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Hey all!
Looking for advice on a family trip (bringing the 3 kids, 6 to 9 year olds). Looking for a river paddle in to a lake, saw the bit going in to North River Lake as an option and haven't been out that way. There's also the possibility of staying on either Allan or North Depot, wondering if anyone has any opinions on which would be more enjoyable for a 3 nighter with some places/rivers to explore around.
Thanks!
Hobbes
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I'm partial to Allan and North Depot personally. I do not find North River Lake to be a particularly beautiful lake, it gets heavy fishing pressure and none of the sites are anything to write home about. Easy portage to North Depot and can run it on the way down. Nice island campsites on both lakes. Worst part about going there is the Wendigo Lake parking lot is often packed and the road going in can be very rough.
Probably the most fun part of North River lake is paddling up and down the alder choked creek. Not sure whether kids would enjoy it though.
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Lenny wrote:
Worst part about going there is the Wendigo Lake parking lot is often packed and the road going in can be very rough.
I know a few years ago the road got washed out. Not sure if it's been repaired.
But the road was rough when I went in 2018 - I think the road got washed out in 2019.
We stayed on North Depot on south most island, It was a great little site!
Last edited by Mulder (3/27/2023 11:01 am)
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I did a trip out of wendigo last summer and the road was functional.
Several nice sites on Allan and north depot. Haven't made it to north River lake yet.
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Wendigo road was fixed in 2021.
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We did North River Lake in late September 2021 and stayed at the eastern-most site (just past South Bay). This spot had good tent options, a platform/kitchen setup (from logs and plywood bits) and a nice view of the lake. The first site heading into South Bay looked like a good spot as well, and less exposed. We did a partial day trip into Merganser to explore a bit and I remember it being quite placid. The creek leading in to North River was a bit challenging, but nothing unmanageable. I recall having to get out of the canoe a couple of times to drag it over low spots/submerged dams. The alders had been cut back well enough that we didn't get snagged by them, but we did bump into the shore a time or two when trying to make the tight turns - all in good fun! We came quite close to a moose upon turning one of the corners, so that was a bonus. Haven't been to Allan or North Depot yet, so I can't offer a comparison/opinion on it.
Last edited by hiker72 (3/28/2023 6:25 am)
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Both are nice options. I visited and spent time on both as a tween/teen as part of a larger group, and then again just last year (decades later!) with a trip starting at North River.
I think North River is a pretty lake, but there isn't much around if you want to explore (and the definition of 'pretty' is very subjective - you may disagree!). The small island at the entrance to South Bay is a super nice spot to spend a good portion of a summer day sunning and swimming. There's a little commemorative marker on that island as well that you might be able to find with a thorough search (nature has almost hidden it completely). The nearby campsite is decent (but very well worn). I think the campsite on the north shore opposite the entrance to South Bay is a little nicer. I haven't visited any of the other sites.
North Depot has a couple of very nice sites if they are available (on the islands), with a steep drop off in quality if those are occupied. If you are looking to day trip the stretch between North Depot and Radiant lake is some of the prettiest you can find in the park in my opinion - especially the section between the 390m portage and Clamshell lake.
Have fun!
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Thank you all for the input! Still trying to land on where we want to go, but the insights are very helpful.
Cheers!
Hobbes
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