We have stayed here several times and it will continue to return. It is a beautiful area and Konrad is an awesome host. It is off the main highway yet close enough to Espanola for convenience. We love taking out ATV and driving on the old railway trail.

My husband and I enjoyed a quiet fishing trip to Bearskin Lodge. The cottage was perfect and the surroundings relaxing. The scenery was truly amazing. The drive is worth it. We look forward to returning soon.

While camping at Chutes Provincial Park in September, 2017, we drove to several locations to do some canoeing. One day we went to Espanola, then took road number 6 (leading to Manitoulin Island) and turned left, to a small settlement of Willisville. The road leading there was quite steep, but it was very scenic and offered awesome views of the area. Once I reached the town, I kept driving on what I thought was a regular road, but when that “road” became very narrow and rough, I realized that I was driving on the right-of-way of an abandoned railway! So, I had to back up and finally reached Bearskin Resort.

Willisville was settled over 100 years ago and at that time the Algoma Eastern Railway was opened from Sudbury to Little Current (on Manitoulin Island). Passenger service to Little Current ended by 1963 and the line itself beyond Espanola went into disuse and abandoned. Nowadays, much of the former right-of-way remains visible and is used in certain areas as a road or path—we spotted a few cross-country motorcyclists using it.

We parked at Bearskin Lodge & Outfitters and talked for a while with Darcy, a very amiable man, who regaled us with many interesting stories from the area. He told us that Franklin Carmichael’s cabin was on the lake nearby. I was not surprised because many Group of Seven members painted in the area-and of course, Carmichael was one of them (there is a famous 1934 photograph of him, seated on a white quartzite rock and painting at Grace Lake, not far from Willisville). Recently I even found (online) several paintings by Carmichael depicting Willisville and Frood Lake.

The Lodge was situated on both sides of the narrows and a small ferry transported tourists to their cabins on the other side of the narrows. The cottages were very scenic and so was the area! It cost us $5 to park the car and there was a dock, allowing us to comfortably put the canoe on the water. We paddled on Frood Lake—there were a lot of rolling, white quartz mountains. Then we paddled on the lake north of Bearskin Lodge, reaching a small channel leading to Charlton Lake. There were lots of islands with nice cottages, otherwise known as “camps” up north here. A few days later (yes, we visited the lodge again!) we paddled along the shores of Frood Lake towards the Lawson Quarry, there we saw the former right-of way of the Algoma Eastern Railway, a dam and a recently abandoned home.

If we come to this area in the future, we will visit this lodge once more and explore more lakes—since it is even possible to reach Killarney Provincial Park, we might one day stay there for several days.

Konrad greeted us in the rain and helped bring all our unpacked gears on his pontoon.
Laura gave us instructions re a boat ride, hike and canoe to a paradise on earth called Grace lake.
It was the perfect adventure we were looking for.
The log cabins are quaint and simple with all the amenities for a simple and peaceful getaway. Fire was set up nightly. We can’t wait to try Konrad’s home made pizza today.
We are a hop skip away from Killarney provincial park and 30 min drive from Manitoulin.
We will be back next summer!

We honestly cannot express how amazing Konrad (the owner) and his cottages are. They are true cottages NOT city living type cottages. From the first step out of our car we were greeted by Konrad and explained everything in detail about our cottage. We stayed in the Bayview cottage which one of many beautiful cottages he has to rent. We had something to do every minute while we were hear from fishing, fires, swimming, paddle boating, kayaking and so much more. This cottage is honestly up the road from the amazing views at Cup and Saucer, and then only a few minutes away from there was Bridal Veil Falls just a little past Little Current where we stopped to enjoy a delicious ice cream cone at Fraquares Ice Cream Shop. We honestly will be returning hopefully in the fall of this year (that’s how much we loved our stay). Thank you so much Konrad and everyone who has a hand in creating such an amazing cottage experience in Northern Ontario. We definitely will be back.

My wife and I have been going to Bearskin Lodge for about 8 years now and just love the place. The cottages are rustic but with convenient ammenities. The owner Konrad and his wife Laura are more than accommodating to make your holiday just that much better. The scenery is something else you are right in the middle of the La Cloutche mountains something that is kind of rare in Ontario. While taking a boat out fishingnI captured some fantastic pictures of nature at it’s best. We will definatly be returning next year if health will accommodate us. Take the time to visit he website or better book a cabin yo won’t be dissapointed.
Neal and Johanna Moore London Ontario Canada