with Ontario Parks, and the amenities on offer are impressive for a park access point.

Whether you’re arriving the night before, launching day-of, or dragging yourself back to the dock on Day 3 with a burger on your mind, here’s what’s available:

Tom Thomson & the history of Canoe Lake

Canoe Lake isn’t just a paddling destination, it’s one of the most historically charged stretches of water in Canada. In the early 20th century, it became the spiritual home of Tom Thomson, the painter whose bold, expressionistic landscapes of Algonquin’s lakes, skies, and forests would define what Canadians thought their wilderness looked like. Thomson spent years guiding tourists and sketching in the park, returning each winter to Toronto to turn small oil panels into large canvas works; paintings like The West Wind and The Jack Pine that now hang in the National Gallery.

On July 8, 1917, Thomson set out alone on Canoe Lake for what was assumed to be a fishing trip. His overturned canoe was spotted that afternoon near the channel where you’ll be paddling on Day 1 of this route. His body was found eight days later. He was 39 years old. The official cause of death was accidental drowning, but the circumstances, a blow to his temple, fishing line around his ankle, his paddle never found, have never been explained, and the case has remained one of Canada’s most debated mysteries for over a century.

A memorial cairn was erected at Hayhurst Point on Canoe Lake in September 1917 by members of what would become the Group of Seven; Thomson’s colleagues and friends who were so devastated by his death they couldn’t return to Algonquin for years. You can visit this cairn from the water. Near the old Mowat Lodge site on the west shore, a small cemetery contains graves that some believe may include Thomson’s original burial site, though the official family grave is in Leith, Ontario, outside Owen Sound. Whether his remains are actually there is, like his death, a matter of ongoing debate.

Other historical markers stud this route. On the west shore of Canoe Lake you’ll pass the ruins of the Canoe Lake Lumber Company sawmill (active from 1926 to the mid-1950s), the remnants of the “Hotel Algonquin” lodge, and the bridge remains that once connected the Canoe Lake Lumber Co. sawmill. Every rock face and stand of birch along this route was landscape Thomson knew intimately, which makes paddling it feel less like a recreational trip and more like tracing the contours of a painting.

Frequently asked questions