The description of the 6-day Killarney trip sounds gorgeous, but might be a bit intimidating to those new to back country camping. The "Poker Lake" system provides a great low-stress introduction to this wonderful form of camping.

The Poker Lake system straddles highway 118, east of Bracebridge. There are actually two different routes: the southern route consists mainly of Big East Lake, which is quite beautiful and is indeed a big lake - easily occupying a couple of days of leisurely paddling. The only necessary portage on this route is the short portage from the parking area down to the access point. The north route consists of a number of lakes, including the eponymous Poker Lake, and a number of short portages - a good second step or second trip after trying out the southern route.

All the campsites on this route are reservable.

Adminstrative changes in recent years can make it a bit tricky to find information on the web. The lakes and canoe routes are now managed by Haliburton Highlands Water Trails (HHWT), in co-operation with MNR. A link to their main web site is provided below.

Ontario "Near North", Canada