The Interlakes Area of Highway 24 has many lakes to paddle and explore.   Birch Lake is found west of McDonald Summit (4300 feet) on the Nehaliston Plateau just east of Lac des Roches.   The turn off the highway is signed as Phinetta Lake.   It goes south to the Opax Mountain Resort which owns the campsite/launch area at Birch Lake.   Paddlers can stop here to pay the modest ($10) launch fee.   There was also a self-registration deposit system at the lake office.  The road goes down towards Phinetta Lake, then turns right where a narrow rough road leads us to the shores of Birch Lake.

The Birch Lake Fish Camp has a nice boat launch in a scenic location.

Birch Lake sits in a basin surrounded by forested hills.   The there are some shallow bays and one rocky island.

The lake was calm with blue sky and fluffy clouds.   The birch trees were starting to turn color on the western shores.   The paddle around the perimeter of the lake is 7.5 km.   This is a pleasant spot for paddlers.   On the way out, I stopped to look at Phinetta Lake and decided it would be better for a SUP with its smaller size (along with nearby Goose Lake).   The Phinetta Road continues on for 6km to the upper end of the Eakin Creek Valley offering an alternate route back east, coming out on Highway 24 highway at the bottom of the Big Hill.

There are a lot of rec sites next to lakes in the area.   For anyone who loves to paddle, there are enough lakes within an hour’s drive of Interlakes to keep us paddling every day for a couple of weeks (at least) – Lac des Roches, Phinetta Lake, Latremouille Lake, Crystal Lake, Sheridan Lake, Deka Lake, Sulphurous Lake, Lynn Lake, Wavey Lake, Sheridan Lake, Hathaway Lake, Drewry Lake, Needa Lake, Eagan Lake, Bonaparte Lake, Caverhill Lake, Akehurst Lake, Bridge Lake, Janice Lake, Emar Lakes Circuit, and many more.