Lake of the Woods is a special place in the summer but those who have been here in the winter know it holds a whole new type of fun! With over 15,000 islands and roughly half the size of Jamaica, you could explore forever and still have more to see.
In the winter, an ice road is plowed for people to get to their places and to reach the two First Nation that are only accessible by boat in the summer or the ice road in the winter. Many use the road to get supplies for the year or to build/maintain their homes. Ice conditions change the route each year however the road stays consistent when going over islands.
From the MNR landing in Kenora, Ontario the ice road can take you all the way to Angle Inlet, Minnesota! To allow for optimal ice conditions, the road is plowed wide, sometimes up to 6 lanes! This allows the ice below to grow thicker and last until mid-spring. With no snow to insulate, the ice will reach over 4 feet thick, thick enough to safely support a Star Wars AT-AT!
This year as we ventured around the ice road we used AllTrails app to help map the road for others to explore with ease. We have mapped over 70 KMS of road, but hope to continue to explore and map more in the future. In the meantime, feel free to use this LINK to adventure around. This route takes you west from the MNR Landing to Kendell Inlet or you can venture further to Rush Bay. Make to sure bring your ice fishing rod and some snacks to make it a whole day's adventure! Be mindful of ice road safety and read our blog if you need some refreshers. Make sure to tell others that you are going out on an adventure and never go anywhere that looks unused or unsafe.
