Harness Lake, Algonquin Provincial Park

Description

Harness Lake, Algonquin Provincial Park. http://myselfreliance.com/harness-lake-algonquin-park/

Harness Lake is impressive, with eleven fantastic campsites, an interesting shoreline, good Lake Trout fishing and two vastly different ways to access it – by canoe or by hiking along the Highland Backpacking Trail. Neither route is easy though, and despite its proximity to two unique access points, Harness Lake is certainly not the busiest lake in Algonquin Park. Two long portages separate it from the Cache Lake access point, and the hike in from the Highland trail head can take six hours of steady walking.

I’m on Harness early after completing the short, scenic 145m portage from Pardee Lake where I spent the night. I’m surprised to find a very shallow bay at the foot of the waterfall – for some reason I was expecting more moving water with a deep water channel that would attract feeding trout. It’s not that.

But, as soon as I reach the mouth of this bay, the lake opens up, the shoreline gets steeper and several scenic campsites come into view along the eastern shoreline.

Five backpacking campsites are located along the eastern shore and cannot be reserved by canoeists. However, the remaining six campsites are actually superior in any event, and you really can’t go wrong with either one of them.

The winds are lighter today and are more westerly so there’s a light chop on the water, but the orientation of the lake is such that wind is not an issue on Harness Lake today. The portage to Head Lake has a nice sand beach landing, so I pull up and take a short break, enjoying the view down the lake. There isn’t a single canoeist or hiker here today, so I have the lake to myself.

I’ve decided that I want to make today, my last day paddling in Algonquin Park this season, as long as possible, so I’m going to detour down Head Creek and up the Madawaska River instead of portaging from Head Lake directly into Cache Lake. This will add several hours of travelling, so I’d better be on my way. Continue Day 3…

Tags: algonquin provincial park,canoeing,camping,canoetrip,Ontario,canada,self reliance,my self reliance

Video Transcription

ernest lake south end looking north nicely I trophy Ernest Lake southernmost campsite the hiking trail the backpacking curl goes up over that region around that Bay but looks like probably up to him look very pretty like down there just to back I backpacking trail campsites and this one is also accessible from the trail on the loop but this is actually a canoe camp site and it's beautiful but halfway down the lake on the east side of the lake Aparna sign I like that site it's the same site on the east side halfway down perfect site nice flat open area with grassy side three a couple another Island over there another nice Island campsite at the north end of harness lake but you could sit there in the evening sitting by the fire and cut you go bowling to let the believe haven't seen anybody all day and not one person's can't honestly I know it's Monday late in the year but still there you can see browse line very distinct browse line from deer in the winter right at four foot level isaac rh with all the hemlocks an area they probably try to winter here as long as they can until the wolves push them over the snow gets too deep this week quintilius force officers 100 yards of these logs on this sport oyster little section on the finest leg up to head