Dates : October 12 to 14, 2025
Total Distance Traveled: 27.8km Portages : 5 Total Portage Distance : 1.3km
Introduction
The first and only time I canoe camped at The Massassauga was back in the early 2000s. I brought five friends to the park via the Pete’s Place access point and took them out onto the waters of Georgian Bay. Looking back now, I realize I was way over my head. Not only was I new to canoe camping, but I had no idea how rough the waters could get along the parks western edge.
For my second visit, I decided to start from the Two legged Lake access point. Not only is it more sheltered from the wind, but the routes also run through smaller lakes – much like those in Algonquin. Our destination would be a popular campsite on Clearwater Lake.
My partner for this trip was Victor, a former colleague who had joined me earlier this year for a tough paddle along the Tim River. This one in contrast would be a relaxed outing.
And of course, Hana the portage puppy came along too. This trip marked her 24th day in the backcountry this year. Way to go, little buddy!
October 12, 2025
Day 1 – Three Legged Lake In to Campsite #11
Distance Covered : 6.2km
Portages : 1 (370m)
Total Portage Distance : 370m
Total Time : 1:32hrs
Our first day began with the latest start of any of my trips to date. My partner had some prior commitments which pushed our departure to 12:30pm. That was fine, though, since the Massassauga was relatively close to Toronto.
Despite stopping for a quick lunch and an LCBO run, we still managed to arrive at the Three Legged Lake put-in by 3:45pm.
The weather was warm with clear skies as we set off shortly after 4pm. About thirty minutes of paddling brought us to the first and only (370m) portage of the day, which we completed in just over ten minutes. We eventually arrived at our campsite on site #11 by 5:40pm, giving us enough time to set up for the night.
The campsites at The Massassauga provincial park were quite nice. Each one seemed to be equipped with a fairly new picnic table, a large fire pit, and an sturdy grill for cooking. It reminded me of the Kawartha Highlands provincial park except without the cottages – at least after the first lake.
Campsite #11 sat on a point above a narrow channel, offering great views at the expense of the occasional canoe passing right in front of us. Although it was spacious, we had to walk a few minutes away from the main area to find some flat spots for our tents. Since our stay was short, any site would’ve worked, but next time, I might go for something with a little less traffic.
For this trip, my partner brought along a fishing rod – but it seemed like he was using it more as an arm workout than for catching fish.
October 13, 2025
Day 2 – Campsite #11 to Clear Campsite #31 (Clear Lake)
Distance Covered : 8.3km
Portages : 1 (645m)
Total Portage Distance : 645m
Total Time : 3:10hrs
The second day of our trip would be the easiest. Our destination wasn’t too far away and only involved some short portages.
The weather was perfect, so we took our time preparing breakfast and coffee before heading off at a leisurely 10:12am.
The campsites we passed as we made our way south looked very nice from the water. Unlike ours the previous night, many had their picnic table at the edge of the water, which was a nice feature.
Before long, we made good progress towards our destination of Clear Lake – until we realized we had missed a turn off to the east. This wasn’t a big mistake since our route was an alternative way of reaching the campsite, but it involved a 645m portage vs a 90m and 165m portage. It was also marked as being quite steep.
In all fairness, my partner and I discussed doing this tougher route on the way back the next day for some variety, so after a quick chat we decided to take the longer portage to Clear Lake. Since we had plenty of time and heavier packs on this day, we decided to double carry the portage.
Looking back, it wasn’t too bad and we definitely could’ve single carried it but the portage trail itself was quite scenic so doing it several times was quite enjoyable.
A short 20 minute paddle brought us to our campsite for the night: An island located in the middle of Clear Lake. If it weren’t for the campsite located across from us on the shore, this one would easily to rank as one of the best I’ve stayed on. It had enough space for several tents, a kitchen and fire pit located close to the waters edge, and since it was an island, you can walk around and catch the sun rise and sun set.
Having arrived just after 1pm, we had plenty of time to set up for the night before relaxing. As a bonus, a previous user of this campsite chopped up plenty of wood for the campfire, although we supplied most of our own since we had lots of time. My partner even managed to snag a small bass but lost it just before he could grab it. At least it made bringing the rod worthwhile.
Dinner for me was mostly left overs from the previous day but my partner brought along some pre-marinated lamp chops which we cooked on the fire. They went perfectly with the “beverages” we brought along.
October 14, 2025
Day 3 – Campsite #31 (Clear Lake) to Three Legged Lake Put-In
Distance Covered : 13.2km
Portages : 3 (165m, 90m, 370m)
Total Portage Distance : 625m
Total Time : 3:25hrs
Our final day had just one objective : to arrive in Toronto before rush hour. The previous night, we calculated that we’d have to leave our campsite at around 8:30am to arrive back in Richmond Hill by 3:30pm. To that end, we both set our alarm clocks to 6:30am.
Waking up in the dark wasn’t fun, but there was a silver lining – the morning scenery. The transition from darkness to light, along with the rising mist was so stunning that we missed our planned departure by 15 minutes.
The route back consisted of the 165m and 90m portages we missed the previous day. They were quite simple and before long, we passed our first campsite before arriving back at the car before 12:30pm.
Perhaps I was biased by the great weather but The Massassauga has quickly risen in my ranks as one of my favorite destinations, especially for bringing new people. Travel time is similar to the Kawartha and Algonquin Highlands and yet the scenery is better with fewer cottages and from the campsites I’ve seen, they looked to be much better maintained and equipped.
