Type: Backcountry
Park: Algonquin
My favourite places are as much about the memories as they are about the scenery. The “Last Chance” takeout at Crooked Chute on the Petawawa River has a campsite that is both spectacular and memorable for me. I have no idea when I first paddled the river with my family or how many times we did it but I still go down it every 2 or 3 years and every time I do I make sure to camp at the brink of Crooked Chute. You feel the raw power of a river at its biggest drops and at Crooked Chute I feel that energy, but it also stirs up my memories of trips long ago and sometimes I hear the laughter and voices from those past adventures in the tumbling water.
How to get there:
Crooked Chute is usually our first campsite on a typical 3 day trip down this section of the Petawawa that is so popular with white water canoeists. We access Algonquin Park from the Sand Lake Gate on the east side of the Park and pre-arrange a vehicle shuttle to McManus Lake. We then continue driving to Lake Travers where we start our journey. Crooked Chute is something like a 20 km paddle from the put-in, and be warned: the approach to the chute is very dangerous, so use extreme caution when approaching it and all rapids!
By Becky Mason
Becky Mason is a canoe instructor, artist, filmmaker and writer among other things. In 1987 she founded her company Classic Solo Canoeing and ever since she has been teaching canoeing courses from her base in Chelsea Quebec. Becky has also made two award -winning instructional canoeing videos that you can download from her website.
This is part of a blog series that features favorite campsites of popular Ontario Outdoor enthusiasts. To follow this blog series, subscribe to our email newsletter.
Leave a Reply