Dunn Lake is a picturesque long lake set among steep-sided mountains.   To get to Dunn Lake, we went to Little Fort and used the Little Fort Reaction Ferry service, then followed the 7 km gravel road to the Joseph Creek Valley on the north end of the lake.

Right at the junction of roads at the north end of the lake is the Dunn Lake Recreation Site.   The launch area is the gravel beach at the bottom of a short, but steep and rough track .   We were able to drive down (4WD back up), but low clearance vehicles may want to carry boats down to the water.

There are a small number of seasonal cabins at either end of the lake, but the east and west sides of the lake are unspoiled.   We paddled down the deep lake on one side and came back on the other, a 10.3 km route.

There were no winds on this day so the reflections of the hills and the sky made for a tranquil paddle.

Eagles flew overhead, swooping down for fish.   Damselflies skittered over the water, hunting for flies.  A family of ducks dabbled in the water on the shoreline.   Loons called across the Dunn Lake Valley.   On a weekday in summer, there were no boats on the lake except for our quiet kayaks.

Roads from Clearwater and from Barriere also lead to Dunn Lake, but there was little traffic in this back valley on the day we were there.   We will be returning next month to drive part way up Baldy Mountain which stands above the east shore of Dunn Lake.   Our scheduled hike to the top of Baldy will offer views of the lake from above and higher yet,  views the other way to the Dunn Peaks and the ranges to the north and east.