IC,

I think you'd be wise to talk it through with someone in the Quetico Park office.  I believe they'll want to know that you are "making reasonable progress from wherever you enter the park systems to your actual entry point."  At least THAT's how that worded to me, sixteen years ago, under similar (but not exactly the same) circumstances.  Here is what happened.

I accessed Quetico via Beaverhouse (before Beaverhouse was technically an official part of the park, I believe; anyway, there was/is no permit for "Beaverhouse").  I wanted my actual "entry point" to be Three Mile Lake.  The usual way to do that is to hire a local outfitter to run you down to Three Mile via Flanders road (they dump you off at Wisa Lake).  I've done it that way before.  This particular trip, however, I wanted to camp a couple nights on the west end of Beaverhouse, then paddle down the Quetico and Namakan rivers to Three Mile Lake.  So, I asked the folks at the Atikokan Office for a entry permit dated three days later.   

They didn't want to let me do it that way.  I asked, "How, then, SHOULD I do it?"  They huddled up and came back to me with a permit  dated for that very day... and then asked me to make "reasonable progress" from Beaverhouse to Three Mile Lake.  "Reasonable progress" went undefined, so I said no more about my intent to camp a couple nights on Beaverhouse.  Clearly, they did not want me "making waves."  Maybe they just wanted "park fees" for those three days. Anyway, they opted to play Sergeant Schultz, seemingly preferring to "know nothing" about what I actually did. 

My opinion?  While there's a chance this still could be a gray area in park policy, I suspect they'll issue you the permit for the date you want IF you explain your situation. There must be dozens of folks who do this every year (either individually or through outfitters).  I've got to believe there's a way to handle it.

Jimbo   

Quote:


  I consider the BIG difference between the US and Canadian dollar a discount.
15 CA is about 11.25 US.
You guys that can drive into the Q and out again on ONE tank of US gas make out too. You fill your gas tank in CA, you'll have sticker shock the first time. 

One other question for you guys. Since our group is going to be fairly large, I'm looking into alternate sites for us. Has anyone stayed on the campsites in the middle of Tuck Lake?

goblu79 wrote on May 8^th, 2019 at 10:04pm:


If you don't get any responses here, go to PaddlePlanner look there. They have those campsites you mentioned and reviews of people who used them.

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Camp L5 on Tuck could accommodate a large group. Site is high above the water on a large flat area atop a twenty foot cliff. Great, dramatic views. Numerous tent sites. Best landing access is to the north of the site. Good swimming off of ledge rock close to the water some 100 yards south of the main site. Only drawback to the site (beside the steep scramble up the slope to get there) is that the woods are so thick behind the campsite that using the "facilities" can be a bit of an ordeal.

On Robinson HN and HV are average sites capable of handling large groups. J9 is a beautiful site also capable of large groups. JR is an extended site or multiple sites- the main location is on the bump on the east side of the island not at the southern tip. This is the best site for large groups on Robinson. It is vast. Also a very pleasant site, especially for a big group.

The site GN on Moose Bay is well used with dramatic elevated view across Moose Bay. Good place for big groups. Room to roam. A note that Azalea means Crooked Lake rather than Basswood Lake in his post. I routinely spend my last night on Robinson (or first night in the  off season) when exiting via Mudro. It is about 7 hours of travel at moderate pace double portaging from the middle of Robinson to Mudro landing.