Woodland Caribou Provincial Park Photo: Kate Ming-Sun / CC BY 2.0
Canada › Ontario

Woodland Caribou Provincial Park

ByWilderness Experts

Fast facts

  • Established: 1983
  • Size: about 1,740 square miles (4,500 km²)
  • Canoe routes: almost 1,240 miles (2,000 km) of maintained routes
  • World Heritage: part of Pimachiowin Aki, a UNESCO site since 2018
  • Gateway: Red Lake
  • Managed by: Ontario Parks

The landscape

Woodland Caribou is open boreal forest on the Canadian Shield: bare rock outcrops, jack pine, clear lakes and rivers linking them into an endless maze. Frequent fire keeps the forest young and open. The park holds one of the largest groups of woodland caribou south of Hudson Bay, along with moose, wolves and black bears. It is part of a vast protected landscape shared with Manitoba and four First Nations.

Best time to go

Paddling runs from late May to September. July and August are warmest; early summer is buggy. The park welcomes fewer than 1,000 paddlers a season, so solitude is the norm. Wildfire can close areas in dry summers.

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Getting there and around

Red Lake is the jumping-off point. Gravel roads with washouts and loose surfaces lead to road access points, and floatplanes fly paddlers to interior lakes. Inside, travel is by canoe and portage, with up to 1,000 campsites on rock outcrops to choose from.

Things to do

Multi-day canoe trips of a week or more are the norm, with fishing for walleye, northern pike, lake trout and smallmouth bass. Pictographs, caribou and sheer quiet make the trip.

Staying safe

Help is far away and there is no cell service, so carry a satellite messenger, good maps and a repair kit, and leave a detailed trip plan. Drive the access roads carefully and only with good ground clearance. Wind builds quickly on the open lakes. Scout rapids and use portages. Check fire status before and during your trip, and store food away from bears.

Know before you go

Permits are bought online within two weeks of arrival and cannot be refunded. This page is a general overview, not a live conditions report, so confirm fire closures, road conditions and permits with Ontario Parks before you go.

Navigation
Coordinates
51.0166, -94.6844
Magnetic declination
0.5° E (2026)

Set this declination on your compass, then align it to the map's north lines; it is the angle between true north and magnetic north, refreshed each year.

How declination works, and how to navigate with a map and compass

40 places in Woodland Caribou Provincial Park

A spread of the park’s main places shows straight away, and the rest appear as you zoom in. You can also search above, or pick any place from the lists below, and the map will go to it. Places in bold, marked , have a short description.

Sights 40

Lakes

Map data comes from third-party sources and may be incomplete or out of date, so carry a current official map (terms).

Trip types
Multi-day/expeditionCanoeing & kayakingBackcountryGuided expedition

Looking for one of these closer to home?Destinations near me by trip type →

Terrain
LakesRiversForest
Key hazards
Remote wilderness far from helpRough access roadsWind on open lakesPortages and rapidsWildfireBlack bears
Best seasons
Summer, Early fall
Difficulty
Strenuous (remote wilderness)
Access / trailheads
From Red Lake, by gravel road to access points (rough, washouts, not for low-clearance vehicles) or by floatplane. Some entry points are reached from Manitoba.
Water
Lakes and rivers; filter or treat all water.
Cell / satellite coverage
None. A satellite messenger is essential.
Nearest ranger / SAR / emergency
Emergencies: 911 by satellite device (Ontario Provincial Police lead search and rescue).
Permits & regulations
Park permits are bought online (backcountry registration) up to two weeks ahead and are non-refundable, or at the Red Lake Ontario Parks office. Glass bottles are banned.
Leave No Trace
Use existing campsites on rock outcrops, keep fires small, store food from bears and pack out everything.
Conditions by month

October This month

Average high46°F(8°C)8°C(46°F)
Average low31°F(0°C)0°C(31°F)
Rainfall1.6 in(41 mm)41 mm(1.6 in)
Daylight, mid-month10 h 47 minSunrise 7:40 a.m., sunset 6:27 p.m.
  • Below-freezing nights

What to bring depends on your trip: how long you’re out, where you sleep, and how far you go from the road. The planner builds the list for yours.

Plan a trip here →

Averages for 1981–2010 from Environment Canada climate normals, measured at the Red Lake Airport station, 39 miles (63 km)63 km (39 miles) away at 1,266 feet (386 m)386 m (1,266 feet). Higher trails run colder, by about 3.5°F for every 1,000 ft (2°C per 300 m)2°C for every 300 m (3.5°F per 1,000 ft) of climb. Daylight runs from sunrise to sunset on the 15th, on the park’s own clock, for a level horizon. Valleys and slopes facing away from the sun are in shade earlier.

Before you go Conditions, permits, fire bans and closures change constantly — we summarise and link out, but always confirm with the managing agency first.
Official park website → Last verified 2026-09-21

Nearby parks

Straight-line distance between park centres. Road distance is usually longer.

Looking for somewhere closer to home?
See every park and monument within a day’s drive of where you are.

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