ROAD TRiP
Getting to Boreal Forest Heaven via Paddling: The Woodland Caribou Provincial Park Editor’s Note: This story is about adventure travel, for those seeking remoteness in their adventures. Without repeating their outstanding credentials in their Paddlesports for All story (July 2020 issue), contributors Jason Maloney and Cindy Dillenschneider are also an adventurous, extended-stay-in-the-wilds kind of couple. Here, Jason and Cindy show you where heaven can be found, by paddle, and how to better and more safely enjoy all the remote, motor-free beauty once you get there, over the border into Ontario. A million-acre oasis of boreal forest wilderness awaits you at Woodland Caribou Provincial Park, Ontario. Located about six hours north of International Falls, MN, two major rivers, the Bloodvein and the Gammon, run through the park, connecting some of the myriad of lakes located there. More remote than the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness Area, or Quetico Provincial Park, Woodland Caribou has around only 1000 visitors each year The Atikaki and Nopiming Provincial Parks, just across the Ontario border in Manitoba, adjoin Woodland Caribou to add another million acres to this vast area of protected boreal forest. Though it is possible to drive high-clearance, four-wheel drive vehicles to some launch sites, many visitors, especially first-time visitors, work with reputable outfitters and guides to plan trips and arrange transportation into and out of the park Outfitters and guides offer maps, equipment, including emergency communication devices, park permits, transportation arrangements, and essential information on coping in a wilderness boreal forest environment. It’s possible to engage air or ground transportation from Red Lake (Ontario) to the trailheads and some major lakes in the park. Much of the park is off-limits to motorized transportation, and this restricts where airplanes are allowed to land. The motor ban also allows silent sports enthusiasts to avoid motorboats inside most of the park. Red Lake is the closest town offering ready access to the park. Visitors can go to the park headquarters in Red Lake to purchase camping permits and learn of current conditions such as water levels, fire warnings, and fire bans. Park staff can also provide helpful information on the condition of portages between rivers and lakes in
Customs before attempting to cross the border. You also should consult Canadian authorities regarding what you are allowed to bring with you into Canada. For your crossing back into the United States, you should consult U.S. authorities with the same questions. If you plan to fish in Canada, you must obtain a provincial fishing license and an Ontario Outdoors Card. This can easily be done online prior to leaving the United States. Be sure to reference a current copy of the Ontario fishing regulations so you abide by all fishing rules. Camping requires a nightly permit, which can be obtained at the park office in Red Lake, or from reputable outfitters. A provincial park backcountry camping permit is only good for sites within the park boundary inside Ontario.
Remoteness-Seekers Paradise
▲ Cindy and Jakob paddle calm waters. All photos by either Cindy Dillenschneider or Jason Maloney.
different parts of the expansive park. They can also review campsite maps and answer questions about recent bear or other animal contact in the park. Other information you may need on road washouts or current park warnings and closures will also be available at the park office. Though a great deal of information is available on the Woodland Caribou Provincial Park website, you’ll find it useful to visit the park office prior to entering the park. To cross the border into Canada, each person needs a valid U.S. passport, or a valid U.S. passport card. It’s also important to have a clean legal record. If you have doubts regarding your record, you should contact Canadian
A canoe, its crew, and their gear can be swallowed up in this vast, sub-arctic wilderness. Visitors can expect many days seeing no other people, especially in parts of the park off of the main canoe routes. In case of an emergency, it’s likely help will arrive by air. Depending on the weather, fire conditions, and the location of the emergency, help could be delayed several hours to several days. Within park boundaries, about a thousand, primitive first-come, first-serve campsites come equipped with a stone fire ring, within which campfires must be built. There are no other amenities. Leave-no-trace camping techniques must be used, including bodily functions, so plan on packing out any garbage you produce. Learn how to dig and use a cat hole prior to your trip. Don’t be the thoughtless paddler who leaves disgusting toilet paper bombs for others to find. For the past decade, my wife, Cindy, our dog, and I (the canoe crew) have completed trips in the park ranging from 10 to 21 days. By packing carefully and taking essential gear, we were able to make most portages in two round trips per portage. We use Duluth packs lined with contractor grade garbage bags, and waterproof bags for gear and food. The fishing in Woodland Caribou is some of the best in North America, and many people supplement their rations with freshly caught fish. Walleye, Lake Trout, and Northern Pike are abundant. We have found that, using
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