TREASURES AND TRAILS IN NORTHEASTERN ONTARIO
IN NORTHEASTERN ONTARIO
Sand dunes, forested trails and gold mines made for a weekend of wheeling bliss.
It was mid-August when I realized that summer was passing by fast and that my camping trips had been few and far between. My father was interested in joining me on an adventure so we began planning an off-roading trip to help make the most of the season. Since most of the campgrounds at the destinations we wanted to visit in Southern Ontario were full, we looked at possible places to the north. Low and behold, we came across Esker Lakes Provincial Park, a 1,150 km (715 mi) roundtrip from my residence in Stouffville, ON, to the heart of Northeastern Ontario where we could camp, explore, and of course, get down and dirty with some off-road action.
After reserving our site online by visiting the Ontario Parks website, our trip was set. On the day of our departure, the Ford F150 was gassed up, the truck camper was loaded with the essential gear and supplies, and my Jeep CJ7 (that was being flat-towed) was secured on the hitch.
Located about six hours straight north from my house (past North Bay), Esker Lakes Park is a legacy of glaciers that retreated some 10,000 years ago, forming a series of kettle lakes, hills and sand dunes. Even though the series of lakes are small, they make for great canoeing, swimming and fishing – all easily accessible by a short hike or portage.
Day 1
Following our long journey, we arrived at the park in the early evening, set up camp and planned the next day’s adventure. With limited cell service, we were glad we brought along our Garmin GPS and Backroads Maps Book to plot out our day trips. We then relaxed around the campfire and chatted with some neighbouring campers before turning in for the night under a star-lit sky.
The next morning, we unhooked the CJ7
and began our day of exploring the region.
This part of the province is close to the Quebec/Ontario border and Quebec Route
117 meets up with Highway 11 in Ontario via Highway 66.
Kirkland Lake is the nearest town to the park and we decided to look around. Our first stop was at the Toburn Gold Mine on the east side of town. Through a self-guided, interactive tour, we learned that Kirkland Lake is located along the “mile of gold,” which consists of seven major mines that once yielded extraordinary wealth from one of the world’s largest gold deposits.
While the Toburn Gold Mine closed in 1953, the rising price of gold led to renewed exploration in the area. Since 2005 there have been new discoveries and the Macassa Mine on the west side of town is now considered one of the highest gold-grade mines in the world.
After fueling the CJ7 and a quick lunch break, we left Kirkland Lake to enjoy some of the trails and interesting conservation areas I marked on the GPS. Driving north to Highway 101, we turned east and stopped at Ghost Mountain where we found a trail that lead us up a few hundred meters. Judging by the thick vegetation, it was apparent no one had used this trail for a few years – and being as thick as it was – we decided to turn around.
Never to be deterred, we doubled back and went around the other side with another trail, only to hit a dead end. My father suggested we drive north out to Lake Abitibi since we didn’t have a fixed agenda. Being a weekday, we encountered a road crew that were grading and clearing the highway so we doubled back again, and went west on 101 to Tower Road South where other rural roads and trails awaited.
During our ‘exploring’ we took many marked and unmarked dirt roads. Being so
isolated, it seemed like we hadn’t communicated with anyone for hours and after seeing enough on our first day, we made our way back to the park, knowing more exploring was on the agenda for the following day.
Day 2
The next morning, following a short hike to the lake, we packed a lunch and set out for more trails. We started at the Tower Road entrance, which comes out just north of the park. This is a bumpy gravel road and once we arrived at an intersection we turned north. Finding ourselves running on smooth dirt and sand terrain, my father and I felt like rally drivers as we sped along the dunes and hills.
I noticed a conservation reserve on the GPS that looked interesting so we ventured there. Once on the side trail, we were met with downed trees and dense vegetation, causing us to greatly reduce speed and carefully meander our way through or under overhanging branches. After about an hour, we realized this was going to be more of a challenge than we thought so we doubled back to try a different way. The next trail was much easier and after getting through more of the thick greenery, we ended up on the north side.
Once at the conservation reserve, we stopped for lunch and enjoyed the view of the lake before hitting more of the sand trails. Again, many took us to a dead end, or a lake or an intersection with more roads leading in all directions. With the tracks function on the GPS activated we could see where we had been, which was handy as it would be easy to get lost out here since the sandy hills and trees seemed to go on forever. But after a long day in the Jeep, we drove back to the park.
The remainder of the afternoon was spent cooling off in the water, chatting with some local anglers and enjoying the views of the quiet lake. Later that evening, we turned in with a full view of the stars and the sound of loons and coyotes in the distance. The next morning, we packed up our gear, hooked up the CJ, and then set out for the long journey home. See you next time!