Old Growth White Pine Tours!

Over a hundred years ago, loggers came to Kukagami in winter to take the big trees downstream to the mills.  Evidence of their presence can still be seen at abandoned logging camps scattered along the shores.  But the loggers could hike just 4 to 5 miles at most to their cutting area each day, and when winter ended early one year, they quit before they finished their work.  Lucky for us, this small grove of ancient white pines still grace the shore of the lake just across from the Lodge.  We gaze at them from afar each day.

   One winter Allan and I took a tape measure with us to explore the dozen or so ancient trees. We found several white pines with a circumference of 9 to 10 feet!  They rise silently to the heavens.  How old are they?  At least 200, maybe 300 years old or more.   White pines easily live to 450 years.  Fortunately, Kukagami Lake has been designated as a protected area since 1999, so these ancient pines will get to live out their natural lives.  You'll need to bring along a friend to hug them properly. A self-guided half-kilometre trail winds in and around this virgin forest.

   You can visit this old growth forest summer or winter.  Just 2 km across the lake from the Lodge, you can canoe or kayak in summer.  Take along a picnic lunch to make a day of exploring the quiet shores of Kukagami Lake.  When travelling conditions are good in winter, you can ski or snowshoe over the ice to visit this marvellous forest.

    Kukagami Lake is located in the south-west portion of the Temagami area, and these pines are every bit as old and wondrous as those that Temagami is famous for.

Tours for the adventurous:

   The ‘North End’ of Kukagami Lake is said to be magical. There is no development at all in the North End.  There are quiet little bays, rocky shores and some pretty fantastic ancient white pines. We offer a north end boat tour to visit these areas. We’ll hike along some wilderness portage trails, walk in the woods, hug trees, swim, and in season, pick blueberries to accompany our shore lunch. We can even bring along a kayak or canoe if you would like to spend the afternoon on your own paddling the 12 km back to the lodge. There is a $35 fee for this tour, minimum 4 guests.

   Halfway up the eastern shore of Kukagami, a half kilometre through the quiet forest, there is a long skinny lake. On this tour we’ll paddle on the little lake to visit a few huggable pines and cedars, swim in clear, cool water, and listen to the gently falling water of a tiny stream. This is the most physically demanding of the tours. You need to be proficient at getting into and out of a canoe at several places along the shore, and hiking through the forest in the absence of a trail. There is a $70 fee for this tour, minimum 3 guests.