White Lake
Canada, Ontario
About White Lake
White Lake Provincial Park is a natural environment park in the Thunder Bay District of northern Ontario, on Highway 17 about 35 km west of White River and 71 km east of Marathon. [1] The park covers 4,048 hectares and was established in 1963. [2] White Lake itself is a 6,500 hectare lake, one of the largest on the Lake Superior Circle Route. [2] The park is known for walleye and northern pike fishing, warm swimming water and sandy beaches. [2]
Wildlife Ecosystems
Flora Ecosystems
A mixed boreal forest covers the park. [1] Red pine stands, uncommon in the central Lake Superior area, grow in the campgrounds, and a 9 hectare nature reserve zone holds the only known red pine stand outside the campground. [1] The Clearwater Lake zone has stands of aspen and jack pine and wetlands including marshes, bogs and coniferous swamps, where many of the park's orchid species are found. [1] The park also has bogs with insect-eating plants. [2]
Geology
The park's landscape reflects post-glacial activity, with extensive sand and gravel deposits such as kettled outwash plains. [1] The moderately broken terrain has till-covered hills, sand flats and wetlands. [1] The Clearwater Lake nature reserve zone (419 hectares) protects glaciofluvial and glaciolacustrine deposits, kettled outwash plains, morainic and aeolian deposits, and shoreline features such as cuspate spits. [1] The sand shoreline along White Lake is one of the park's most popular features. [1]
Climate And Weather
The park lies in the boreal forest of northern Ontario, near White River, a township that bills itself as the Coldest Spot in Canada, a disputed claim, although temperatures as low as -58 degrees Celsius have been recorded there. [1] In 2026 the park's operating season ran from May 15 to September 20. [2]
Human History
The park's interpretive themes include logging the White River watershed, the Canadian Pacific Railway, the fur trade, native history, the boreal forest and the Hemlo gold rush. [1] The nearby township of White River began in the early 1880s as a Canadian Pacific Railway work camp. [2] In August 1914 a trapped black bear cub was sold to Captain Harry Colebourn in White River, inspiring the character Winnie the Pooh, and the town holds a Winnie's Hometown Festival each August. [2] The lower White River corridor protects a canoe route used by Aboriginal people. [3]
Park History
The park was opened in 1962 and regulated in 1963 under Ontario Regulation 117/63. [1] It has long been a stopover for travellers on Highway 17 and a destination for anglers. [1] Use rose with the development of the Hemlo goldfield, peaking in 1984, and the management plan changed the park's classification from recreation to natural environment. [1] A 55 km stretch of the lower White River, a 200 m wide corridor on both sides of the river, was added in 2006 to protect a canoe route. [2]
Major Trails And Attractions
Three nature trails explore the boreal forest, including the Deer Lake Trail and the Tiny Bog Trail. [1] [2] Swimming, boating, canoeing, hiking, biking and fishing are the main activities. [3] The park serves as a staging area for canoe trips down the White River to Pukaskwa National Park. [2] The park has an amphitheatre and offers a Discovery program of interpretive activities. [1]
Visitor Facilities And Travel
Conservation And Sustainability
The park protects glaciofluvial features typical of outwash environments, boreal forest vegetation and southern outlier red pine stands. [1] A dam at the south end of White Lake regulates the lake's water level. [1] The plan identifies shoreline erosion along White Lake and the protection of red pine within the campgrounds as special management concerns. [1] The 2006 addition of the White River corridor extends protection to a 55 km canoe route. [2]
Visitor Ratings
Overall: 42/100
Photos
4 photos
