Ojibway Provincial Park – Travel Guide

Fishing
The cool clean waters of Little Vermilion Lake and the surrounding waters of the many lakes and rivers of the English River system are tailor made for fishing and provide some of the best sport fishing in the province.

Well known as a prime muskellunge (muskie) destination, anglers also have a great chance of landing:

• Lake Trout
• Northern Pike
• Walleye
• Bass
• Perch

For a complete fishing adventure make sure to check out the adjoining waters of:

• Vermilion Lake
• Minnitaki Lake
• Lac Seul

Great fishing is also to be found in some of the smaller bodies of water located within the confines of the parks boundaries including:

• Cedarbough Lake
• Terry Lake
• Chicago Bay

Ojibway Provincial Park also hosts an annual bass fishing tournament. Ask for details at the park office.

Camping

Campsites in this wild and untamed area are few and far between so Ojibway Provincial Park is a very popular destination among outdoor enthusiasts who camp here and then go about on their way with the other activities that brought them to the region in the first place.

There are 45 campsites in total of which 22 have electrical service and the sites are available for booking from mid May until Labour Day in early September. There is one group camping area where up to 25 people can be accommodated. A few of the sites can be leased for the season and the limited amount of sites and the parks popularity means they fill up fast and should be booked in advance. For reservations and information call: (807) 737-2033.

The park provides full facilities including flush toilets and showers and there is also a laundromat and small park store where limited supplies can be purchased.

At night expect to hear the quietness broken by the many local wolves howling.

Canoeing/Kayaking

As part of the historic English River system canoeing has long been a way of life to local inhabitants and Ojibway Provincial Park links to several of the popular canoe routes in the area. Canoe, kayak and paddleboat rentals are available within the park and a good many of the visitors who come to this remote park are here to explicitly participate in this popular activity, utilizing Ojibway as their home base they explore the many lakes, rivers and streams of the extensive English River system.

Swimming

The cool waters of Little Vermilion Lake are perfect for swimming and there is a very nice sandy beach located within the park. The park’s small rental shop on the lake also rents various personal floatation devices to help enhance this summertime activity.

Boating

There are countless lakes of varying sizes in this part of the Canadian Shield and thus boating is one of the more popular activities. Check the houses of the locals and you will see that most have some sort of watercraft. Being on part of the English River system Ojibway Provincial Park naturally caters to this summer activity and provides a couple of boat launches.

In addition to Little Vermilion Lake the park also fully encompasses a number of smaller bodies of water suitable for smaller craft including two fairly large enclosed lakes called:

• Terry Lake
• Cedarbough Lake

Boat storage is also available within the park.

Hiking

11 kilometers (6.6 miles) of trails wind through the dense pine forests past some interesting vegetation such as:

• Wild Rice
• Lady’s Slipper Orchids
• Labrador Tea
• Water-lily’s
• Lichen

There are a number of vistas and lookouts offering beautiful views over the lakes and hikers can often encounter wildlife such as:

• Black Bear
• Otters
• Moose
• Deer

In all there are 6 hiking trails within Ojibway Provincial Park and none are difficult to complete.

The trails are as follows:

• • Lakeshore Trail – The longest trail in the park it is 6 kilometres (3.6 miles) in length and is of moderate difficulty but will take anywhere up to 3 hours to complete. Skirting the shoreline of Little Vermilion Lake you will encounter four interpretive stops where the geology and vegetation of the lakeshore will be explained.

• • Red Pine Trail – The shortest trail in the park it is only ½ kilometre (1/3 mile) in length and is very easy to navigate and should take anywhere from 20 – 30 minutes to complete. There are nine interpretive stops along the route explaining the various vegetation encountered.

• • Boreal Trail – A nice 1.5 kilometre (1 mile) long trail through the lush boreal forest common in sunset country it is very easy to complete and should take no more than an hour. Along the way you will pass by a number of trees endemic to the area including:
    • Jack Pines
    • White Birch
    • Black Spruce
    • White Spruce
  • Ridge Bottom Trail – The second longest trail in the park it is 2.8 kilometres (1.6 miles) long and is of moderate difficulty but should take no more than 90 minutes to complete. There are fourteen interpretive stops along the route explaining the various moss, lichens and fungi encountered along the way.

• • Terry Lake Trail – A small lake fully confined within the boundaries of Ojibway Provincial Park Terry Lake is a great place to fish or sit and try to spot wildlife. The trail is only 1.5 kilometres (1 mile) long and is very easy to navigate and at most should take an hour to complete.

• • Little Walking Trail – The second shortest trail within the park it is only 0.8 kilometres (0.5 miles) long and is very easy to complete and should take anywhere between 30 – 45 minutes. Along the route you will encounter twelve interpretive stops that describe the flora and fauna that you may encounter in the region.

Picnicking

As previously mentioned the park is very popular among locals who utilize it for swimming, fishing and picnicking. Picnic shelters are located in the park and can be reserved in advance which is highly recommended as they are limited and are regularly used for family functions.

Winter Activities

Ojibway Provincial Park is open year round but most of the facilities are only open during the summer months from mid-May to Labour Day (early September).

The park is however open for use and visitors are able to partake in the following winter activities:

• • Cross-country skiing
  • Snowshoeing
  • Snowmobiling