The Kejimkujik Canoe Routes

Kejimkujik Lake has a variety of campsites, some of which are located on islands adding to the magic and solitude of a wilderness canoe trip. Convenient access to the lake is right here at Jake’s Landing. We have a huge parking lot where you can leave your vehicle for as many nights as you need for free (the parking lots are secure and we've never had any trouble). There are two other parking lots within the park which provide different access points to canoe routes– Big Dam and Eel Weir; each with free, large parking lots.

The Big Dam – Frozen Ocean loop is a quintessentially classic Keji canoe trip. There are many beautiful campsites along this route. Many folks leave their vehicle at Jake’s Landing and use our shuttle service to take themselves and their kit up to the Big Dam access point where they’ll begin their canoe trip back to Jake’s Landing via the loop. We recommend a minimum of two nights so you have some time to take in as much enjoyment as possible. We often try to get one night on either Big Dam or Frozen Ocean lakes, followed by a second night on Little River or Kejimkujik Lake.

The Southern Lakes canoe route is my favourite. The only access to this more remote location is guarded by longer portages which keeps the crowds from reaching this magical area. Beautiful beaches and island campsites abound, and this canoe trip can be turned into a loop if you access it via portages A,B and C and return via portage E. Although portage E's distance of 2.3 kilometres is daunting, it's my favourite because of the beautiful old growth hardwood forest you walk through. There are many portage rests along this trail.

Not confident in your backcountry tripping skills? We offer these classic canoe trips as guided experiences!

Many paddlers with destinations in the Park’s southern lakes use the Eel Weir as their access point. This is a good strategy if departure from Jake’s Landing means bucking a headwind across the lake. The distance to Minards Bay from either Jake’s Landing or Eel Weir is roughly the same, with the Eel Weir route coming in only marginally shorter.

Kejimkujik Campsite Reservations can be made through this Parks Canada Website

5 Essentials For Keji's Backcountry

1. The Kejimkujik Backcountry Guide (showing all campsites, portage trails, and cabins overlayed on a NRCan 1:50,000 topo)
2. Water purification (we use the MSR Basecamp-- Don't lug gallons of water with you when you have lake after lake of amazing water)
3. Starchart or a similar smartphone app (you're in one of the best Dark Sky Preserves, so prepare yourself for a galactic adventure)
4. Collapsable camp chair (yes, there's a picnic table at each site, but nothing beats kicking back at the end of the day in a comfy chair)
5. Tough Sandals (we use Chacos, but Teva's will do- save your hikers for the alpine and wear your sandals with comfort on the trail, in the water and paddling a canoe)