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Hey all,
Was looking to head into Mew Lake in December. I have only ever camped backcountry in Algonquin, so this is a bit different for me. I couldn't find info on the Ontario Parks site, so I'm hoping some in here will know!
I would likely be leaving Toronto around 4 pm on a Friday, so not arriving until around 7-8 pm. Do you have to pick up a permit from an office, or is it like backcountry where your reservation being emailed to you is sufficient? If I have to pick it up, is the office even open that late?
When looking at the reservations site, and the pictures of the sites themselves, most seem to be able to accommodate a hammock setup, is this accurate for any that have been there? Was looking at the dog/radio free section of sites.
Thanks!
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There are some decent sites back in the dog/radio free area that would be suitable for a hammock. I prefer the ones along the back (to the left as you pull into the area) as they are well sheltered from the wind off the lake, and have some decent trees behind you. Have you winter camped with your hammock before?
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Steve E wrote:
There are some decent sites back in the dog/radio free area that would be suitable for a hammock. I prefer the ones along the back (to the left as you pull into the area) as they are well sheltered from the wind off the lake, and have some decent trees behind you. Have you winter camped with your hammock before?
Yeah I’ve always done backcountry and usually at QEW for winter…just looking to try something a little different is all! Thanks for the tips about the sites along the back, I’ll keep that in mind!
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if you preregister with your vehicle plate # that's all you need, no more paper permits required.
If you get a plowed site, there may be snowbanks between the trees making it hard to hang a hammock. Call ahead and explain that you'll be hammocking and make sure there's direct access to them or you could be shovelling for hours....
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Is there a particular reason you're looking to stay at Mew Lake proper?? If winter back country is in effect you could easily hike from. Mew and interior camp. I've done this many times in winter. We've been able to access the facilities at Mew in a pinch and BC permits are quite a bit cheaper. Unless you require front country it may be an option.
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Is there a particular reason you're looking to stay at Mew Lake proper?? If winter back country is in effect you could easily hike from. Mew and interior camp. I've done this many times in winter. We've been able to access the facilities at Mew in a pinch and BC permits are quite a bit cheaper. Unless you require front country it may be an option.
Ya the airfield is kind of the perfect balance of back country with access to a comfort station a 5 minute hike away (good for getting unfrozen water in the morning and doing "your business" on a warm toilet seat?
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Y'know, I never really considered the backcountry options around Mew. I had some new gear that I wanted to test out, so figured front country would be ideal for that, but it is considerably more expensive. I could just take two trips from the car to the back country though....and my understanding of Algonquin backcountry in winter is 30 metres from a lake/trail/portage? Thanks for something to think about!
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Y'know, I never really considered the backcountry options around Mew. I had some new gear that I wanted to test out, so figured front country would be ideal for that, but it is considerably more expensive. I could just take two trips from the car to the back country though....and my understanding of Algonquin backcountry in winter is 30 metres from a lake/trail/portage? Thanks for something to think about!
There are some great "back country" spots in the airfield that are about a 3 minute hike in from the parking lot. Like you say it's way cheaper and kind of the best of both worlds!
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Y'know, I never really considered the backcountry options around Mew. I had some new gear that I wanted to test out, so figured front country would be ideal for that, but it is considerably more expensive. I could just take two trips from the car to the back country though....and my understanding of Algonquin backcountry in winter is 30 metres from a lake/trail/portage? Thanks for something to think about!
There are some great "back country" spots in the airfield that are about a 3 minute hike in from the parking lot. Like you say it's way cheaper and kind of the best of both worlds!
Definitely the best of both worlds. Whether you hike in 3 mins or 3 hours it's a great area to try out winter camping and test some gear. Good luck!.
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