Kwagama Hill

Posted by Derek on Apr 13, 2009

Rank: 17
Height: 2106 feet / 642 m
Lat/Lon: N47 24.877/W84 33.539
Line Parent: Blackspruce Lake Peak
Key Col: N47 36.949 W84 31.633 (1115ft / 340m)
Clean Prominence: 991ft / 302m
Date Summited: Not ascended

Overview:

View from Kwagama Hill (Photo by Gail Staisil)

Kwagama Hill is a mountain 6 km due west of the popular Algoma tourist attraction: The Agawa Canyon, which is serviced by the Agawa Canyon Train Tour out of Sault Ste Marie. The area is fairly popular for backcountry excursions and because of this, there is some, albeit limited, trips up to Kwagama Hill. There was a fire tower on the summit of the peak, however it was knocked down in a wind storm many years ago. The twisted metal remains are still visible today. The summit of Kwagama Hill affords outstanding views including west to Lake Superior.

Proposed Route:
There is no marked trail up to Kwagama Hill, however Satellite imagery (Google Maps) show a network of bush roads in the area, one of which passes within 1 km of the summit. There are 2 possible routes to the area: one of which is by following the Sand River Road. Alternatively a second, shorter route to Kwagama Hill begins on a bush road turnoff from Trans-Canada Highway (#17) at N47 24.099 W84 42.016 and eventually joins up with the Sand River route at N47 25.352 W84 35.600.

Distance to Kwagama Hill via Sand River Road route: 19 km.
Distance to Kwagama Hill via Alternative Bush Road route: 15.1 km.

The Sand River Road can be accessed from the Trans-Canada Highway (#17), 34 km north of the Montreal River, however it is closed to all motor vehicles. Reportedly, the road is still easy to follow, but all bridges and culverts have been removed. Follow the main road for 11.4 km, until reaching a turnoff right onto a smaller bush road at N47 26.712 W84 37.901. The road heads southeast for 5.5 km until reaching N47 24.832 W84 34.658 at which it turns north to round the lake due west of the Kwagama Peak. After reaching the north shore of the lake, the 1.1 km bushwhack to Kwagama begins. It is a 500 foot vertical bushwhack south-east up to the summit. Kwagama has 2 summits; the western peak is the highest.

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