Maple Mountain Loop
Total distance: 95 km
Number of portages: 8
Total portage length: 2495 m
Recommended time: 4 nights (5 days)
Maple Mountain looms large over the landscape and in the local consciousness. Revered as the resting place of ancestral spirits, it is a sacred site for the Teme-Augama Anishnabai. (Its Ojibwe name, Chee-bay-jing, means “place where the spirits go.”) With views from every angle, it is easy to imagine the spirits keeping watch over all of Temagami. Looking out over seemingly endless forests and lakes, you can’t help but feel awe at the beauty of the place. You will also see patches of blackened trees and bare rocks from a 2018 forest fire - reminders of the fragility and resilience of the land.
On this trip, local history is just below the surface - literally. Several of the lakes on this route were flooded a century ago, the combined effect of a hydro dam (still existing, many kilometres away) and a logging dam (now gone). When you lift your canoe over the adorably tiny Lady Evelyn Falls, remember that it was once a rushing cascade. When you paddle easily from one lake to the next, imagine how many years ago there would have been a portage at each narrows! Above the water line, you’ll find pictographs on the north end of Diamond Lake, and a decommissioned fire ranger tower on the summit of Maple Mountain.
Starting at Ferguson Bay on Lake Temagami, you will experience seven lakes on the way to the mountain, most of them wide, deep and clear. Temagami and Lady Evelyn are both large lakes with motorboats and cottages, although this route crosses them in relatively quiet areas. More than half the route is within provincial parks, with minimal boat traffic. As you near Maple Mountain, the lakes get smaller and quieter. In fact, Tupper Lake, at the base of the mountain, is so small that we recommend base camping on nearby Hobart. The creek connecting Hobart and Tupper is a favourite grazing spot for moose - a testament to its peacefulness.
The hike up Maple Mountain, accessed from Tupper’s southwest shore, is 3.3 km long and takes about an hour and a half to the top. The summit is presided over by an old fire tower, long abandoned but still beckoning to adventurers. The lower ladder rungs have been removed to discourage climbing. Even without the added height of the tower, the view from the base of the tower is far-reaching and beautiful.
What you’ll love about it:
Minimal portages for its length
Beautiful lakes
Great hiking opportunity
Gorgeous view
Pictographs
Loop means you can self-shuttle
Other things to consider:
Requires at least 3 nights of permits (check current rates here)
Larger bodies of water (can be windy)
Partial motorboat presence