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Route description: Lac Vert
- Posted by
- cmkl
- Date posted
- Apr 5, 2003
- Date last travelled
The best time for this trip is in late spring or summer although it is good any time of the year. The map reference is the Low sheet, 31 G/13 and Bouchette 31J/4, 1:50,000 series.
Getting There
The drive is fairly long, especially for a day trip. You should plan about 108 kilometres in each direction. It's a good idea to get the canoes on the cars as quickly as possible so that there will be plenty of time to explore the lake. Leaving the boathouse, drive over to Hull. Take Highway 105 north through Wakefield, Alcove, Farrelton, Low and Venosta.
At Kazabazua, there will be a store on the left side of the road. It also has a Petro Canada station. The distance is about 84.9 kilometres from the boathouse. This is a good place to rendezvous with the other drivers. Take the right turn just after the store, following the signs towards the town of Lac Sainte-Marie. Cross the Gatineau River and pass through the town. Lac Sainte-Marie will be on the right. About 1 kilometer after the town, or about 94.4 kilometres from the boathouse, the main route will turn sharply to the right, crossing an arm of Lac Sainte-Marie. You may notice a "Chemin Lac Vert" sign.
Ignore it; there are two Lac Vert's in this area and the sign pertains to the wrong one.
Three kilometres farther along the main road, you will pass a golf course on the right. The main road will continue on a southeasterly bearing for another kilometer, past the turnoff for the ski resort. It will then bend sharply to the left, following a northeasterly heading. Continue for one kilometer. There will be a steep hill on the left of the road. The road will then veer to the right in a small valley.
Just after a small pond on the left side will be Pemichangan Road. The distance is about 100.8 kilometres from the boathouse. Take a left turn (the main road continues to Kelly Newton on Reservoir du Poisson Blanc). Five kilometres after the turnoff, and 105.8 kilometres from the boathouse on Woodroffe, is Knight Road, a small, steep track. Turn right onto Knight Road and drive for 2.1 kilometres. Eventually, you will come to a clearing with a large cottage on the left and a lake, Lac Oxbow, on the right. Park here and launch the canoes. The owner of the cottage charges a nominal fee for parking. It was last reported as $5 per day.
On the Water
Put the canoes in the water and head to the right. Lac Oxbow is a small, curving lake. As you reach the eastern end of Lac Oxbow, there is a narrow, sheltered passage leading to the left. This leads to Lac Bangall.
Lac Bangall is long and narrow. There are two ways to get to Lac Vert. The short way uses a portage; a longer route goes via Lac Roche.
On day trips, by far the best way to get to Lac Vert is to take an easy portage directly from Lac Bangall. This saves some rather monotonous paddling on Lac Bangall and gives you more time to enjoy Lac Vert. The long route could be used on the return. The portage lies on the right (east) at the corner of a long bay and is 100 metres long. It may be somewhat difficult to find the portage. Beware of poison ivy.
The long route to Lac Vert continues part way along Lake Bangall. Do not go to the very end. Take the last deep inlet leading to the right. It has a small island and several rocky shoals. Continue through a narrow, shallow stretch which eventually bends to the right and into Lac Roche. An arm of Lac Roche heading south (right) leads to a narrow, shallow channel and into Lac Vert.
The attached map shows the routes into Lac Vert. Two of the more popular campsites are shown; there are several others to choose from. There are many fine spots on Lac Vert for swimming and picknicking.
