Location
Located in northwestern Ontario’s famous Sunset Country, Bull Moose Camp sits on the shores of Upper Goose Lake only 65 air miles northeast of Red Lake, Ontario.
Getting to Red Lake by commercial flight
You can book through your own local travel agent or you might use Red Lake Travel 1-800-465-3305 (www.redlaketravel.com) Common routing is via Winnipeg & then on Bearskin Airlines on to Red Lake. These folks will be here to assist you in the event of delayed luggage or any other problems.
Driving to Red Lake
Most guests drive to Red Lake & depending on where you come from, you will enter the area via Minnesota,
Manitoba or from somewhere east. Speed limits in Canada are 100km/h (60 MPH), 90km/h (55 MPH) & 80km/h (50 MPH) & after driving the higher speed limits in the U.S., it will be hard to slow down. The basic 9 mile rule should be okay but make sure not to exceed the limits by too much because the police do ticket speeders. Obey the checkerboard signs & slow down for those sharp turns, they usually are! Also, note that radar detectors are illegal in Manitoba & Ontario.
Some sample driving distances to Red Lake are as follows:
- International Falls = 250 MI
- Minneapolis = 550 MI
- Des Moines = 785 MI
- Chicago = 870 MI
- St. Louis = 1170 MI
- Pembina ND = 360 MI
- Fargo = 515 MI
- Sioux City = 835 MI
- Omaha = 930MI
- Kansas City via I29 = 1110 MI via I35 = 1050 MI
International Falls to Vermilion Bay Entering International Falls continue straight through town until very near the Paper Mill which straddles the border. Watch for signs directing you to turn right, go 1 block & turn left to continue to the crossing. It’s right at the paper mill and you’ll cross some tracks and have to pay a bridge toll to them. You’ll pay once at this end and that covers your return crossing too! Cross the bridge and you’ll need to stop and answer questions at Customs and perhaps even pull around and go in.
As you leave the paper mill property you have two choices. Your options are to use Hwy. 11 east to Hwy. 502 north or use Hwy. 11 west to Hwy. 71 north.
We recommend 502 because it’s about an hour shorter. Highway 502 has about 100 miles of nothing and you’ll want to have your fuel tank full. If going east, jog one block over (make a left go 1 block and then turn right) and continue going out on the main street (Scott). You swing left at the water & travel 17-18 miles (30 Km) east on Highway 11. Note the reduced speed limit through the Indian (First Nations) Reserve. Watch for Highway 502 on your left. There are good signs but it’s right after you pass through a rock cut and it kind of pops up. On 502, the speed limit is 80 km/h which is only 50 MPH. After about 100 miles, you’ll reach a T intersection on Highway 594. Turn right and go the few miles east to Dryden because it’s faster than 594 west. If you don’t need gas or food and want to bypass Dryden completely, make a left as soon as you get to the wood lot just before the paper mill (2.7 miles). This road (Gordon Rd.) will wind you around 1.9 miles and bring you to Hwy. 17 at the Ford dealership where you can turn left (West) . Otherwise, continue on and once you cross the bridge just past this paper mill (don’t worry, it’s the last mill you’ll see) you can make 2 lefts and hit Hwy. 17 west quickly or continue straight through town to hit Hwy. 17 on the east end. Travel west on Hwy. 17 (90 Km/h or 55 MPH) for about 25 miles till you get to Vermilion Bay.
Or… Manitoba from the west or Thunder Bay from the east to Vermilion Bay Stay on Hwy. 17 from the Manitoba/Ontario border right to Vermilion Bay. The speed limit is 90 km/h (55 MPH) and watch for the stop light as you are by passing Kenora. From the east to Vermilion Bay just follow Hwy. 17 east from Thunder Bay.
And then Vermilion Bay to Red Lake Turn north onto Hwy. 105 (between the totem pole and Esso Station on the north side). The speed limit here is 80 Km/h (50 MPH) and you’ve got about 120 miles to go. Just prior to reaching Red Lake, you pass the intersection of Hwy. 125 with 105. Continue straight (reduced speed) for another mile and a bit and you are there! If heading for lodging in Balmertown, you would have to turn right on Hwy. 125 before reaching Red Lake.
Getting to Superior Airways
Simply drive on into Red Lake and stay on Highway 105 until you are at the one and only traffic lights in the region. Turn right and head on along the lakefront and through the down town. The road narrows and at 1/2 mile from the light you’ll be at the 68 Howey Street seaplane base.
This is the old Green Airways location that we flew from for 35 years before we changed to Chimo Air Service for those few years before the whole works was bought out by Superior Airways.
It’s always a good idea to stop by on the afternoon before if you are doing the early morning flight and if you get into town early enough to check in with them. If you have cooler or freezer stuff, you can leave it in their cooler & freezer overnight.
They would like you to take your keys (preferably not an entire bundle of 30, but just the car keys if possible), inside and fill out a parking tag with: destination, date, description of vehicle (color and make (e.g. green F150), group name, number of vehicles in group.