Ranger Cabins are available for rent ONLY from the last Friday in April to noon on Friday of the [Canadian] Thanksgiving Weekend.

The majority of Algonquin's rustic ranger cabins do not offer indoor washrooms, running water, or electricity. See the individual cabin descriptions to find out what each cabin does offer.

For further information, contact the Algonquin Park Information Office.

Ranger Cabins : Their Recent History

Many visitors who have camped in Algonquin's backcountry have wondered about the old ranger cabins that still stand here and there.

Although we have a major exhibit in the Visitor Centre devoted to the lives of the early rangers and a book ("A Few Rustic Huts" by Sandy Gage) has been written about the cabins they built, until 1996, if you were canoeing past one of these cabins, there was very little available about their history. Worse still, if you stopped and actually poked around, you would quickly notice that many of these cabins were in pretty poor shape and probably didn't have many years left.

We like to think we have changed this state of affairs with our "Ranger Cabin Rental" program launched in 1996. Where necessary, the wood-burning stoves and chimneys were upgraded to modern safety standards [Note: there is NO stove at the Wenda Lake Cabin], and a couple of cabins got new roofs – thanks to the volunteer efforts of several of the directors of The Friends of Algonquin Park.

We now have a reservation service through which Park visitors can rent these rustic ranger cabins. Visitors can soak up some Algonquin history for a few days and better appreciate the handiwork and the rugged lives of the Park's early rangers.

Details of a cabin's history are available inside the cabin.

Big Crow Cabin     top of page

This fire ranger's cabin, boathouse and fire tower were built in 1956. The tower was located about one-half mile up a steep hill from the cabin. Not only were these structures among the last to be constructed, they remained the last in use. Indeed, the fire tower was one of the last in all of Ontario to be used for fire detection (up to the mid-1970s).

This 16' x 20' frame construction cabin, with a northerly exposure, has a kitchen, living area, and two bedrooms (one set of single wooden bunks in each; no mattresses). [No indoor washrooms, running water, or electricity.]

Brook Trout fishing is good in Big Crow, Little Crow, and Proulx lakes, and the Crow River. There are also Lake Trout in Big Crow Lake.

When you rent this cabin you may wish to visit one of the last virgin stands of White Pine in Algonquin Park, located just downstream south of the Crow River.

Big Crow Cabin is reached by way of Lake Opeongo (access point #11). Although unlimited horsepower motors are allowed on Lake Opeongo, motor and time restrictions apply on the remainder of the route. Plan on one day to reach this cabin.

Birchcliffe Cabin     top of page

This cabin was built in 1962 to accommodate the towerman for Osler Township Fire Lookout Tower. The fire tower was erected the same year, on a hill with a ten-mile visibility circle and within a fifteen-mile circle of high incidence of lightning fires. The lake was chosen because it had road access, and planes could land on it. The old fire tower location is a long uphill two-mile walk from the cabin. Both the cabin and the tower were built by ranger labour at a cost of $2900 for the cabin and $2800 for the tower. The fire tower detection program was discontinued in the early 1970s. Since then, the Birchcliffe Cabin has been used by backcountry/Interior maintenance crews along with the general public. Thanks to the volunteer efforts of several directors of The Friends of Algonquin Park, major repairs to this cabin were carried out in 1994.

This waterfront 16' x 20' log-sided cabin is located on the south shore of Birchcliffe Lake and is surrounded by pine and tolerant hardwoods. It has an open-concept kitchen and dining area, two small bedrooms (one bedroom with a set of single bunks, and a second with a double and single bunk; no mattresses). [No indoor washrooms, running water, or electricity.]

Brook Trout fishing is good in Birchcliffe Lake and is equally good in Calm Lake – a one-hour walk on the portage from the cabin.

This cabin is accessible only by canoe from Kawawaymog Lake (access point #1) or Kiosk (access point #29). Plan on two days of canoeing to reach it, and prepare to camp for at least one night in the backcountry/Interior when travelling both to and from the cabin (separate permits and reservations are required).

Note also, in low water conditions, Birchcliffe Creek becomes difficult to navigate by canoe – check conditions before your trip!

Bissett Creek Road Cabin     top of page

(Road access; maximum of 2 vehicles permitted; this cabin is known locally as the "Twelve Mile Cabin")

This cabin was built in 1922 as a moose hunting camp by the first District Forester for the Ontario Department of Lands and Forests in Pembroke District. He had Ontario Forestry Branch employees erect the cabin and a small adjacent stable. Three years later when the Park boundary was surveyed it was discovered that the cabin was within the Park's boundaries. The hunting party continued to use it as a base camp for hunting outside the Park. A special permit was issued allowing hunters to transport their guns between the cabin and the Park boundary. During construction of this building, access was by horse and wagon using the portage road built from Bissett to Radiant Lake. This road was used also to supply construction workers at the National Research Centre at Lake Travers.

Park rangers occupied the "Twelve Mile Cabin," named for the distance from Bissett Creek, after the hunt club stopped using it. The cabin roof was re-sheeted with lumber and aluminum in 1951. It was used by rangers on patrol until the late 1950s and fell into disuse when routine patrols were discontinued.

This one-room, log cabin is equipped with a set of double bunks (no mattresses), and is on a beaver meadow, nestled among mature White Pine trees, with a western exposure. [No indoor washrooms, running water, or electricity.]

Although the cabin is not located on water, it can be used as a base camp for wildlife viewing, and Brook Trout fishing at North Rouge and Big Bissett lakes.

To reach this cabin, travel the Bissett Creek Road which leaves Highway #17 one kilometre east of the village of Bissett Creek. Once on the Bissett Creek Road, drive 18 kilometres to the Park boundary, and then travel approximately one kilometre to the cabin. Look for the cabin sign on the west (right) side of the road.

Travel by vehicle beyond the cabin is prohibited. Care must be taken when travelling the Bissett Creek Road; logging trucks and heavy equipment may be encountered on this forest access road and, due to the road's proximity to the cabin, noise from logging trucks may be heard on weekdays.

Permits and information are available at Yates General Store (located on Highway #17) in Stonecliffe between Pembroke and Mattawa, Ontario.

Brent Cabin     top of page

Construction of the Brent Deputy Chief Ranger's headquarters was begun in 1932 under the supervision of then Park Superintendent Frank MacDougall. Built to replace an existing Ontario Forestry Branch building, the new headquarters were "to provide a respectable looking building in keeping with the status of a Government service." Located on a peninsula jutting out from the north shore of Cedar Lake, this picturesque site is treed with White and Red Pine. The cabin was originally used by staff involved with forest and fire protection operations in the Brent area.

A smaller cabin and warehouse were also built at the same time but need some work. All buildings were constructed of sturdy White and Red Pine logs with a life expectancy, estimated at that time, of 30 years. Some repairs were required, and restoration began in 1994 with financial support from Algonquin Outfitters. This partnership continues today with ongoing projects under the umbrella of the Brent Historical Enhancement Program. More than 60 years later, the log buildings are as sound as ever.

This 40' x 40' cabin has a living room with a stone fireplace, a kitchen with propane stove and fridge, propane lights, and vault toilets are a short walk away. There are four bedrooms (the first bedroom has a double bunk and single overhead bunk, the second has a set of single bunks plus one single bunk, the third has a set os single bunks, and the fourth has two single bunks; all bunks have mattresses). An outdoor fire pit and picnic area are available, and drinking water is located at the campground.

Located adjacent to the Brent Campground and Brent Station, visitors to the Brent Cabin can enjoy walks to the beach, a boat launch facility, store, and may drive to the Brent Crater Trail for a two-kilometre interpretive hike. For those interested in fishing, Cedar Lake has good Lake Trout and Walleye opportunities. Outboard motors are restricted to not more than 20 horsepower on the Cedar Lake, and canoes only elsewhere.

The Brent Cabin can be accessed by vehicle. One kilometre west of Deux Rivieres on Hwy 17, turn south on a gravel road and drive south for 0.5 km to the Park Office, where you obtain Park information. Proceed then for another 39.5 km to the townsite of Brent where you purchase your cabin rental permit at the Algonquin Outfitters' store.

Crooked Chute Cabin     top of page

A budget request of $50 was approved in 1927 to build this cabin. Justification given was "shelter of rangers from five patrols which meet at this point. At present these rangers, when on road improvements and covering the Petawawa log drive must carry their tents." Also, "the location is the centre of the most valuable stands of young pine in the district."

For some reason, construction was delayed until 1928, when logs were cut locally and skidded by horse to the prepared site. Walls were erected by fall of that year and left to season. Lumber was scrounged next spring "from an old lumber depot a few miles distant" and flooring material and windows were brought in. The cabin was completed on July 26, 1929 at a final cost of $33.97.

A 25-acre reserve was established around the new cabin within the young pine stand "to avoid an accumulation of slash around this camp." The cabin saw quite a bit of use over the years and required little formal maintenance, but by 1991 the roof had collapsed on the north side and the bottom logs had deteriorated considerably.
Remedial repairs were made to the roof by several directors of The Friends of Algonquin Park in 1992/93 but in 1997 it was decided to salvage the original building and replace it with a modified replica using logs donated by the Shaw Lumber Co. of Pembroke and with the assistance of the Algonquin Forestry Authority.

The modified 16' x 20' replica is of log with a cedar shingle roof, and offers an open-concept with two sets of double bunks (no mattresses) that sleep up to eight people. [No indoor washrooms, running water, or electricity.]

The Crooked Chute cabin is situated adjacent to the Petawawa River, a leisurely day's paddle downstream from Lake Travers. It is nestled under a canopy of White Pines at the base of Crooked Chute overlooking a slower moving widening of the river. Lake Travers is accessible via the Sand Lake Gate on Algonquin's east side. From Highway 17 (Trans-Canada), take the Doran Road (County Road 26) south exit, located between the towns of Pembroke and Petawawa. Travel 300 metres along Doran Road, then turn onto the Barron Canyon Road and drive 26 kilometres to the Sand Lake Gate at the Park boundary.

Lake Travers is located an additional 54.4 km beyond the Sand Lake Gate. Be sure to pick up the key to the cabin at the Sand Lake Gate.

Highview Cabin - Nipissing River      top of page

The original cabin was built in 1922 as headquarters for fire rangers on this patrol, on the site of an old J.R. Booth lumber camp. It was home for two rangers for six years. Then in July 1928, lightning destroyed the cabin and one of the old Booth offices. The senior fire ranger was not around to extinguish the blaze or to be extinguished by the blaze. He was at Brulé Lake Station meeting his new partner. Lucky for him.

The rangers then constructed the present cabin over a ten day period with a budget of $50. Can you imagine that! Actually the total cost was $37.50 because lumber, framing material and some roofing were salvaged from Booth's old buildings on site. Windows, roofing paper, necessary hardware, and teaming the materials to the site accounted for most of the cost.

The Highview Cabin is a small, log cabin with a one-room, open-concept with three single bunks and one double bunk (no mattresses). [No indoor washrooms, running water, or electricity.]

Don't forget your fishing rod as the Nipissing River is home to a healthy Brook Trout fishery.

The Highview Cabin is located just off the Nipissing River west of the 840-metre portage to Gibson Lake. There is only canoe access via the Nipissing River from the Tim River access point #2, or via Gibson Lake from the Kawawaymog Lake access point #1 or the Kiosk access point #29. Depending on from which access point you leave, it could take one or two days to access this cabin by canoe (separate backcountry/Interior permits and reservations are required!). Low water levels can be a problem along the Nipissing River – check the conditions before your trip!

Kiosk Cabin     top of page

In 1927, $90 was allocated to construct the original Kiosk cabin at a location north of the CNR tracks as headquarters for the rangers on this patrol. Previously fire rangers used the old J. R. Booth depot building; however the company had plans to re-open it that year. The actual cost of completing the 16' x 20' cabin was $84.76. Try that today!

In 1933 the original cabin was rented to CNR for $10/month; no beds or stove included. In the fall of 1933 the Ontario Forestry Branch sold the cabin to a CN employee with the condition that it be moved. In his book "A Few Rustic Huts," Sandy Gage states that in 1936 the present cabin was built at its current location on Kioshkokwi Lake. The kitchen was added in 1940 and hydro was installed in 1956 by the Hydro Electric Power Commission of Ontario.

Today, this two-bedroom waterfront, 34' x 21' log cabin with a southwestern exposure is located under mature White Pines. The kitchen and living quarters are an open-concept, equipped with a couch, table and chairs. Kiosk Cabin offers an electric fridge, stove and heat; treated cold running water; coffee maker; electric kettle and toaster; two sets of single bunks and one double bed (with mattresses); and an outdoor fire pit. Two flush-o-matic toilets are within a reasonable walking distance, as are a beach and boat launch.

Kioshkokwi Lake is a large lake with a healthy Lake Trout population while the nearby Amable du Fond River has good Brook Trout fishing. Kioshkokwi Lake is limited to 20 horsepower motors. The cool breeze of the lake makes it a very comfortable place to be on hot summer days.

Kitty Lake Cabin     top of page

Built in 1935, this is one of our larger cabins. Materials were salvaged from both the abandoned Booth Depot Farm in close proximity and the adjacent Booth "End of Steel" lumber camp. Road access enabled rangers to easily bring in dressed lumber for the roof and floor. Few areas of Algonquin saw so much pioneering activity as this area. A logging depot farm, lumber camp, logging railway, fire tower, hose drying tower, towerman's cabin, a fire equipment storage house on the river and improvements for the spring river log drive are all evident within one mile of this cabin.

One of the larger cabins, this waterfront cabin, in fact, is situated on Farm Lake, among mature White Pines. The one-room, open-concept, log cabin has four sets of single wooden bunks (no mattresses). Its southerly exposure comes with a very scenic view. [No indoor washrooms, running water, or electricity.]

Fishing opportunities include Lake Trout, Pike, and Smallmouth Bass in surrounding lakes such as Booth, Bridle, Crotch, Farm, Kitty, and Shall.

The Kitty Lake Cabin can be accessed easily by canoeing one hour from the Shall Lake access point #17.

Lost Coin Lake Cabin     top of page

There is very little on file on this cabin. We do know that it was built in 1936 by the Ontario Forestry Branch. In 1973 it was evaluated as "worthless" because it was so isolated from roads and canoe routes. Today this could be a selling point.

This one-room, open-concept, log cabin is located on a shallow, weedy shoreline (no swimming opportunities!) on Lost Coin Lake. It is equipped with two sets of single bunks (no mattresses). An aluminum canoe, paddles, and two life jackets are supplied at no extra charge. [No indoor washrooms, running water, or electricity.]

There are great hiking and wildlife viewing opportunities on old roads in this area.The main attraction, particularly in the spring, is Brook Trout fishing.

To access the Lost Coin Lake Cabin, travel the Bissett Creek Road which is located one kilometre east of the village of Bissett Creek on Highway 17. Travel the Bissett Creek Road for 18 kilometres to the Park boundary, and then bike or hike seven kilometres to the cabin. Use caution when travelling the Bissett Creek Road; logging trucks and heavy equipment may be encountered on this forest access road.

Permits and information are available at Yates General Store (located on Highway #17) in Stonecliffe between Pembroke and Mattawa, Ontario.

McKaskill Lake Cabin     top of page

This cabin was built in 1932. It originally contained a Findlay Norway cook stove which has now been replaced with a CSA-approved wood stove. It, like many other cabins, was used by Park rangers patrolling their areas. A new roof was put on it in 1939. Road access was made possible in 1953 with the construction of the Ontario Hydro Line. In view of the road access, the cabin was extensively used by Park canoe rangers and timber technicians carrying out their duties in the area. In 1993 the cabin received extensive repairs with the finishing touches being put on it in 1996.

McKaskill Lake Cabin is a waterfront, one-room, open-concept log cabin with a northwest exposure located in a mature Red Pine stand. It offers two sets of single wooden bunks (no mattresses). [No indoor washrooms, running water, or electricity.]

For the fishing enthusiast, McKaskill Lake has a healthy population of Lake and Brook Trout.

This cabin is reached via the Shall Lake access point #17, travelling by canoe for a day through several lakes and portages. It can also be accessed via Basin Lake access point #19 by biking, carting, or hiking 11 kilometres over a forest access road.

Rain Lake Cabin     top of page

The existing cabin was moved to Rain Lake from Cache Lake where it was a private leased cottage in the late 1970s. It was used as an Interior access point office until 1995. Rain Lake had, according to the historic files, three cabins at different locations. At the turn of the century, a shelter hut was situated at the north end. Its remaining foundation was covered by water when the logging dam was constructed. An old lumber camp adjacent to the rail line, "Eagle Lake Landing," was a stopping place for passengers wishing to disembark at then "Eagle Lake" which is now called Rain Lake. A ranger cabin was built here in the 1920s.

A third ranger cabin is documented at Rain Lake Station, part of a complex of pumphouses, large water tanks, and living quarters for the station crew men. The usual $50 allotment was given to construct the cabin for the rangers patrolling this area of the Park. Up until then the rangers stayed in an old building owned by McCraney Lumber Company; now in use, the rangers started to build their own cabin. Being good scroungers the rangers salvaged lumber and fittings from the old buildings at Brule Lake and, as customary, work was done by the rangers themselves. Windows and roofing accounted for most of the final $43 cost of construction.

The Rain Lake Cabin is located on a forested site with a long, northeasterly view down Rain Lake. It is situated adjacent to a small camping area (nine sites), and a departure and exit point for canoeists and hikers accessing or exiting the backcountry/Interior of Algonquin Park.

This 27' x 19' log cabin will accommodate four people and offers a propane fridge, stove, lights, and heat; two bedrooms (two single bunks with mattresses in each); vault toilets (shared with other campers when sites are occupied); a beach, and boat launch. Rain Lake is limited to 10 horsepower motors. [No running water.]

This cabin is the perfect place if you wish to hike and explore the backcountry on the Western Uplands Backpacking Trail, or canoe one of the many kilometres of Interior canoe routes.

This cabin can be accessed by car through the Rain Lake access point #4. Permits and information are available at the Park office which is located in the village of Kearney on Highway #518.

Tattler Lake Cabin     top of page

This cabin was the living quarters for the successive towermen who manned the Preston fire tower situated on a hilltop about 1.5 miles west of the cabin. The tower itself was put up in 1932 (moved from a less satisfactory location established in 1922 at Kitty Lake). The new hilltop was at an elevation of 1,900 feet – the highest point in Algonquin Park.

We have no record concerning the cabin's construction but the location is on the old No. 3 Camp of the J.R. Booth Lumber Company. Booth's men helped in moving the tower components to the new site and they may well have contributed material and/or labour to the cabin as well.

By 1964 the tower was said (by an old report in the Park archives) to "sway quite noticeably in the wind" and the roof apparently needed fixing "because in winds one side lifts up." As for the cabin, it was "snake infested and logs are beginning to rot."

The summer of 1970 was probably the last year the tower was used and a 1971 directive called for the tower (and presumably the cabin as well) to be dismantled. However, all historic Park sites were evaluated between 1971 and 1973. The 1973 report on the Tattler Lake cabin was more positive, recognizing improvements made by portage crews and canoeists. A new roof has since been put on and other improvements made. Today's user need not worry about it being infested with snakes or rot.

This one-room, open-concept log cabin offers two sets of single wooden bunks (no mattresses). [No indoor washrooms, running water, or electricity.]

Tattler Lake Cabin is reached through the Lake Opeongo access point #11 or the Shall Lake access point #17.

Wenda Lake Cabin     top of page

We know very little about the history of Wenda Lake Cabin except that it was built by a Park ranger, the late Max Borutski. By the nature and construction techniques we believe it was built in the early 1920s.

This is a compact, one-room, open-concept log cabin located in a mature Red Pine stand on the north shore of Wenda Lake, giving it a southern exposure. It has two sets of single bunks (no mattresses). [No wood-burning stove, indoor washrooms, running water, or electricity.]

Note to renters: The wood-burning stove in this cabin is not operational.

Note to previous renters: A canoe, paddles, and life jackets are no longer supplied at this cabin.

Wenda Lake Cabin is accessible only by boat or canoe through the Achray access point (#22), with permits and information available at the Sand Lake Gate.

One of the best routes to this cabin is by canoe through scenic Caracajou Bay and then follow the five portages through Lower Spectacle Lake, Upper Spectacle Lake, Little Carcajou Lake and finally Wenda Lake. and Spectacle Lake.

An alternate route is to travel west up Grand Lake (maximum 10 horsepower motors), and then travel the 3470-metre portage to Wenda Lake. This can be an arduous portage due, not only to its length, but also to the steep grade.