Kingston to Grundy Lake

[RacerRalph]

Headed up to the UP after the Kingston Rally. We have a 30' Class C w. toad. Looks like there are two routes to Gandy Lake, our first stop. Which route is most scenic; 12/400 or 15/417? Any issues with either route? Appreciate the recommendations. Thanks in advance.

[Dave Lyon]

Do you mean Grundy Lake?

[RacerRalph]

Originally Posted by RacerRalph

Headed up to the UP after the Kingston Rally. We have a 30' Class C w. toad. Looks like there are two routes to Gandy Lake, our first stop. Which route is most scenic; 12/400 or 15/417? Any issues with either route? Appreciate the recommendations. Thanks in advance.

Sorry, Grundy Lake

[RacerRalph]

Yes, thanks

[Kaadk]

Fixed the thread title for you then.

If you take the 400 route, you're going to be brought pretty close to Toronto, and may or may not be impacted by the traffic of that decision. However, I live way the other side of Toronto so I really don't know which roads are the better choices up there.

[Dave Lyon]

I'm going to Grundy Lake the end of July. If you're looking for a more scenic route and not concerned with time (which you're going to be about 5 hours), I would suggest the following:

401 to Brock St. Whitby which is Hwy. 12
#12 north through Orillia to Coldwater
Jump on hwy 400 north through Parry Sound to Grundy Lake.

OR

Hwy #12 north from Whitby to Brechin
turn right on # 169 N to Washago
Hwy. 11 North to Gravenhurst
169 N to hwy. 400
hwy 400 N to Parry Sound and on to Grundy Lake


These are two common routes, if time is no object and you want scenery there several other routes.

[B and B]

169 Is scenic and can present some farm hazards as well slower vehicles being a winding road. I would go by 12 and 400. Stay away from 417 toll road

[itat]

Here's another suggestion if you're not in a hurry. It's a scenic route on 2 lane roads except for the short stretch of Hwy. 400 but I haven't been on those roads for a few years so I don't know the road conditions.

https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/Kings...45.9350382!5i2

I would avoid Hwy. 400 in Toronto like the plague. They are absolutely crazy on that highway.

The Hwy. 12/169/11/169 route would be better if you want to make time on Hwy. 401 to Whitby but I'd suggest taking Thickson Rd. (Regional Rd. 26) north from the 401 to connect to Hwy. 12 north of the Village of Brooklin.

Hope you enjoy your visit up here!

[HESN22]

Avoid the 400 area ... nothing scenic there unless you want to go to wonderland

[Littlehouse]

The 12 to 400 route would be the most straight forward. We went to Grundy the May long weekend and had no problems on the 400. A bit of construction but that's normal in the summer. Grundy is a nice park for kayaking/canoeing and hiking trails we didn't have a chance to go on...next time. Enjoy.

[RacerRalph]

We ended up taking ITAT's suggested route. It was a great trip. Thanks all for your suggestions.
Ralph

[tenttotrailer]

Just dont be on 400 north bound Friday afternoon, everyone else will be there and it is a parking lot.

Presently Grundy in under a fire ban from the forest fires, we just got back from that area. The smoke from the fire was blowing through the campground.

Kevin

[Kaadk]

Originally Posted by tenttotrailer

Just dont be on 400 north bound Friday afternoon, everyone else will be there and it is a parking lot.

Presently Grundy in under a fire ban from the forest fires, we just got back from that area. The smoke from the fire was blowing through the campground.

Kevin

I thought Grundy was evacuated and closed due to the fires?

[tenttotrailer]

Sorry I should have been more specific about our travels and trip. We were at Grundy on 21 July for the night, passing through to the Sault (KOA) using Hwy 17 where the forest fires were north of us. After we left Grundy we heard the whole French River area was under evac notice (Hwy 69/400). We then traveled back east on 17 to Sturgeon Falls KOA (North Bay area) and the forest fires were north and west.....seems we were being followed. Coming home we were Hwy 11 south so no issues. While at Sturgeon Falls the smoke from the fires would blow across the campground and river making an erie haze. There was a fire ban in effect every where we were camping, but when we got home the trailer stilled smelled of campfire smoke....kind of homie feel.

[Kaadk]

Originally Posted by tenttotrailer

Sorry I should have been more specific about our travels and trip. We were at Grundy on 21 July for the night, passing through to the Sault (KOA) using Hwy 17 where the forest fires were north of us. After we left Grundy we heard the whole French River area was under evac notice (Hwy 69/400). We then traveled back east on 17 to Sturgeon Falls KOA (North Bay area) and the forest fires were north and west.....seems we were being followed. Coming home we were Hwy 11 south so no issues. While at Sturgeon Falls the smoke from the fires would blow across the campground and river making an erie haze. There was a fire ban in effect every where we were camping, but when we got home the trailer stilled smelled of campfire smoke....kind of homie feel.

Ok, thanks for the heads up. I've been trying to find out all the information I can on what's going on up there cause we got a trip planned in a couple weeks where we intended to cut up through Michigan to the Salt, cross over to Fairbanks near Sudbury, then run down from Sudbury to Toronto for a few more days before completing the loop back here in Windsor. My original plan was to run down 69 between Sudbury and Barrie to get to the 400, but they're saying the fire's only a few kms from there and it's right at the edge of the current travel ban. Fairbanks to Toronto West KOA was my longest run on this whole trip, so I was really hoping I don't have to circumvent and go the long way around. Given the situation though, I may end up having to cancel our plans.

[Littlehouse]

Originally Posted by Kaadk

Ok, thanks for the heads up. I've been trying to find out all the information I can on what's going on up there cause we got a trip planned in a couple weeks where we intended to cut up through Michigan to the Salt, cross over to Fairbanks near Sudbury, then run down from Sudbury to Toronto for a few more days before completing the loop back here in Windsor. My original plan was to run down 69 between Sudbury and Barrie to get to the 400, but they're saying the fire's only a few kms from there and it's right at the edge of the current travel ban. Fairbanks to Toronto West KOA was my longest run on this whole trip, so I was really hoping I don't have to circumvent and go the long way around. Given the situation though, I may end up having to cancel our plans.

Grundy is closed until August 7, then they will assess the fire situation. If you come across to North Bay, then down hwy 11, you’ll find it very scenic and 3 Provincial Parks enroute. Restoule, Mikisew, and Arrowhead. Also Bass Lake just outside of Orillia.

[Kaadk]

Originally Posted by Littlehouse

Grundy is closed until August 7, then they will assess the fire situation. If you come across to North Bay, then down hwy 11, you’ll find it very scenic and 3 Provincial Parks enroute. Restoule, Mikisew, and Arrowhead. Also Bass Lake just outside of Orillia.

I’m sure the parks are great, but with the extra distance, I’m not going to have any chance to stop. We’re booked to check into the Toronto West KOA the same day we check out of Fairbanks. When I could run 69 it was doable, my longest run planned, but doable at just shy of 400 Km’s. But rerouting through North Bay to 11 makes it a 600 km run. I don’t think I can do that in a day.

We’re scheduled to do that on Aug 29th. So that gives them about 4 weeks to 69 open again. Anybody think it’s going to be possible? My alternative is to cancel the Toronto reservation, and back-track through the Sault and the States, but then we’d have to lose our groceries/beer/etc that might be problematic with a border crossing. It’s one thing to start off with an empty trailer going into the States on the way out on a trip. And another to purge a loaded trailer just because I need to cross through on the way back.