A great deal, but campers should know what’s in store

SALTWIRE NETWORK covered cathole.

It’s a good idea to check with each province’s department responsible for these wilderness areas as the rules can vary from one region to the other. Some do not allow camping in all areas and may require taking out free permits before people can head into those forests.

Campers are also urged by provincial officials to be realistic about their own capabilities and their expectations about the likelihood of finding good places to pitch their tents before heading into wilderness areas. These places can be huge.

The Tobeatic wilderness area in Nova Scotia, for example, spans almost 1,200 square kilometres and includes more than 100 lakes, making it the biggest protected area in the Maritimes. An almost barren landscape surrounded by pockets of oldgrowth pine and hemlock, this is a beautiful spot for camping but it’s also a massive area.

And yet, even the Tobeatic pales in size compared to Newfoundland's 2,895-square-kilometre Bay du Nord wilderness reserve, the wintering and calving grounds of a herd of 15,000 woodland caribou.

“Some of these areas are beautiful examples of nature and as people experience them they want to share them with others …. but if it takes you two days to canoe to a lake, there are fewer camping areas there,” said Labor.

These are places hardiest of campers. to hide all traces for of only the the