Hello Reader,

I hope you're having a great day so far! Apologies for being two days late delivering my weekly email to you - I was travelling for work this week and it was much busier than I expected!

I've often written that Killarney Provincial Park is one of my favourite places in Ontario (and one of the most beautiful as well). And it's no secret that securing a reservation here, especially in one of the more popular destinations, can feel like trying to snag tickets to a Taylor Swift concert.

So today I'm sharing a Killarney route from a lesser-known access point, which can be a little easier to get a reservation for. Widgawa Lodge is a private access point on the west side of the park. It's a further drive from southern Ontario, so fewer people drive the extra distance to start here, but that makes it a quieter section of the park to start from.

​Killarney Provincial Park: Widgawa Lodge to Nellie Lake​

Quick Facts​
🛶 28 km over 3 days (including 1 rest day)
🥾 4 portages (3.4 km total, steep and rugged)
📍 Loop from Widgawa Lodge (private access)
⛺ Site-specific reservations required through Ontario Parks

The star of this route is Nellie Lake, a gorgeous Gatorade blue lake in the heart of Killarney. It's one of the most beautiful and iconic lakes in the park... but you have to work for it. There are two ways to access Nellie Lake, and both require brutal portages. If you can't get a reservation on Nellie Lake, you'll probably find something on Murray or Grace Lake, and then you can follow the portage into Nellie Lake for a day trip.

In this specific trip report, Katie and her group visited Nellie Lake by following a loop from Widgawa in late September. Between a swimming moose, foraging bears, and hiking to a famous Group of Seven viewpoint, the route had no shortage of memorable moments.

This is a great trip for intermediate paddlers who don’t mind a challenge and want to see the wilder side of Killarney. Nellie Lake’s clarity, the fall colours, and the Group of Seven connection make it a standout destination.

Trip Highlights

• Bull moose swimming across Howry Creek
• A challenging 1.4 km portage into Carmichael Lake
• Gorgeous clear water and rocky campsites on Nellie Lake
• Hiking to the spot where A.Y. Jackson painted ‘Nellie Lake’
• Fall colours and refreshing swims in crisp blue water

I hope you enjoy the report. I'm leaving this week for my first "outdoorsy" trip of the season. It's not actually a camping trip, but something I've been looking forward to for a long time. Stay tuned for more!

As always - happy adventuring!

Mikaela

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