Paddling Level: Novice
Portages:  Minimal

Lake Travers is a beautiful waterway situated along the mighty Petawawa River, attracting a wide range of outdoor paddlers including whitewater enthusiasts, recreational fishermen and family campers. It’s a multifaceted destination featuring historical and scientific points of interest all situated in the pristine wilderness of Algonquin Provincial Park.

Whitewater paddlers wishing to run the Petawawa River, head out from here on three- to four-day excursions, finishing up at Lake McManus. Its expansive waters are home to pickerel, catfish and muskellunge, providing fishermen with plenty of excitement and challenge. Serene sandy beaches and bays are perfect for overnight camping. Many families also venture to Lake Travers to enjoy its privacy.

There is much history to be taken in at Lake Travers. Log drives were once a big part of Algonquin Park’s past. In 1959, the last logs were floated down the Petawawa River from the Upper Nipissing River to the Ottawa River, evidenced by the numerous red pine dead heads that remain afloat today. The remains of an abandoned log crib, a wooden structure designed to efficiently transport the giant timbers down river, is still visible today just beyond the first takeout.

Onsite amenities include:

• Parking
• Vault Toilets

TURTLE CLUB

In 1933, Ottawa Valley lumber baron JR Booth built an elegant log structure in the shape of a turtle on the shore of Lake Travers. The turtle represented Booth’s bark mark, a stamp that was hammered into each log’s outer bark identifying the timber’s owner. Today, only the five original stone chimneys remain standing, each representing the four legs and head of a turtle. Unfortunately, the building’s log structure was dismantled by the provincial government in 1978. 

From just behind the information board in the Lake Travers parking lot, follow the footpath for 300m to reach the remains of this historic site.

ALGONQUIN RADIO OBSERVATORY

The Algonquin Radio Observatory (ARO) is also located just west of the bridge at Lake Travers. This secluded location makes it perfect for detecting radio signals from outer space, its primary function when operated by the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) during the 1980’s. 

Today, the ARO is operated by Thoth Technology as the official ground station for Northern Light, a Canadian mission to send one or more landers to the surface of Mars. It is also being used for Space Situational Awareness (SSA) with Thoth's Earthfence GEO deep space radar.  

The ARO’s 46m antenna is the largest fully steerable dish in Canada and one of the largest in the world. It is also an active control point for the global positioning system.