The Magnetawan Lake canoe route is one of Algonquin Park’s most accessible backcountry routes on the west side of the park. Starting from Access Point 3 near Kearney, Ontario, the route connects Magnetawan Lake to Ralph Bice, Queer Lake, and Little Trout Lake over three days. The portages are short to moderate, the campsites are solid, and the out-and-back format keeps planning simple. It is a good fit for paddlers on their first or second backcountry trip, and it rewards anyone willing to do the round trip.
At a glance
| Park | Algonquin Park |
|---|---|
| Access point | Access Point 3, Magnetawan Lake |
| Route type | Out-and-back |
| Longest portage | 450, Ralph Bice to Little Trout |
| Booking type | Lake-zone reservation. Book the lake; sites are first-come, first-served. |
| Permit required | Yes, Ontario Parks interior permit via ontarioparks.ca |
| Parking | Free with your backcountry permit. Unattended logging road; do not leave valuables in the vehicle. |
| Drive from Toronto | Approx. 3 to 3.5 hours |
| Drive from Barrie | Approx. 2 hours |
Route overview
This route acts as a perfect gateway into Algonquin’s western interior. Leaving the Magnetawan access dock, you immediately tackle a couple of quick, easy carries through Hambone Lake, which quickly filters out the day-use crowds. The landscape opens up dramatically once you hit Ralph Bice Lake. It’s the largest body of water on the trip, offering wide, sweeping views, but it also demands respect; navigating a strong headwind here is the crux of the entire route.
Once you push past Ralph Bice and tackle the 450-metre carry into Little Trout Lake, the environment shifts. The lakes become more intimate, the campsites more sheltered, and the bass and trout fishing improves. Setting up base camp on Queer Lake or Little Trout allows you to experience the deep-woods solitude of the park without the gruelling, multi-kilometre portages required to reach the true interior. It’s a route that delivers a high reward for relatively low physical exertion.
Day-by-day Magnetawan portage breakdown
Day 1: Magnetawan Lake to Queer Lake
The biggest travel day on the route. Four portages, around 10.6 km of paddling, and you end up deep enough in the park to feel it.
10.6km paddle 1050m portage
The dock at Magnetawan Lake access is small. Get on the water early, especially on summer weekends when multiple parties will be trying to launch at the same time. Permit pickup happens at the Kearney office before you drive to the access point, so plan your start time accordingly.
The first portage is 130 m and flat. It drops you onto Hambone Lake, which is a compact, sheltered body of water. The crossing takes under 20 minutes in calm conditions. From the far end of Hambone, the 290 m portage to Ralph Bice is similarly easy: a well-worn, mostly level trail with a slightly rocky put-in on the Ralph Bice side.
Ralph Bice Lake is the biggest water on this route. It is roughly 8 km long, and when the wind is up it can build fast. The lake runs roughly east-west, and a west wind will push whitecaps toward you on the crossing to the Little Trout portage bay. Paddle early in the morning when the wind is typically calm. By noon on a warm day, conditions on Ralph Bice can deteriorate quickly. Stay close to shore if you are uncertain about the forecast.
The 450 m portage from Ralph Bice to Little Trout is the longest on the route. It is well-maintained and straightforward, with a gradual climb to a high point before descending to Little Trout. The put-in on the Little Trout side is rocky; watch your footing when loading.
From Little Trout, the final 180 m portage connects to Queer Lake. The trail is short and gentle. Queer Lake is smaller and more sheltered than Ralph Bice, with a handful of campsites spread around the shoreline.
For campsites on Queer Lake, aim for a spot on the eastern or northern shore where you get exposure and a view. The lake is compact enough that most sites are quiet, but it does receive a steady flow of paddlers, particularly on July and August weekends. Arrive by mid-afternoon to have a good choice of sites.
Day 2: Queer Lake to Little Trout Lake
A short travel day with one portage. Time to settle in and explore Little Trout.
2.2km paddle 180m portage
Day 2 is the shortest travel day on the route: ~2 km of paddling and a single 180 m portage from Queer Lake back to Little Trout. You are not covering ground today. You are moving to your second lake and giving yourself time to settle, swim, and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.
The portage from Queer Lake to Little Trout is the same trail you crossed the day before, reversed. The put-in on the Little Trout side is in a small bay at the western end of the lake.
Little Trout has more campsites than Queer and a longer shoreline to explore. Look for a site on the south shore for afternoon sun, or along the north shore for shelter if the wind is up. Avoid the sites closest to the portage trail if you want a quiet morning; they tend to see traffic from early-departing groups.
With the afternoon free, paddle the length of Little Trout and explore the eastern end of the lake where the outflow toward Tim River begins. It is worth a look on the map before you go; the creek is visible in the right water conditions. Try your luck with some trout fishing, the name holds true if you’re lucky.
Day 3: Little Trout Lake to Magnetawan Lake
The return paddle. Everything in reverse. Lighter on food weight, easier on the carries.
8.85km paddle 870m portage
Day 3 totals approximately 8.85 km of paddling and 870 m of portaging, depending on where you camp. Get moving early. The same wind logic applies to Ralph Bice on the return: the earlier you cross, the better. A group that lingers over a slow breakfast on Little Trout can find themselves sitting at the portage take-out watching whitecaps build on Ralph Bice.
The 450 m portage back from Little Trout to Ralph Bice feels more straightforward on the return. You know what to expect. With a couple day’s worth of food consumed, the pack is lighter. Still, take your time on the descent to the Ralph Bice put-in; the trail is rooted and the footing uneven at the bottom.
The crossing of Ralph Bice on the return is typically the most exposed stretch of the day. Cross early, hug the north shore if conditions are building, and aim for the western portage bay before conditions deteriorate. From the Hambone portage it is a quick carry and a short paddle back to the Magnetawan access dock.
Portage breakdown for the Magnetawan portage route
Four portages in each direction, though the route retraces itself so you only face four unique carries. All are manageable for a fit group moving at a comfortable pace, with the Ralph Bice to Little Trout carry being the only one that asks anything of you.
| Portage | Distance | Difficulty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magnetawan to Hambone | 130 m | Easy | Flat and well-worn with a sandy put-in. The shortest carry on the route. Often busy at the dock on summer weekends. |
| Hambone to Ralph Bice | 290 m | Easy | Gentle incline and descent on a well-maintained trail. Rocky put-in on the Ralph Bice side. One of the busiest portages on the corridor. |
| Ralph Bice to Little Trout | 450 m | Moderate | Longest carry on the route. Gradual climb to a high point then a steeper descent. Rooted and uneven at the bottom near the Little Trout put-in. Rocky landing; watch your footing when loading the canoe. |
| Little Trout to Queer | 180 m | Easy | Short and fairly gentle. Mucky pull-out on the Little Trout side. Rocky and slightly muddy put-in on the Queer Lake side. |
Where to camp on the Magnetawan canoe trip
Night 1: Queer Lake
You reserve Queer Lake as your first overnight lake through Ontario Parks. When you arrive, sites are first-come, first-served. Queer Lake is smaller and quieter than Ralph Bice, which tends to draw larger groups and families who base camp for several nights. Day-trippers and through-paddlers on longer routes make up most of the Queer Lake traffic, which means the lake rarely feels crowded in the way Ralph Bice can on a busy weekend.
The lake sits in a compact basin and most sites are close to the water with reasonable exposure. Paddlers who have spent time on Queer consistently flag the western-facing sites as the strongest, with good airflow and open views. The smallmouth bass fishing on Queer is worth a few casts in the evening; the lake receives less pressure than Ralph Bice and the bass population shows it.
Arrive by mid-afternoon. Queer Lake will not fill the way Ralph Bice does, but on peak summer weekends the better sites go to paddlers who get there first. Getting on the water by 8 am from the access point puts you at Queer Lake well before 2 pm without rushing.
Night 2: Little Trout Lake
Little Trout Lake has more campsites than Queer and more open space. The sites near the western bay, closest to the Ralph Bice portage, tend to fill first; groups who have pushed through from the access point in a single day often head straight for them. Coming from Queer Lake on Day 2, you are already inside the route and have a shorter paddle to the eastern end of the lake, where sites are less contested.
A site on the south shore in open terrain gives you afternoon sun and usually better airflow for keeping bugs down. Sites near the Queer Lake portage are convenient if you want to slip back across for a paddle in the afternoon; the 180 m carry takes minutes. Avoid sites that back directly onto the portage trail if you want a quiet morning; foot traffic starts early on busy weekends.
Little Trout can feel crowded in peak summer if multiple parties are base camping. Arriving by early afternoon gives you a proper choice. If all the good sites on your preferred shore are taken, it is worth paddling the length of the lake before settling; the sites at the far eastern end are the last to go.
Picking the Best Backcountry Site
On this route, the best sites are on elevated rocky points with open exposure to the lake. On Ralph Bice, favour the north shore sites for wind protection; the lake is exposed enough that a site tucked behind a point is worth more than one in the open when conditions turn. On Little Trout, the west-end sites on the north shore are some of the best on the lake. Read our full guide to picking the perfect backcountry campsite →
Planning tips for the Magnetawan Lake canoe route
Start early on Day 1
Ralph Bice Lake is the biggest obstacle on this route and the most wind-exposed. The lake runs roughly east-west and a strong west wind will make the crossing slow and uncomfortable. Plan to be on Ralph Bice before 9 am on Day 1 and again on Day 3.
Watch the weather on Ralph Bice
It is a large, open lake. Wind can build in under an hour. Paddlers who get caught in the middle of Ralph Bice in a strong crosswind have a hard time. If conditions look marginal, hug the north shore rather than cutting straight across.
This is an out-and-back route
You paddle in and paddle out the same way. The advantage is familiarity: you will know every portage landing and water condition on the return. The tradeoff is that you share the corridor with other groups also moving in and out. On busy weekends, the two main portages can have groups queued at the take-outs.
Magnetawan Lake is a jump-off lake
Algonquin’s booking rules allow only one night on an access-point lake. Magnetawan is listed as a jump-off lake in the reservation system. Book your interior lakes, not Magnetawan itself, for your overnight stops.
Fishing
Ralph Bice Lake has good lake trout and smallmouth bass. A valid Ontario fishing licence is required in Algonquin Park. Check the Algonquin Park fisheries regulations for special cold-water fishery rules before your trip; catch-and-release restrictions apply on some water bodies.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best canoe route from Magnetawan Lake in Algonquin Park?
The most popular route from Magnetawan Lake is the out-and-back corridor through Hambone, Ralph Bice, Little Trout, and Queer Lakes. It covers 21.6 km of paddling and 2,100 m of portaging over three days. The portages are short to moderate and well-maintained, making it accessible to paddlers with basic backcountry experience. Longer loop options exist using Daisy Lake and the Petawawa River, but these require more days and significantly more portage distance.
How long is the portage from Ralph Bice Lake to Little Trout Lake?
The portage from Ralph Bice Lake to Little Trout Lake is 450 m. It is the longest portage on this route. The trail climbs gradually to a high point and then descends, with a rockier and more uneven section near the Little Trout put-in. It is a manageable carry for fit paddlers and straightforward enough to single-carry with a well-packed kit.
How do I book backcountry camping at Magnetawan Lake Algonquin?
Backcountry camping near Magnetawan Lake is booked through Ontario Parks. You reserve each lake on your route for the nights you plan to stay; you do not book a specific campsite. Reservations open 5 months before your arrival date. Pick up your Interior Camping Permit at the Ontario Parks office in Kearney on the day of your trip.
Is Magnetawan Lake a good route for beginners?
The Magnetawan Lake to Queer Lake route is considered beginner-friendly in terms of portage distances, but the crossing of Ralph Bice Lake requires confidence on open water. The lake can build significant waves in wind, and paddlers who are not comfortable in open-water conditions may find it challenging. For a first backcountry trip, calm weather and an early start on Ralph Bice make the route very manageable.
Is there an outfitter at Magnetawan Lake Algonquin Park?
There is no outfitter at the Magnetawan Lake access point itself. The access point has two composting toilets and a small dock. Outfitters are located in the nearby town of Kearney, about 38 km by road along Highway 518 and Forestry Tower Road. Algonquin Basecamp and Canoe Algonquin both rent canoes and gear and offer delivery to the access point. The Ontario Parks permit office is also in Kearney, at the Kearney Community Centre.
How windy does Ralph Bice Lake get?
Ralph Bice Lake is a long, open lake with minimal shelter from prevailing west winds. On warm summer afternoons, conditions can build to the point where paddling becomes slow and uncomfortable. Most experienced paddlers on this route recommend crossing Ralph Bice before 10 am. Hugging the north shoreline rather than cutting straight across the lake also reduces exposure. Monitor the wind forecast the night before each travel day.
