![\"\"](\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/01132930\/Kilarney-Park_HP-3x2-2-4.jpg\")
<\/p>\nKillarney Provincial Park is one of my favorite places on earth, and this spring I finally got back into it after almost a year off the water. A frozen shoulder kept me sidelined for most of last summer, so this trip was as much about getting back into a boat as it was about the destination.<\/p>\n
The destination happened to be OSA Lake, which is a lake I’d somehow never paddled to despite years of trips into Killarney, even though it’s considered by many to be the most beautiful lake in the park. Some go further, calling it the most beautiful lake in the province, and so I wanted to see for myself.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
What makes the area even more amazing is that across the road you’ll find Georgian Bay and one of the best freshwater sea kayaking destinations anywhere. Between the park and the bay, you’ve got world-class canoe tripping, world-class kayak touring, and some incredible hiking and backpacking within a few minutes of each other.<\/p>\n
My plan for this trip involved three days and two nights in mid-May with the hope of beating the blackflies. I mostly won that bet, but just barely, as the number of bugs grew each day.<\/p>\n
The typical route to OSA Lake starts at George Lake, the main access point and campground for the park. From there my route would take me to Freeland Lake \u2192 Killarney Lake \u2192 OSA Lake. The total distance is about about 6 miles\/10 km one-way, and it includes three portages totalling roughly 750 yards\/meters. A good first mission back into one my favorite places.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/01133816\/Killarney-GOPR1120-100x100.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/01131140\/Killarney-WD-Killarney-DSC00953-100x100.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/01131130\/Killarney-DJI_20260520192638_0042_D-100x100.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\tThe paddling and portaging distances make it a comfortable multi-day outing. While it’s definitely doable in two days, there are many distractions along the way that make it worth spending an extra day or two out there. In particular, it’s well worth taking the side hike from Killarney Lake up to the Crack, a beautiful stretch of wilderness that ends in a rock scramble and a jaw-dropping viewpoint.<\/p>\n
A little context on the park itself: Killarney was established in 1964 after a group of Group of Seven painters<\/a>, including A.Y. Jackson and Franklin Carmichael, lobbied to protect the area they’d been painting for decades. Standing on the shore of OSA Lake, it’s not hard to understand why they fought for it. The quartzite hills, pink granite shoreline, and turquoise water look almost unreal in person, and it’s why a lot of people call Killarney the crown jewel of the Ontario Parks system.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/01133055\/Kilarney-Park_HP-3x2-4.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/01133358\/Killarney-WD-Killarney-DSC00956-100x100.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/01133158\/Kilarney-Park_HP-3x2-3-100x100.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/01131708\/Killarney-DJI_20260521171854_0106_D-100x100.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t