Havilland Shores

46° 48' 58.968'' N 84° 24' 18.828'' W

46.81638 -84.40523

 

46° 48' 59.04'' N 84° 24' 33.408'' W

46.8164 -84.40928

 

This place actually offers two free camping spots, and I'll provide more details.

The fire ban had finally been lifted, so as I drove through the Soo, I grabbed two steaks and a dozen eggs. One thing about my current setup is that I haven't bothered with a cooler, so I had to cook the steaks that day. I've written a story somewhere on this webpage about meat gone bad and its odor, so consider it a lesson learned. I was heading westbound, searching for a convenient spot to settle down and cook up the food I just bought.

As I passed through the Goulais area, I noticed a small beach I had driven past before and thought it would do. I pulled in to explore, found parking among some trees, and started a fire right on the beach. It's not a massive beach, but it's incredibly beautiful.

The locals were all gathering for the sunset and a swim, so I engaged in some casual conversation with strangers. They all seemed friendly, but the most intriguing part was that this beach is often used by travelers for the free camping. I had a chat with a motorcyclist, and he informed me that campers frequently use this beach. Nice. While I was there, three more campers from Quebec also arrived to camp for the night. I savored my delicious dinner of slightly charred beef with just a dash of salt, letting the wood flavor infuse the meat. My body craved the protein, and the mouthwatering aroma matched its palette. I cooked and stored the other steak with the hard-boiled eggs in my van for later. After some brief conversations with a few locals and introductions to the other campers, I called it a night.

I woke up, bathed, and enjoyed the next slab of beef, cooked the night before, as a hearty breakfast. Then, I indulged in a long nap right on the beach. Eventually, I mustered the energy to get up and into my van for some exploration. Sometimes, though, it doesn't yield much.

Regrettably, I spent hours looking around without much success, but there's a more established camping site just a one-minute drive down Havilland Shores Road. It features a spacious pad for RVs and trailers, as well as a couple of smaller beach front sites through some trees. I only spent one night here, but it seemed comfortable enough. There are also a few trailers between the two locations, parked along the beach. I'm not sure if it's private property with trailers or simply a well-established free camping site with potential squatters? I could have asked, but I didn't.

On a positive note, I picked up my first hard copy of a book in a long time from one of those little "take a book" libraries people put up on their properties. It was one of my favourite authors Tom Clancy novel, "Teeth of the Tiger."

There's no reason you couldn't camp here for several days if you were inclined, but it's also a great spot to stop and spend a day (or night).

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