Woodland Caribou Provincial Park is arguably one of Ontario Parks’ best destinations for backcountry wilderness camping and canoeing.
This 544,160 hectare park features a Boreal ecosystem influenced by prairie climate. It displays a diverse community of flora and fauna being a home to the elusive Woodland Caribou.
It is considered a cultural landscape, with records of historical use dating back 9,000 years. The park is within the UNESCO World Heritage site known as Pimachiowin Aki, living cultural landscape, recognizing the Anishinaabeg as stewards of the land. This designation highlights the value of the area and its significance in preservation.
Woodland Caribou Provincial Park works towards protecting significant natural and cultural features while also providing a variety of outdoor recreation opportunities.
This blog is your one-stop location for information to help you plan a safe and memorable backcountry canoeing experience. We urge you to monitor this blog and contact the park office should you have any questions. If you need help with trip planning, consider reaching out to one of our local outfitters for assistance.
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Urgent Park Notices
Water Levels
Normal.
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Resources and Services
Last Updated March 10, 2026
Visitors can access the park via road to an entry point, remote fly in or use a waterway entry. There are no roads located within the boundary of the park.
Woodland Caribou has a number of canoe outfitters, outpost camps, main base lodges and local service providers that can help make your trip to the park unforgettable. Ground and water shuttle services are available to your entry point. Check the Bulletin Board pages of our Park Information Guide for contacts.
We recommend purchasing the Woodland Caribou Provincial Park Adventure Series Canoe Route Map to assist with trip planning. You may purchase a copy online, via your canoe outfitter, or by contacting the park office.
Below are some helpful documents for planning your trip:
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Park Permits
Last Updated March 10, 2026
Park permits may be obtained online under the backcountry registration tab. These may only be purchased up to two weeks in advance and are non-refundable. Follow this link for step-by-step instructions on the reservation process.
You may also obtain a permit on your way out to the park at the Red Lake Ontario Parks Office. It is located at 227 Howey Street and open Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. There is an excellent supply of merchandise (t-shirts, sweaters, hats, patches, stickers, etc.) so don’t forget to stop in before or after your trip.
If you are passing through after office hours, you can purchase a permit at the self serve kiosk (cash only) outside the Red Lake Ontario Parks office at any time.
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Road Information
Last Updated March 10, 2026
Road conditions to Leano and Lund access points from Red Lake are passable. Small washouts and loose gravel can make travel difficult.
While you do not require a 4×4 vehicle on this road, a vehicle with good clearance is recommended. Detailed information about road routes can be found here.
Keep in mind that road conditions can change rapidly due to precipitation and beaver activity.
Some roads have ongoing forestry operations. You may be sharing the road with harvesting machinery and logging haul trucks. Please drive with caution.
The drive-to access points are marked by wayfinding signs. Each access point has a parking lot and kiosk that includes a map and a notice board.
Camping at the parking area is not permitted. We urge you to bearproof your vehicle if leaving it at the access point. Do not leave food, garbage, or other attractants in your vehicle.
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Campsites
Last Updated March 10, 2026
The best practice when choosing a campsite in Woodland Caribou is to select from the park’s designated campsite inventory map. In this way, we limit our impact on sensitive environmental and cultural values.
We are in the process of revisiting approved campsites to reassess the viability of the sites in burned areas of the park. Please use caution in areas of previous burns as dead standing trees may be overhead hazards.
Campsites are discreetly marked by a small fire ring and natural tent spaces. They are not signed. Please do not create new campsites nor clear existing campsites to accommodate new tent pads. Campsite occupancy is limited to 9 people.
The use of hammocks is welcomed. However, due to the high number of young regenerating forests post wildfire, setting up a hammock may not be possible at some campsites. Your outfitter may be able to identify hammock friendly sites along your planned route.
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Portage Clearing
Last Updated March 10, 2026
Woodland Caribou Provincial Park offers nearly 2,000 km of interconnecting canoe routes. With the large amount of fire on the landscape many portages are more difficult to traverse. Park staff work diligently to keep portage routes and campsites maintained, but may not be able to clear every route every season.
Portages can become hard to find and follow when re-growth happens in a recent burn. For this reason, crews sometimes use blazes, flagging tape, and rock cairns to assist visitors in locating and following the trails. Otherwise, the use of flagging tape is discouraged.
We heavily rely on visitor trip reports to share current information on portage conditions. Your feedback at the end of the trip is very important to us.
Please report any trail that may require attention to woodland.caribou.mnr@ontario.ca, as this will help us prioritize work efforts.
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Recent Maintenance Efforts:
Last Updated March 10, 2026
See routes indicated in red on map.
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Current Known Problem Areas:
Last Updated March 10, 2026
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Forest Fire Conditions
Last Updated March 10, 2026
Wildfires are a natural part of Woodland Caribou Parks boreal forest. Many species depend on fire to regenerate, and others benefit from the diverse ecosystems it creates.
The park’s shallow soil and Jack Pine dominated forest make it susceptible to large fast-moving fires. Please exercise extreme caution when using fire.
Always use an existing fire ring or bare rock. If conditions are dry, use a cooking stove instead. And drowned your campfire before leaving.
For details on current fires, restricted fire zones, and the daily fire hazard level, visit the Ontario Forest Fire page.
Please report any fires you discover to 310-FIRE.
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Park Regulations
As a wilderness class park, there are some special considerations and regulations in place to maintain ecological integrity and ensure that natural and culturally significant sites are preserved. It is every visitors responsibility to help limit impacts on the landscape.
Camping party size – Nine people is the maximum party size allowed on one campsite. This regulation lessens the impact that large groups may have on the fragile park land. Larger parties are required to split up into smaller camping groups and each group must have an Interior Camping Permit.
Glass ban – A glass bottle ban is in effect at Woodland Caribou. This is in keeping with the principles of low-impact camping. Glass bottles are prone to breakage, are non-degradable, and create a safety hazard when left behind.
Structures – Structures of any kind (e.g. lean-to, fish cleaning tables, benches, etc.) are not allowed at campsites or elsewhere in the park interior. Avoid the use of nails and please remove fire grills, strings, and unburnables as you move on.
Removing vegetation – All plants (including trees) are protected in a provincial park. It is unlawful to remove, cut, delimb, or damage any vegetation and/or trees. Removal of down trees or encroaching vegetation to clear existing portage trails is permitted, as is the removal of hazard trees over an approved campsite.
Campfires – Fires must be built on bare rock or bare mineral soil and kept away from all flammable materials. Keep your fire small. Before leaving your site, drown your fire thoroughly, stir the ashes, and drown it again to ensure that it is dead out. Nearly all campsites offer generous amounts of fallen dead wood that you are permitted to harvest for fuelwood.
Aircraft – If you plan to land your own aircraft as part of your visit to the park, you require an aircraft landing authority. This authority is free of charge, but you will still need to purchase a park permit for your trip. If you charter a commercial air service to access the park, they are responsible for obtaining their own aircraft landing authority and day use permit.
Boat caches / motorboat use – Some motorboat use and caching of boats associated with commercial tourism roofed accommodations occurs in Woodland Caribou Provincial Park. Nearly all are found along the Gammon and Bloodvein River systems. These activities require authorization and have certain restrictions. Without authorization, motorboat use is prohibited in the park.
Natural treasures – It is unlawful to remove any found natural objects from the park. This includes driftwood, stones, feathers, and dropped antlers. Admire, take photographs, and leave them all behind for others to find and enjoy.
Culturally sensitive sites – Woodland Caribou has a number of culturally sensitive sites. You may not remove, damage or deface any relic, artifact or natural object or any site of archaeological or historical interest. Likewise, you may not disturb any of these sites, excavate, or conduct research. Should you find an artifact, please take a photo, record its GPS location, and report it to park staff at woodland.caribou.mnr@ontario.ca.
We cannot stress enough that you respect the spiritual and historical significance of these sites. Enjoy with your eyes only.
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Looking to learn more?
Check out these great resources:
- Park webpage
- Woodland Caribou Provincial Park Facebook
- Woodland Caribou Provincial Park Management Plan
- Woodland Caribou Provincial Park Vegetation Management Plan
- Pimachiowin Aki
- The Bloodvein River – A Canadian Heritage River Story
- Red Lake Heritage Centre
- Red Lake Business Directory
Still have questions? Please reach out to us at woodland.caribou.mnr@ontario.ca or 807-727-1329.
We’d love to hear from you. Don’t hesitate to reach out as you plan your trip or after you’ve completed your trip!
