Access

The Wabakimi area can be accessed by road, rail or air from the nearby communities of Armstrong, Savant Lake and Pickle Lake where canoe tripping services, supplies, permits and licences may be obtained from area outfitters.

Road & Rail Access to Wabakimi

(Click on map to enlarge.)

By Road

No roads lead directly to Wabakimi Provincial Park. Depending on the insertion and extraction points chosen, access or egress by road will involve paddling 1-3 days across Crown land to reach the park. For the sake of security and safety, visitors should leave their vehicles with a licensed tourist outfitter and arrange road shuttles to/from their canoe trip insertion/extraction points.

Two paved secondary highways link the Trans-Canada Highway to the communities that serve the Wabakimi area. Highway 527 starts just east of Thunder Bay and leads 260km to Armstrong; Highway 599 begins in Ignace 250km west of Thunder Bay and leads 125km to Savant Lake and beyond to where St. Raphael, Albany River and Wabakimi Provincial Parks may be accessed.

Several forest access roads provide alternate links to area canoe routes. Not all forest access roads in the Wabakimi area are open year-round to public traffic. Under authority of the Public Lands Act, the MNR may restrict or limit access to all or a portion of a forest access road for reasons of public safety or environmental protection. Such road access restrictions are usually posted with signs.

Forest access roads may be closed to protect sensitive fisheries and wildlife management areas or to restrict unauthorized traffic during foresty activities including forest fire suppression. Others may be closed to protect remote resource-based tourism establishments or to maintain a functionally-roadless wilderness when forest harvesting, replanting and tending operations have been concluded in a particular area.

Visitors to the Wabakimi area should contact the appropriate MNR District office to confirm whether a particular forest access road they wish to use is open to public traffic at any given time

By Rail

One of the most popular and inexpensive ways to access Wabakimi is by train. VIA Rail provides tri-weekly trans-continental passenger service in each direction along the Canadian National Railway (CNR) northern line which crosses the southern part of the park. Day coach fares are quite reasonable and seniors in the company of a full-fare paying adult travel free. There is no charge for a reasonable number of canoe packs, however, there is a charge for each canoe.

With a minimum of 48 hours notice, VIA Rail will make unscheduled stops for canoeists on request. The only two conditions are that there must be visible evidence of direct access to a navigable waterway or a portage trail at the proposed drop-off location and the train crew must be given the exact mileage to the drop-off or pick-up point accurate to the nearest tenth of a mile west of Armstrong. There is no extra charge for an unscheduled stop; the fare charged is what would normally be paid to the next scheduled stop.

Space in the baggage car is limited and during the peak of the canoe season, the demand for this service cannot always be met. Advance reservations are strongly recommended and should stipulate the number of canoes none of which should exceed 18' in length. Loose items such as paddles and fishing rods should be securely lashed below the thwarts and seats as canoes are often stacked one on top of each other in the baggage car.

VIA Rail westbound service departs Armstrong each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday; eastbound service departs Savant Lake each Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. There is no service in either direction on Monday or Saturday. Effective December 1, 2008, the schedule in each direction was changed: westbound service now departs Armstrong at 10:19pm and arrives in Savant Lake at 11:23pm; eastbound service departs Savant Lake at 07:35am and arrives in Armstrong at 10:23am. During the summer months, Armstrong is on Eastern Daylight Saving Time (EDST); all points west of Armstrong are on Central Daylight Saving Time (CDST).

The following chart lists the popular canoe trip insertion/extraction points with the known mileages along the CNR line from Armstrong west to Savant Lake. Scheduled stops are indicated in bold typeface. Some of these points involve crossing private property where camping is limited or not permitted; others may involve payment of a fee to camp overnight or to launch a canoe. While most property owners generally welcome canoeists, please be considerate. A park permit is not required for an overnight stay at a resource-based tourism establishment with the owner's permission.

VIA Rail Popular Insertion/Extraction Points

By Air

By far, the best way to reach the more remote, less-travelled parts of the park is by air. Several area outfitters offer charter float plane service as well as overnight accommodation, vehicle parking and road shuttles. Most issue fishing licences and camping permits; some rent canoes. A few offer full and partial outfitting as well as trip planning and route orientation.