Algonquin Adventures / Aylen River

**Posted by AlgonquinLakes** 1/23/2024 2:16 pm

Has anyone paddled the Aylen River from where the p3840 cart trail crosses over it down to Aylen Lake? I looked on Fish Online and it seems like it’s decently wide. But there’s got to be a reason the portage doesn’t end at that spot, right?

**Posted by jeffreym** 1/23/2024 3:18 pm

Yea, I noticed that when I was working on my map since I wanted to scale each river/creek based on it's width.

I think for the most part it would actually be smooth sailing. By the road at the park border it looks like there is a rapid/swift, but that's it.

It'd be very interesting to hear if that'd make for a viable loop.

I think that portage is really designed to get you to the access point at the road. So, I don't think that the park was too concerned re: whether you could paddle to Aylen Lake from there.

**Posted by AlgonquinLakes** 1/23/2024 4:40 pm

Cool. I might see if I can make that an overnight loop this spring if I can talk one of my buddies into it. Is 18a an easy spot to navigate? By that I mean, is there a parking area or is it more parking on a road and accessing the water through a right of way?

**Posted by jeffreym** 1/23/2024 4:47 pm

Great question! See my website for that starting point - https://startpt.info/al/18a

**Posted by MartinG** 1/23/2024 4:48 pm

Why not paddle it from the 980 Wilkins lake portage? Wait... running my finger along the map... .. Paddle it all the way from Kinglet lake!

**Posted by jeffreym** 1/23/2024 4:55 pm

Haha, I think it'd be viable much of the stretch from the 980 actually, though there are some rapids along the way.

I think it might even be viable much of the way from Kinglet, though looking at the map it starts off pretty narrow so you'd need to bushwhack out to the wetland. Perhaps ~500m to the point where there is a narrowing in the wetland? As well, the section between the two wetlands (by the hydro line) loses a bunch of elevation, so you'd surely need to bushwhack that stretch too.

It seems like another trip is coming together Martin... =)

**Posted by MartinG** 1/23/2024 5:01 pm

LOL Alder Hell Yeah!

**Posted by Stainless** 1/23/2024 5:03 pm

We tried, but failed, to find the 18a put-in this past August. The weeds and tall grasses in the clearing were dense and waist high. There were some ATV tracks that I walked trying to find the put-in, but I definitely wasn't going to drive our Toyota van into that area. And, I never did see a clearing at the lake. There is a moderate embankment with trees and bushes along the shoreline. I couldn't see an easy way down to the lake. Maybe it will be easier in the spring.

Also, we tried paddling the Aylen River from the 980 M portage south to the first swift. We never made it. It was too shallow. But this was August.

**Posted by jeffreym** 1/23/2024 5:23 pm

@Stainless - Yea, I remember you mentioning that at the gathering last fall. With that in mind, I chatted a bunch with Peek about the specifics and tried my best to clarify everything when I made up my website this past winter, so hopefully the situation is clarified going forward.

Great info re: padding from the 980m!

**Posted by yellowcanoe** 1/23/2024 6:09 pm

Stainless wrote:
We tried, but failed, to find the 18a put-in this past August. The weeds and tall grasses in the clearing were dense and waist high. There were some ATV tracks that I walked trying to find the put-in, but I definitely wasn't going to drive our Toyota van into that area. And, I never did see a clearing at the lake. There is a moderate embankment with trees and bushes along the shoreline. I couldn't see an easy way down to the lake. Maybe it will be easier in the spring.

I'll try to mark the launch point when we are back there in the spring. My wife and I own the cabin right beside 18A.

The area used to be a farm and was last operated as a farm from 1959 to 1962. We have a book, "From the Kitchen Window", written by one of family members who lived there. It was interesting to see that the farm at that time was the access point to Wilkins Lake. People travelling to Wilkins Lake would travel by boat from the landing at the south end of the lake and then travel overland from the farm to Wilkins Lake.

**Posted by jeffreym** 1/23/2024 6:15 pm

Oh wow, that is so cool! Thanks for sharing yellowcanoe.

And thanks so much for marking the launch point come spring.

It's so neat that an AAer bought the place =)

**Posted by jeffreym** 1/23/2024 6:21 pm

Thanks for mentioning the book by the way! I just ordered a copy.

It looks like the author only has a few copies left according to his Facebook page. You can get it from https://from-the-kitchen-window.company.site/From-The-Kitchen-Window-p437537230 in case anyone else is interested.

**Posted by Shayne74** 1/24/2024 4:57 pm

I parked at what is now 18A back in 2018 I think. There was no real parking at that time. Was full of tall weeds with no real defined access/launch. I was still under the assumption the access was at the Aylen Lake marina along with permit office. It had been closed for years at that point but the people there gave me directions to the new access point. Was not easy to find. Once there I solo paddled to the crown land campsite then portaged into O'Neil and as far as Robataille. Sorry no advice on the river but definitely not a well traveled area of the park. On jeffs version 4.0 the 1390m "has been flooded by beavers and must be paddled". FYI. If you turn right at the canoe rest before this spot you can portage over the beaver dam and around the flooded spot. The flooded area looked more like a bomb went of than a beaver pond. Trying to navigate by canoe would be extremely difficult. Been 6 years since I've been there but that was my experience.

Last edited by Shayne74 (1/24/2024 5:31 pm)

**Posted by timisusually** 8/01/2024 8:54 am

Can anyone comment on the shape of the old road between the 980 Wilkins and the cart trail ?

Is it a viable way to get up towards Alsever/Roundbrush?
How about beyond the 980?

@Yellowcanoe - thanks for the advice on accessing at 18a - I have used it several times. Tried not to take too many of your raspberries, but damn they are tasy and plentiful!

**Posted by Dwight** 8/06/2024 10:00 pm

timisusually wrote:
Can anyone comment on the shape of the old road between the 980 Wilkins and the cart trail ?

Is it a viable way to get up towards Alsever/Roundbrush?
How about beyond the 980?

@Yellowcanoe - thanks for the advice on accessing at 18a - I have used it several times. Tried not to take too many of your raspberries, but damn they are tasy and plentiful!

Was on the Wilkins cart trail this past weekend and noticed that the old road between the Wilkins cart trail and the 980 portage looked very overgrown.

**Posted by timisusually** 7/31/2025 10:57 am

Just back from a solo trip in the area and can share a few things:

-old trail that branches left after the bridge over Aylen River is still there. I managed to cart my canoe all the way to the 980 M Wilkins portage without too much trouble

-portages to Alsever area getting very overgrown - still passable, but rough
-getting from Alsever to Roundbrush is tougher than expected - mouth of the inlet between them is totally overgrown

-on the way back, I took a gamble and "paddled" Aylen River all the way from the Alsever portage down to the bridge. Smooth paddling (except a few easy beaver dams) up to the Wilkins portage, but then very tough to navigate beyond that. Tons of swifts, blow downs, Alders. Lots of carry over/arounds/bushwacking required. Was a hell of a good adventure though. More wading than paddling in that section.