Champlain Trail Lakes facts for kids
The Champlain Trail Lakes are a cool group of lakes found in the southern part of the Whitewater Region in Ontario, Canada. They are lined up almost in a straight row. These lakes are named after a famous explorer, Samuel de Champlain, who used them a long time ago.
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Who was Samuel de Champlain?
Samuel de Champlain was a French explorer who traveled a lot in North America. He was exploring the Ottawa River and needed a way to get around some tricky parts. The Chenaux Rapids were a fast and dangerous section of the river. To avoid them, Champlain and his team used these lakes.
What is a Portage?
When explorers like Champlain came across parts of a river that were too dangerous or impossible to paddle through, they would "portage." This means they would carry their canoes and all their supplies over land to get to a safer part of the river or another body of water. The Champlain Trail Lakes were perfect for this! They helped Champlain continue his journey.
The Lakes of the Trail
There are several lakes that make up the Champlain Trail Lakes. Each one is a part of this historic route.
The lakes include:
- Coldingham Lake
- Catharine Lake
- Garden Lake
- Edmunds Lake
- Blanchards Lake
- Smiths Lake
- Lake Galilee
- Dump Lake
- Eadys Lake
- Pumphouse Lake
- Olmstead-Jeffrey Lake
Where Does the Water Flow?
The water from these lakes doesn't all go to the same place.
Lakes Draining into Browns Bay
Three of the lakes – Coldingham, Catharine, and Garden Lake – all send their water into a place called Browns Bay.
Lakes Draining into the Muskrat River
The rest of the Champlain Trail Lakes flow into the Muskrat River. The water from one lake flows into the next, and then into the Muskrat River, which continues its journey.
