The Maukinak Trail runs from Atikokan to Dryden and includes: Seine River - Eye River - Dashwa Lake - Turtle Lake - Clearwater West Lake - White Otter Lake - Turtle River - Bending Lake - Long Lake - Wabigoon River - Wabigoon Lake First and foremost this section is a beach lovers' dream come true. From Dashwa Lake to Bending Lake you could camp on a beach every night! And so we did! As if gorgeous beach sites are not enough, this section of lakes on the route also hosts the most pristine and clear waters we have seen yet. Not a bad combo at all! On White Otter and Dibble Lake you can find sand spits which stretch out from campsites well into the lake. It is so very unbelievable to see people walk out on this spits and then DIVE off! Some spits have instant 30-40 feet drops! Another must-see on the Maukinak is White Otter Castle. This 100+ year old castle was built over 23 years by one man alone - Jimmy McOuet. It is an incredible building and an inspirational construction feat: three storeys and a turret!
The Maukinak also presents some white water possibilities on the Eye River ( the "floatable five") and the Turtle River. Both are navigable in each direction and lots of fun ( check out our Turtle River Blog for videos and more info!). From Bending Lake to Dryden is a relatively new route made accessible for paddlers by the Trans Canada Trail. All portages are freshly cut and signed. The area is not very populated by paddlers and we enjoyed searching for and creating new campsites. This area also comes highly recommended as a magnificent fishing area (by people who actually know lots about fishing, not us!).
SUGGESTED TRIPS [A] Dashwa Lake - Bending Lake : get a bit of it all! No upstream paddling, Turtle River optional sets and the castle! (7-10 days) [B] White Otter Lake : beaches and the castle! ( weekend getaway) [C] Turtle River Loop : shoot the Turtle River starting from White Otter and then take it South from Bending Lake down to MineCenter! (~5-7 days) TOP 3 MAUKINAK HIGHLIGHTS [1] Falls at North West White Otter Lake [2] Turtle River Rapids [3] Beaches of Clearwater West Lake