Cherokee Loop

Overview

The Cherokee Loop begins and ends at Entry Point 38 on Sawbill Lake, in the Tofte District. The route runs north through Ada and Skoop Lakes to Cherokee Lake, continues over a second height-of-land portage to North and South Temperance Lakes, then loops back south through Weird, Jack, Kelly, Burnt, and Smoke Lakes to the landing.

Both the climb into and the drop out of the Temperance corridor cross the Laurentian Divide, the height of land separating water bound for the Atlantic from water bound for Hudson Bay, and six of the loop's fourteen portages are rated difficult. Cherokee Lake is the far point of the loop, dotted with islands and closed in by steep hills. Cherokee and nearby Gordon Lake hold lake trout and northern pike, while South Temperance and Kelly Lake hold walleye and smallmouth bass.

This route suits groups with solid portaging experience and a full four days to spend, since both divide crossings carry real elevation gain rather than a flat carry. Wolves are regularly heard howling near Kelly Lake at dusk and dawn on the return leg. Camping is spread across the whole loop, with Cherokee Lake's sites drawing the most attention for their island views.

Route Highlights

• Cherokee Lake, dotted with islands and closed in by steep hills, with some of the loop's most sought-after campsites
• Two portages that climb the Laurentian Divide, the height of land separating Atlantic-bound and Hudson Bay-bound water
• Wolves regularly heard howling near Kelly Lake at dusk and dawn
• Lake trout and northern pike in Cherokee Lake, walleye and smallmouth bass in South Temperance and Kelly Lake