Travel to Kingsmere Lake and Grey Owl’s Cabin by self-guided motor boat, canoe or kayak.
Ideal for those with an interest in famous figures and history of the land.
“Far enough away to gain seclusion, yet within reach of those whose genuine interest prompts them to make the trip, Beaver Lodge extends a welcome if your heart is right.” ~ Grey Owl
Your journey to Grey Owl’s Cabin begins at 8:00am when your group checks in at the Adventure Centre. Shortly after you travel 25 kilometers to the Kingsmere River landing where your watercraft is unloaded and the true journey begins.
You travel up stream approximately ½ a kilometer to the rail cart portage. Here you winch your watercaft out of the water and load it on a rail cart for a 700 metre portage before re-entering the river. You travel upstream another ½ kilometer to the mouth of Kingsmere Lake.
Upon entering the lake from the Kingsmere River it is a 14 km trek across Kingsmere Lake to the North End picnic site.
Ideally this trip skirts along the eastern shoreline of the lake providing opportunity to observe any wildlife that might be at the water’s edge. A number of points of interest can be observed on this journey.
Arriving at the North End picnic site you begin another short 3 km hike to “Beaver Lodge” on the shore of Ajawaan Lake. Upon arrival at Grey Owls Cabin you will be free to explore the upper and lower cabin as well as the grave site of Grey Owl and the internment sites of Anahareo and Shirley Dawn.
The trip home begins with the 3 km hike back to Kingsmere Lake, the 14 km trip back to the south end where you enter the Kingsmere River and travel back down the river to the portage. After the portage you continue down the river to the Kingsmere Landing. Your group then travels back to the Waskesiu Lake Adventure Centre to deregister.
Tips on Paddling to Grey Owls
You can rent canoes or kayaks for this trip from the Main Marina
It is recommended to go by canoe as our kayaks are not set up for lake paddling or carrying lots of gear
It is highly recommended that you plan to camp overnight. Due to the length of time and effort it takes to paddle there and back it is not recommended that you try to make this trip in one day.
You must register for a back country camping site with Parks Canada at the Visitor Center in the Waskesiu Townsite the day of your trip
We can supply foamies and tie down straps for you to transport a single canoe on your vehicle.
We can deliver up to seven canoes at one time to the landing
The weather plays the most important role in this trip. We will not release any watercraft if the wind speed is forecasted for 15 kilometers and over.
It is most important that you meet at the Main Marina Adventure Centre the day of your trip to register, get fitted for life jackets, last minute instructions and weather forecast.
Grey Owls by Power Boat
Please be advised, due to extremely low water levels at the Kingsmere Landing boat launch we are unable to offer fishing boat rentals on Kingsmere Lake at this time.
- Rent our 16 ft or 18 ft Aluminium Boat for a self-guided adventure to Grey Owl’s Cabin. (accommodates up to 6 – 7 passengers)
- Rate: 16 ft $370.00 / 18 ft $440.00 plus GST/PST and DMF voluntary fee
- Grey Owl Trips to Kingsmere operate on a day rate only. If your trip plan falls outside of this parameter please contact the Marina for customized pricing to suit your needs.
Note In total this trip will take 7 to 9 hours to complete, depending on the wind conditions on Kingsmere and how heavy the traffic is at the Kingsmere landing and the portage.
For you to trailer your boat up and back from the landing you require a vehicle with a towing bar, we can supply a receiver for towing.
You must supply the SGI operator’s number of the person operating the vehicle that is towing the boat and trailer. This is for liability and insurance purposes. SGI requires at least 48 hours for this process and can only be done Monday To Friday.
The weather plays the most important role in this trip. We will not release any water craft if the wind speed is forecasted for 15 kilometers and over.
It is most important that you meet at the Main Marina Adventure Centre the day of to register, get fitted for life jackets and last minute instructions and weather forecast.
Backcountry Campgrounds: Kingsmere Lake and Grey Owl Trail
Discover lakeside camping at its best on the shores of crystal clear Kingsmere Lake!
Plan a pilgrimage to Grey Owl’s Cabin or a backcountry fishing adventure and camp in style while staying at one of the designated campsites on Kingsmere Lake. There are seven backcountry camping campgrounds located on Kingsmere Lake, each offering a unique camping experience. Four of these campgrounds are accessible by hiking or biking the Grey Owl Trail.
Grey Owl Trail Campgrounds
Westwind Group Campground
Chipewyan Portage Campground
Sandy Beach Campground
Northend Campground and Group Camping
Other Kingsmere Campgrounds
Southend Campground
Bladebone Bay Campground
Pease Point Campground
All of the Kingsmere Lake campgrounds offer:
- Raised sand or gravel tent sites
- Pit toilets
- Picnic table & fire-pit at each site
- Bear cache
- Firewood
Be aware that Kingsmere Lake is large and presents wide fetches of open water. In extremely windy weather, it may be necessary to wait for calmer conditions before attempting to cross the lake.
Westwind Group Campground
Resting in a stand of spruce trees on the southeastern shore of Kingsmere Lake is the Westwind Group Campground. This is the first campground on the Grey Owl trail and is a great place for educational and not-for-profit groups to camp on a multiple day journey in the Kingsmere Lake area. When not reserved by educational or not-for-profit groups, the Westwind Group Campground is available to the public on a “first-come, first-served” basis.
Located 3.3km from the Grey Owl Trail trailhead the Westwind Campground offers:
- Group Camping for educational groups of up to 24 people
- 2 single and 2 double campsites (when not booked for educational groups)
Chipewyan Portage Campground
Located on the eastern shore of Kingsmere Lake the Chipewyan Portage Campground is the second campsite encountered on the Grey Owl Trail. The campground is also near the half-way point while boating or paddling north across Kingsmere Lake. At one point in history the Chipewyan Portage Campground was at the western end of a portage route between Kingsmere and Crean Lakes.
Located 6.7km from the Grey Owl Trail trailhead, Chipewyan Portage Campground offers:
- 1 single and 1 double campsite
Sandy Beach Campground
As its name suggests the Sandy Beach Campground is a beautiful lakeside campground located on the Northeastern shore of Kingsmere Lake. The third campsite on the Grey Owl Trail, Sandy Beach provides visitors with amazing lakescape and sunset views.
Located 12.8km from the Grey Owl Trail trailhead, Sandy Beach Campground offers:
- 2 single and 1 double campsites
Northend Campground and Group Camping
The Northend Campground is the closest campground to Grey Owl’s Cabin and the last campground on the Grey Owl Trail. Resting on the north shore of Kingsmere Lake this campground features a spectacular beach, a group camping area for educational groups and a shared kitchen shelter for use by campers, day hikers and boaters. When not reserved by educational or not-for-profit groups, the Northend Group Camping Area is available to the public on a “first-come, first-served” basis.
Located 16.8km from the Grey Owl Trail trailhead, Northend Campground offers:
- 4 single and 1 double campsites
- Group Camping for educational groups of up to 24 people
Southend Campground
The Southend Campground is located at the end of the Kingsmere River Trail (1.5km from trailhead) on the southern shore of Kingsmere Lake. Located only a short distance away from the Kingsmere River the Southend Campground often becomes the first stop on many trips across Kingsmere Lake or to the Bagwa Canoe Route. In addition to the designated campsites Southend Campground features a shared kitchen shelter for use by campers, day hikers and boaters.
Located 1.5km from the Kingsmere River trail trailhead, Southend Campground offers:
- 4 single and 3 double campsites
- Kitchen shelter
Bladebone Bay Campground
Accessible only by water, the Bladebone Bay Campground is located on the northwestern shore of Kingsmere Lake. The campground offers boaters and paddlers with a campsite sheltered from the prevailing northwest winds and an excellent swimming beach. Being one of the most remote backcountry campgrounds in the park makes Bladebone Bay Campground a true wilderness escape.
Located on the northwestern shore of Kingsmere Lake, Bladebone Bay Campground offers:
- 3 single and 1 double campsites
Pease Point Campground
Accessible only by water, the Pease Point Campground lays upon the western shore of Kingsmere Lake near the mouth of the Bagwa Lake channel. This campground makes an excellent base camp for anglers on Kingsmere Lake and marks the entrance to Bagwa Lake. Although motor boats can access the Pease Point Campground motorised vessels are not permitted beyond the white marker in the Bagwa Lake channel south of the campground.
Located on the western shore of Kingsmere Lake, Pease Point Campground offers:
- 4 single and 1 double campsites
