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Anyone have insight on north tea lake area? Particularly Biggar, maple, Manitou and lost dog lakes. Site recommendation, area attraction etc? Yay/nay. Alternative routes. Hopefully July.
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Last edited by Barbara (4/28/2016 9:16 am)
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Have seen most of these thanks. Lotsa of insight here. Can't wait to get up to check it out.
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Been through Manitou-North Tea-Biggar many times, though never from Access #1 -- that's coming up in another two weeks. 
Don't know exactly what your route is but the loop around up through the Kawas, Three Mile to Manitou is very nice.
The obvious site on Biggar is the one at the tip of the peninsula jutting into the wider part of the lake on the western shore. It's a long rock shelf, great for swimming and absorbing the sun, though not a lot of tree shelter. Theres' a video on YouTube done by a guy named Larry H-- that documents a trip on the loop I mention above and he's got some good footage of this site if you feel like checking it out in advance. Alternatively there are several nice flat sites along the northern shore, though not as nice for water access.
On Manitou if you can nab the island site Mark talks about in that trip journal, you've probably got the premier site on the lake, in my humble opinion. I've stayed on several in the northern part of the lake, 1 on the southernmost island and a couple on the central island and have not seen any comparable. I've also toured around and explored other sites around the lake. I would say that group packed together on the northern shore of the southeast arm opposite the portage to Three Mile are worth checking out--especially if you like beach access sites. Though there are several that fit the bill that way all around the lake. Are you thinking I've spent too much time on Manitou? Haha, maybe. But you can never get too much of a good thing.
For North Tea, so far I've really only seen the East Arm and I can definitely say there isn't a poor looking site in the bunch!
As for attractions, the waterfall into Hornbeam makes a great lunch spot--scenic and of course, tranquil. The only other thing I can think of is the remnants of the Dufond Farm at the north end of Manitou, but truthfully the only thing to see is some nice meadow, and if raspberries are in season, there's a great patch shouldering that end of the portage to the Amable du Fond. But unless you're looking for a day trip I think this would be far out of your way.
Well that about does it for my 2-cents' worth. Enjoy!
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Awesome. Thanks for the info. Potential of a 4 night trip which would loop counterclockwise with night one biggar, 2 on maple via 3 mile and rat trap, 3 somewhere on Manitou and the 4th on lost dog perhaps for a quick exit on the last day. If we can only manage a 3 night we would alternatively hit Manitou via three mile and forgo maple.
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