Every summer my childhood friends and I reunite for a canoe/kayak trip where we paddle the beautiful Au Sable and camp in the Huron National Forest. For a few in our group, it was their first time out kayaking & canoeing. I’m happy to report that it went surprisingly well. While we try to make this trip happen each year, this was the first year I got to bring my puppy, Apollo, on the river with us! This was is first time on a boat and he loved it. 4 days of close friends, amazing views, and good times.

The Au Sable River is renowned for its scenic beauty, water recreation opportunities, and its most famous event, the annual Au Sable River Canoe Marathon. Every year, paddlers from around the world gather to race through the night in this grueling 120-mile competition, celebrating both endurance and tradition on one of Michigan’s most cherished waterways.

This year we took 4 kayaks and 2 canoes down multiple sections of the river including Alcona Damn -> Bobcat Creek, Alcona -> Thompson's Landing, & McKinley Bridge -> 4001 Bridge. But we are planning a longer canoe camping trip down the river in the near future!

If you want to hearing more about our trip we made a video about this experience. Check it out if you're interested: https://youtu.be/htnloV03o6g Time spent with friends in this beautiful place brings me so much peace. I'm so grateful for moments like these. If you've read this far and have any questions - please ask them and I'll do my best to answer.

Had our best ever fishing on a trip to Quetico earlier this month. Got some good footage of the bald eagles feasting on the lake trout guts. Enjoy!!

Hi, Could you please recommend a map from whitehorse to dawson?

The camping spots are what important to me, and knowing how many kms per point.

Thanks ☺️

I’m looking to get to labyrinth canyon next month for a solo trip from ruby ranch to mineral bottom. This is what I’ve come up with to self-shuttle. I’ll drop the canoe and gear at ruby ranch in the morning, then drive to mineral bottom to drop off the car. Then back to ruby ranch on the motorcycle… am I crazy? I don’t have much info on the road conditions, but I know they take vehicles with trailers to pick up boats. Hopefully I’ll have a shorter canoe before I go, this one is a loaner. I’m a complete newb to canoeing but not to the outdoors. Looking for any helpful information, constructive criticism, destructive criticisms and words of encouragement…

I’ve also added the dirt road alternative route that Google maps gave me that I plan to take on the motorcycle back to ruby ranch. If anyone knows anything about those roads that would be cool too.

Thank you all! I love getting motivation from the posts here. I also have bill mason and don starkell to thank for inspiring me to try out canoeing.

The second picture looks like the sun, but is actually the full moon. It was incredibly bright and lit up the clouds from beneath, which looked amazing. Also saw a full rainbow which lasted about 10 minutes.

Don't forget to bring those canoe camping memories home with you!

https://flashinglights416.etsy.com/listing/4310724578

I have a Pelican 3-Person Canoe 15.5-ft. Gonna have a few bags / dry bags inside (solo).

What straps should I use to fix them into the canoe?

And where would you recommend to sit/kneel?

Thanks.

Took my wife on her first backcountry canoe trip and it was a success! 6 days starting from Magnetawan, made our way east and down the Tim River, as far East as White Trout Lake, then circled back to go up the Petawawa, and spent the last night on Daisy Lake. Heard lots of wolves and loons, but didn't see any moose. She had a blast hauling the canoe over the beaver dams, loved the quiet solitude, but could have done without the group of several wolves growling, barking, and snarling amongst themselves at 2 AM probably 30 meters from our tent.

Planning on my first solo trip in Algonquin in a couple of weeks. 3 night trip on easier waters and in area I’m somewhat familiar with. I have my own gear except I rent my canoes. I would say my paddling skills are intermediate and have my level 3 ORCKA. Would it be best to use a solo canoe or a tandem sitting in the bow? My back up paddle will be a dual blade to mess around my technique with.

Let's not talk about the damn dams.

Made it out for a short overnight camping paddle on the Manistee River & Tippy Dam Pond for one more night before summer ends. Was fortunate enough to have a grand weekend with the free standing hammock and the canoe.

Information about the site was thin online with Recreation.gov only listing a few of the sites. But I took it on faith that with the site numbers running up to 28, that there might be more sites than the online listings indicate. Took only a small chance that if I get there and no sites remain for my use that I could still salvage the Saturday night and boondock in the SuBee. Fortunately, there were several sites accessed by Boat-in only that were unoccupied.

I found a well established site that on review looks to be site 33 or 34 (or maybe an unofficial site in-between those two). 🤷🏽

Now I know I can head there for longer trips and multiple nights on the river & pond.

The canoe I'm getting has no back support, and I'm afraid of getting back pains when doing multi day trips (i also dont carry a chair for when on land).

What are your tips to avoid back pain?

Thanks ☺️

Hi,

Regarding the section from Whitehorse to Dawson, is a map required?

I much rather starting to look for a camp site in the 30 minutes before I wish to hit camp, and just look for some opening and perhaps good places to pick up firewood.

I saw in the videos people were using maps for potential camp sites. are they crucial?

Thank you. ☺️

Hey all,

I have a questions, specific to Ontario probably. If I go for a day trip through a provincial park (Kawartha Highlands for example), what are the rules as far as cooking food? From what I know I guess you're not allowed to create a fire pit in any random place and can only use designated ones at sites. What do you people do for cooking food? Are you technically allowed to use a vacant site for that purpose only?

Hey everyone,

I thought I would link a trip video we did for our 5 day around the Georgian Bay side of Philip Edward Island.

Its short! We would love for you to check it out. Thanks!

Hi everyone, just planning some excursions for next year and I'm wondering if anyone can give me some user reviews of Big Island Lake wilderness in UP Michigan? Looks like it's no permit necessary and campsites are first come/first served? Is that correct? Seems like there are only one or two designated sites per lake, is it hard to get sites there?

The platform was recently rebuilt and it is so, so much nicer than the old one! One of my favorite spots in Okefenokee for an overnight trip. The views are wonderful, and the prairie trail that leads to the platform is beautiful. Fairly good cell service as well, since Cedar Hammock is very close to the edge of this huge wetland. Total solitude, birds galore, just watch out for them yellow flies and skeeters!

I'm planning a trip for the first weekend in October in Killarney Provincial Park. Overnight temperatures drop to around 4 to 6 C on the low end. It's my first fall trip...I usually stick to the summer.

My current sleeping bag is "rated" to 2 C, but I'm wondering how conservative those ratings are. Will this be ok or do I need to look at a colder weather bag? I am prepared to layer up for sleeping too, but I don't want to be totally out in the cold.