Fifty Places to Camp Before You Die

by Chris Santella

  * * *

  MARIÈVE THERRIAULT has been working with Parks Canada since the year 2000. For the past ten years, she has worked at Cape Breton Highlands National Park, first as a park interpreter and now as the product development officer, where she leads new projects to build on the park’s inventory of memorable visitor experiences. Mariève is an avid hiker and trail runner.

  If You Go

  Getting There: Air Canada (888-247-2262; www.aircanada.com) offers daily flights to Halifax, Nova Scotia, from a number of North American cities, with connecting flights to Sydney, which is on the island. Travelers can also reach Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, via boat from Portland, Maine (800-845-4073; www.scotiaprince.com) or Bar Harbor (888-249-7245; www.catferry.com). From Halifax, it’s roughly a five-hour drive to Ingonish, at the southeastern edge of the park. From Sydney, it’s two hours.

  Best Time to Visit: July through September is the most popular time to camp. October can be beautiful, but there’s potential for wintry weather as the month goes on. Campgrounds are open from mid-May to mid-October.

  Campgrounds: There are five front-country backgrounds in Cape Breton Highlands. Reservations are accepted at Chéticamp and Broad Cove campgrounds through Parks Canada (877-737-3783; www.reservation.pc.gc.ca); other campgrounds are first come, first served. Sites range from $17.60 to $38.20 (CAD).

  Activities: Hiking, swimming, sightseeing, fishing, cycling, and golf.

  Visitors to Pukaskwa can hike to many inland lakes like this and along the “inland sea,” namely Lake Superior.

  Ontario

  PUKASKWA NATIONAL PARK

  RECOMMENDED BY Annique Maheu

  Annique Maheu recalled her first visit to Pukaskwa National Park. “I had been working with Parks Canada, the Canadian park service, in the Northwest Territories, above the Arctic Circle, and was heading back home to Ontario to visit my family. I decided to stop in Pukaskwa to visit some colleagues. It was dark when I arrived. In the morning, I was blown away by the beauty of the place. I’d heard the north coast of Lake Superior described as “the wild shores of an inland sea,” and that seemed spot on. Lake Superior is such a massive body of water; it’s a being on its own. My first visit was in August, and it was the height of blueberry season. It was astonishing to see so many plants in bloom in a place that can be so harsh. I hadn’t expected to encounter such a sense of wildness in my home province.”

  Pukaskwa encompasses 725 square miles of rugged boreal forest along Lake Superior, roughly 250 miles northwest of Sault Ste. Marie. Though it’s Ontario’s largest national park, Pukaskwa sees only 10,000 visitors a year. The terrain here is emblematic of the Canadian Shield, the geological core that encompasses half of Canada, and is typified by coniferous forests interspersed with expanses of igneous rock. Pukaskwa is also Ontario’s largest designated national wilderness park, and its untrammeled forests are home to moose, black bears, beavers, and gray wolves. (It’s believed that a small population of woodland caribou inhabit the park, though the herd’s numbers have fluctuated.) There’s some debate about the derivation of the name. According to one of the legends of the Ojibway people who historically have called this region home, a man had a fight with his wife at the mouth of a river near the southern edge of the park. He killed her, burned her body, and tossed the charred bones into the river. He was given the name Opakasu which means “cooker of marrow,” and the river became known as the Pukasu, thanks to his deed. Pukaskwa is an anglicization of Pukasu.

  “People come to Pukaskwa for several reasons,” Annique continued. “Harder-core outdoor enthusiasts come to have a rugged wilderness experience, whether it be hiking the thirty-six-mile Coastal Hiking Trail or paddling along the coast in Lake Superior on the Coastal Paddling Route. If you’re looking for a backcountry experience, this is the best place in the province of Ontario. [There are a number of primitive campsites along the Coastal Trail and Paddling Route that come equipped with a tent pad, privy, bear box, and fire pit.] But we also have people who visit to have a taste of the Canadian wilderness with a certain level of comfort. You can camp at Hattie Cove [near the northwest edge of the park] with warm showers and flush toilets; some sites have electricity as well, for RVs. The great Canadian wilderness is at the other side of your tent zipper, but you can come back in the evening to some nice amenities.”

  A chance to commune with Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes, is a big draw for many Pukaskwa visitors. It can be an unfriendly body of water, as anyone who’s heard Gordon Lightfoot’s “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” can attest. Even in the summer the water is cold, hovering in the low forties, though warmer pockets can be found behind the islands, making ideal swimming spots. The lake’s cold temperatures have the effect of creating a microclimate, resulting in the presence of many arctic plants near the park. Intrepid kayakers and canoeists will paddle the entire coastline—more than one hundred miles—usually beginning from Hattie Cove and working south. Kayaking the coast exposes you to the tremendous geology of the region, but it’s only recommended for more-seasoned paddlers. (Naturally Superior Adventures from Wawa, Ontario, leads trips along the Pukaskwa coast.) If you’re looking for a gentler way to experience a taste of paddling the big lake, the inlets of Hattie Cove offer a safe and manageable alternative. A slightly less challenging way to experience Lake Superior is to hike a portion of the Coastal Hiking Trail. The hike to the White River Suspension Bridge is demanding at eleven miles, but you won’t soon forget the views from the bridge, which sits seventy-five feet above Chigamiwinigum Falls.

  “I did the hike to White River one fall,” Annique shared. “There’s a point where the trail meets the river. It’s a massive canyon at this point, and the river is just bursting to get to Lake Superior. You can almost feel the rapids from above. The whole hike is a true Pukaskwa experience. You leave the campground on the shores of Lake Superior, hike through an area of prescribed fire where the forest is regenerating, through a large wetland, then you go deep into the boreal forest. Finally you come to a breathtaking vista of a river rushing through. It’s a chance to encounter true wilderness in a very accessible manner.”

  There is a host of less-arduous ways to connect with the spirit of Pukaskwa. One is to visit the Anishinaabe encampment near the center of the park. Here, a First Nations interpreter is on hand to explain and demonstrate facets of the Ojibway culture. You can even take part in the occasional smudge ceremony, where native grasses are burned and participants can cleanse their bodies and minds in a time-honored tradition. Pukaskwa also hosts an active geocaching program; this GPS-driven treasure hunt helps you experience both the cultural and ecological facets of the park at your own pace. The park’s new Xplorers program for children ages six to eleven also offers a unique and exciting way to discover the park through engaging activities and adventures.

  * * *

  ANNIQUE MAHEU is an avid French-Canadian outdoor enthusiast who loves hiking, paddling, camping, and mountain biking and has a passion for Canada’s true north and near north. She started working for Parks Canada as a university student in 2004 and has since loved working for Parks Canada at various national historic sites and national parks across the country. Annique now serves as the visitor experience manager at Pukaskwa National Park.

  If You Go

  Getting There: Visitors can fly into Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan/Ontario, which is served by several carriers, including Air Canada (888-247-2262; www.aircanada.com) and Delta (800-221-1212; www.delta.com). From here, it’s roughly 250 miles to Pukaskwa.

  Best Time to Visit: The season is May to September, though bugs can be aggressive in the earlier months; August and September can be glorious.

  Campgrounds: Hattie Cove has sixty-seven sites, twenty-nine of which have electricity. Sites here in the summer season begin at $25.50 (CAD); backcountry sites are $19.50 (CAD).

  Activities: Hiking, paddling, swimming, fishing, cultural exchange.

  Crater Lake is the deepest lake in America, with a
depth of 1,943 feet. Visitors can take a ferry to Wizard Island and leap into its incredibly blue (and cold!) waters.

  Oregon—Fort Klamath

  CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK

  RECOMMENDED BY Brian Ettling

  “Growing up, I had pictures of many national parks in my room—including Crater Lake,” Brian Ettling recalled. “It was an inspiring image, though far, far away. In my teens, I had the chance to visit Vancouver, British Columbia, when my high school band was chosen to play at the World’s Fair. I fell in love with the Pacific Northwest and knew I wanted to live there one day. When I graduated from college, I found a job listing for the gift shop at Crater Lake National Park. I still remember the day I arrived—May 20, 1992—and it was love at first sight. Twenty-two years later, that love affair hasn’t stopped.”

  Crater Lake National Park sits in the Cascade Mountains of southern Oregon, roughly an hour north of the city of Klamath Falls. The lake itself rests at the bottom of a six-mile-wide, 8,000-foot-tall caldera. Shimmering in hues of incredible blue at the bottom of a crater that varies from 500 to nearly 2,000 feet in depth, the lake is wonder-of-the-world inspiring; your first glimpse may leave you speechless. There are two stories of how Crater Lake came to be. The Klamath people, one of the Native American tribes that call the region home, tell a legend of two chiefs, Llao of the Below-World and Skell of the Above-World. They became pitted in a battle that ended up in the destruction of Llao’s home, 12,000-plus-foot-tall Mount Mazama. The mountain’s destruction led to the creation of Crater Lake. Geologists believe that an ancient volcano (posthumously named Mount Mazama) erupted. The basin or caldera was formed after the top 5,000 feet of the volcano collapsed. Subsequent lava flows sealed the bottom, allowing the caldera to fill with approximately 4.6 trillion gallons of water from rainfall and snowmelt, creating the ninth-deepest lake in the world.

  “Though it sounds cliché, the first thing that strikes you about Crater Lake is its pure-blue hue,” Brian continued. “It just blows your mind, especially when it’s calm in the morning in the summer before the boats go out, and the sky and surrounding mountains are perfectly reflected on the surface.” Many of the most popular activities at Crater Lake serve to highlight different ways to take in its beauty. Hiking is one option. “If you want to get the most bang for your buck, consider Watchman Peak,” Brian said. “It’s less than a mile each way and only gains about six hundred feet in elevation, but it takes you to a peak and gives you a bird’s-eye view of the lake.

  If you want more of a workout, consider Garfield Peak. This hike starts at Crater Lake Lodge, and goes 1.7 miles each way, but gains a thousand feet in elevation. From this vantage point you have a great view of Phantom Ship, a rock formation that suggests a schooner. Members of the Mazamas mountaineering group suggested that the lodge be located where it is so members could stop and have a cocktail and appetizer after hiking Garfield. Thanks to the elevation, it never gets very hot here in summer, rarely more than eighty degrees. So hiking is never uncomfortable.

  “If visitors are less able to get around on foot, there are two-hour trolley tours that circumnavigate the thirty-three-mile loop around the rim. There are a number of amazing pullouts; it’s like a theater in the round with each seat giving you a different view. There are at least eight stops when I do the tour, and I can honestly say that I don’t have a favorite. I also like to highlight the rich Native American lore around Mazama.” (It’s worth noting that the loop that circles the lake’s rim resides in many cyclists’ lists of “top ten” rides.)

  After taking in the lake from above, you may wish to take in the crater from the lake. “There are daily boat tours,” Brian described. “Not only do you get to see the walls of the volcano and the surrounding mountains, but you get to explore the lake itself. Most trips stop at Wizard Island, which is a world of its own. The geology is very young here, only seven thousand years old. It’s amazingly refreshing to swim here, though it’s cold—fifty degrees. There’s a jumping rock, a fifteen-foot-drop to the lake’s surface. There are times on the tour in Chaski Bay when you can see all the way to the bottom. The blue-green water makes you think of the Caribbean. You can fish in Crater Lake if you wish, and since the fish are nonnative, you can keep as many as you wish. Since the water is so pure, the fish taste exceptionally good. It’s a seven-hundred-foot drop down to the lake, and you have to cover that elevation gain when you come back up.”

  There are two camping options within the park. Mazama Village Campground has two hundred wooded sites. “Mazama is best for people who’d prefer an easier camping experience,” Brian continued. “You have restaurants and showers nearby, plus great evening programs for the family. Lost Creek is much smaller—just sixteen sites—and limited to tents. [Visitors should know that both campgrounds are a short drive from the rim.] Some people like to camp at nearby Diamond Lake, another beautiful patch of water about thirty minutes north, and make day trips to Crater Lake. You can take your boat (or rent one), and Diamond Lake has a resort with full amenities.”

  Anyone visiting Crater Lake should plan a stop at the regal Crater Lake Lodge, a structure dating back to 1915. The lobby and dining room, which look out upon the lake and surrounding peaks, feature logs with intact branches, which complement its Pacific Northwest surroundings.

  * * *

  BRIAN ETTLING has worked as a summer seasonal ranger at Crater Lake for the past twenty-two years. He is originally from St. Louis, Missouri. Upon graduating from William Jewell College in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1992, he took a cross-country train trip from Kansas City to Oregon for a summer job at Crater Lake. Crater Lake made such an impression on him that he has worked there during the summers ever since. Besides working at Crater Lake, he also spent sixteen winters working as a seasonal ranger in Everglades National Park, Florida. Since 2010, Brian spends his off-season trying to protect our national parks and natural world by teaching and public speaking on the problem of climate change and the things we can do to make this a healthier planet.

  If You Go

  Getting There: The nearest commercial airport is in Medford, which is served by Horizon Air (800-547-9308; www.horizonair.com) and United Express (800-241-6522; www.united.com), among others.

  Best Time to Visit: Snow will sometimes linger around Crater Lake until late June and arrive in October, so July through September is your best bet.

  Campgrounds: Mazama Village Campground has sites for both tents and RVs. Half of the 200 sites can be reserved in advance (888-774-2728; www.craterlakelodges.com), with sites beginning at $21. The tent sites at Lost Creek are first come, first served; sites are $10. Sites at nearby Diamond Lake can be reserved through www.recreation.gov.

  Activities: Hiking, swimming, fishing, and biking.

  The sun sets on the Owyhee River, a few miles downstream from Three Forks.

  Oregon—Malheur County

  OWYHEE CANYONLANDS

  RECOMMENDED BY Kirk Richardson

  The arid and sparsely inhabited southeast corner of Oregon is a far cry from the mist-enshrouded Douglas firs and lush valleys lying west of the Cascades—the terrain most visitors equate with the Beaver State. Here, vertiginous canyons carved by the Owyhee River and veritable seas of sagebrush make up one of the Lower 48’s wildest, most unspoiled regions—the Owyhee Canyonlands.

  “The Owyhee region is largely unknown, but to me it’s on the scale of the Grand Canyon,” Kirk Richardson enthused. “The entire Owyhee Basin, which stretches into southwestern Idaho and northwestern Nevada, encompasses nine million acres. Over two million acres are managed as Wilderness Study Areas. [This is a step in the process of permanent wilderness designation.] There are so many outdoor recreation opportunities here—hiking, world-class rafting, bird watching, fishing, and my favorite pastime, rock climbing. There’s abundant desert wildlife, innumerable archaeological sites, and even hot springs. From certain vantage points, you can get a clear line of sight across the northern reaches of the Great Basin to Steen
s Mountain.”

  The Owyhee Canyonlands of Oregon begin at the border of Nevada, Idaho, and Oregon and stretch north toward the small town of Adrian. The lifeblood of the region pulses from the four branches of the Owyhee River—the Main stem, North, South, and Middle. The four branches comprise more than two hundred miles of river flowing in a generally northern direction to its terminus with the Snake. In some places, walls of rhyolite climb a thousand feet from the river; in others, formations resemble oversize sand castles. The five million acres here are crisscrossed by a series of rough roads that lead to several primitive campgrounds that can be accessed by four-wheel-drive vehicles. One of these modest campgrounds is called Three Forks, situated at the spot where the North, Middle, and Main forks of the Owyhee come together, presided over by Three Forks Dome. “You have to really want to get there,” Kirk continued, “as it’s a thirty-plus-mile ride on dirt roads to reach the rim of the canyon, and then a very rough road down. But once you reach the river, there’s good fishing for native redband trout, and you can explore the different river canyons on foot.” At many spots along the river, you’ll come upon white etchings on black basalt—petroglyphs. These geometric drawings, ranging from bird tracks to human figures to circles, are believed to have had spiritual meaning for the Northern Paiute, Bannock, and Shoshone tribes that once lived here. Three Forks is also home to one of Oregon’s finest hot springs, several river crossings and a short hike from the camping area; in one of the pools, you can sit below a warm-water waterfall as the Owyhee flows below you. “One downside of camping at Three Forks is that there can be lots of rattlesnakes in the warmer weather,” Kirk added. “If you get out of your tent in the night to answer nature’s call, don’t step on any moving sticks.”