Quetico Provincial Park
Atikokan, ON, ON P0T 1C0
Covering an area of more than 1,135,000 acres (460,000 hectares, this vast untouched wilderness contains virgin boreal forest, pictograph-adorned granite cliffs, and thousands of lakes. Its remote setting—most of the park can only be accessed by canoe—has helped preserve its pristine splendor, as well as its wildlife.
The basics
Quetico Provincial Park offers a range of recreational activities, including hiking, swimming, fishing, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. The park’s secluded setting, immense size, and relatively low visitor numbers means you can explore large parts of the interior without encountering other people. For these same reasons, most visitors embark on multi-day expeditions here, typically canoeing and portaging into the park’s untouched interior. Choose between family-friendly drive-in camping at Dawson Trail Campground, rustic log cabins, or backcountry canoe-in camping. Campsites must be reserved in advance.
Things to know before you go
*Quetico Provincial Park is a must for adventure lovers and nature enthusiasts. *There are no restaurants or cell reception in the park. *Except for Dawson Trail, the park is accessible only by water; motorized boats are not allowed, meaning you’ll have to row your way into the interior on a canoe. *An all-terrain wheelchair can be borrowed from the Dawson Trail Heritage Pavilion, the starting point of the wheelchair-accessible boardwalk trail. *Follow leave-no-trace practices to minimize environmental impact.
How to get there
Quetico Provincial shares a border with Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Superior National Forest. The park is most commonly entered via Dawson Trail, which is situated off Highway 11 about 30 miles (48 kilometers) east of Atikokan.
When to get there
The weather is warmest and driest in the summer months. Mosquitoes and black flies come out in force in June and July, so it’s better to go in August or early September. If you are willing to brave the cooler temperatures, mid- to late-September is a good time to see the fall foliage.
The Dawson Trail Heritage Pavilion
To find out more about Quetico, browse the exhibits at the Dawson Trail Heritage Pavilion. An interpretive center details the park’s geology and biology, as well as its human history. Learn about the First Nations communities who once lived here, the pictographs found on the park’s cliff faces, and the French Canadian voyageurs who passed through on fur trade routes, as well as the many animals—from muskrats to wolves—who live within the park’s boundaries.
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