Harry Lake can be accessed via two routes: you can come down through the south end of Panache Lake, located in the City of Greater Sudbury, or you can travel north from Bell Lake, which is situated entirely within the park proper.  We selected the Bell Lake access point since it does not require the use of a motor boat – unlike the Panache Lake access – and can be paddled in a day – a long day. Bell is a big lake, as is Balsam, and both lakes need to be paddled nearly from end to end before arriving at the portage, which will take you into Pike Lake.  

The Pike Lake portage is short, but quite steep in sections, so it proved to be somewhat challenging when it came to transporting our gear. Additionally, although small, it also proved time consuming to navigate since the first half of the “paddle” was more of a “push.” This large swampy section of the lake required manoeuvring the canoe over and through numerous floating, smelly mud flats.  This was not easy in an 18-foot canoe loaded with three adults and a ton of gear.  Our total travel time, including the paddling and portaging, topped out at approximately 6 hours from Bell Lake to Harry Lake. 

The lake itself was a fantastic destination. What it lacked in the showy granite peaks of the La Cloche ridges, it made up for with a rugged shoreline that was thickly forested down to the water's edge. This year the weather was unusually balmy for the month of September, which extended the time of green in the woods.  I had been anticipating gorgeous displays of autumn colour throughout the hardwood forest but fall appeared to have other plans and the leaves had hardly begun to change when we were there. 

This prolonged summer weather turned out to be a blessing in disguise since our warm evenings enabled us to sit next to the fire well past dusk enjoying the mild temperatures and clear skies – free from bugs, I might add!  Each night a bright moon illuminated the entire forest with its blue glow and cast a light that made headlamps and flashlights unnecessary when moving about the campsite. The full moon did have some drawbacks, however, in that every woodland critter seemed to be amped up into overdrive all night.

With the woods standing still and not a puff of wind on the water every mouse and squirrel sounded like a bulldozer driving through the underbrush while the Barred Owl who elected to join us on our campsite sounded like he was hooting right inside the tent.  In the dark of the night wondering, “Is that a werewolf or a chipmunk?” well into the wee hours of the morning is not the best way to fall asleep.  The coup-de-grâce of the night-time chorus, however, was the pack of coyotes that got up to howling and yipping at the moon for hours.  They made such a racket that we immediately woke up and tried to pinpoint their location, all the while hoping that it did not happen to be our fire-pit.  During our next day investigations, we were able to identify their tracks in the mud one bay over from our campsite.

Sleep deprivation aside, our trip was fantastic and my only regret was not packing my fishing rod since Harry Lake looked like it would have been an excellent spot for bass fishing. We were able to enjoy the extended summer weather and I came away with some wonderful, picturesque photographs that I hope highlight Northeastern Ontario’s rugged, wild side.  When planning a trip into the Killarney backcountry I would highly recommend Harry Lake as a destination for adventurers looking to get off the beaten path and experience the region’s untamed wilderness at its best.