Algonquin Provincial Park; A Camping Paradise

Our camp was set up under a thick canopy of maple trees and white pine. There was only the sound of birdsong, which continued until dusk when the loons took over with their lonely song on the nearby lake. Soon our little campsite became lit only by the crackling fire in the firepit.  It's not until I trekked out the washhouse where the trees are cleared that I looked up and caught my breath; the sky was SO full of gleaming stars...

Spending the night in Muskoka, I travelled through Baysville and all the way along the shores of Lake Of Bays on Highway 9.  Highway 9 wound its way along the shores of the sparkling lake, passing by simple old cottages built next to deluxe cabins that were more like gated mansions.  Highway 9 intersected with Highway 60 which is the only highway that runs through Algonquin Provincial Park.  Algonquin Park is HUGE- 7,553 square kilometres (2995 square miles), and Highway 60 only crosses the southern tip of Algonquin Provincial Park.  Most access to Algonquin Park is through canoeing and portaging.


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Jazzercise Moose

Arrival at Algonquin Provincial Park was through the West Gate where there is an information centre. This was a great place to pick up some hiking maps and general park information.  TIP:  IT IS FREE TO DRIVE THROUGH ALGONQUIN PARK, BUT IF YOU WANT TO STOP TO USE ANY OF THE FACILITIES YOU ARE REQUIRED TO PURCHASE A PARK PASS.  THIS INCLUDES STOPPING TO USE THE TOILETS.  All the information on park fees and reserving camping spots are on the Algonquin Park Website.  Reservations are always recommended, especially this year in 2018 since Algonquin Park is celebrating its 125th birthday, making Algonquin the oldest Provincial Park in Canada!  Another exciting feature at the West Park Gate was the whiteboard listing all the wild animal sightings in the last few days.  It goes something like this: May 8th at 2:30 pm black bear and cub sighted on Booth Rock Trail.  This made it real folks! I was dying to spot a moose!  I kept thinking that I saw one, but the truth is my eyesight is terrible, and my "moose" always turned out to be a burnt tree stump or some such thing.


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May The Forrest Be With You

You can choose and book your campsite through the Algonquin Park website.  TIP: The park website allows you to see pictures of the actual campsites before you book online!  This is great if you are sleeping in a tent and need a flat spot to set it up.  I chose to camp at Kearny Lake, which was about 37 km beyond Algonquin's West gate, along highway 60.  Driving past numerous lakes along the road, passing grand lodges, a store, restaurants, canoe & bike rental shops and little cottages for rent.  This seemed more like a giant private resort than a Provincial Park!  Definitely more developed than any provincial park back home in British Columbia. Campsites in Algonquin Park are about $45 a night.  Which is steep compared to what we were used to in BC.  Yet, when I compare the facilities and free programs of Algonquin Park to those we have been to in BC, I think there is still good value for the money.


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I found our campsite number and set up our little home for the next few days.  Here's a small dog owner's TIP: AN OLD PLAYPEN IS A GREAT small DOG PEN FOR CAMPING.  My son's old playpen is a clever use for our two dachshunds; it's lightweight and folds down next to nothing, making it super portable.  The pen is easy to clean and the dogs can still see out at all the action going on around them.  After camp set up, I went to the Kearney Lake ranger station to check-in and pick up some firewood.  Here's the deal:  it is prohibited to bring wood into Algonquin Park to prevent the infestation of invasive insects.  YOU MUST PURCHASE YOUR FIREWOOD INSIDE THE PROVINCIAL PARK.   I totally support this, BUT the park was charging people $6 for a bundle of soaking wet firewood (it was like they stored all the firewood underwater for a year!)  Folks were really upset because gathering around the campfire at night is what you DO when you camp, and no one could get their fires started with the soaking wet wood!


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Only In Canada

Since I couldn't get a fire going after dinner, I decided to go check out the state of the arts Algonquin Visitor Centre.  The visitor centre was built in 1993 to commemorate Algonquin Park's 100th anniversary.  There is a restaurant,  book/gift shop with a really nice selection of items (including detailed backcountry trail guides), a museum, an art gallery, a theatre with a short movie on Algonquin Provincial Park and a huge observation deck.  Because the Visitor Centre is built on a high ridge, the viewing deck is just fantastic.  There is also free Wi-Fi at the Visitor Centre (now you know where this blog is coming from).  The museum display is worth a visit and had a lot of interesting facts about local wildlife, the First People who lived in this area and the settlers who later came to Algonquin.  At least I got a chance to get up close to some moose here in the museum; I figured this could be the only moose sighting I would see in Algonquin.


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Don't forget to pick up the Algonquin newspaper with ALL the park information and maps you need for a visit to the park.  Another handout to pick up is the newsletter "This Week In Algonquin" (which is also available online at the park website).  This leaflet tells you about all the free programs available at the park during the current week like; guided walks, kids programs, movie nights, etc.
On the way back to the Kearney Lake campground we decided to make a stop at the Lookout Trail to watch the sunset.  The lookout trail is a 2km loop that climbs through the maples forests and opens up to a large rock ridge that faces westward.  It's a stunning place to catch an Algonquin sunset or to view the Autumn foliage from the high cliffs.  The trail up to the ridge itself is not long, but it is very steep. It is worth the effort to hike up to the bluff; the views are spectacular.

With the sun sinking low into the forest we head back to our campsite before it got too dark to navigate the trails safely without a flashlight.

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On the way back to Kearney lake there was a big line of cars pulled over onto the shoulder of Highway 60. I had no idea what was happening until I saw a woman pointing to a swampy area at the side of the road.  MOOSE!  It was a cow and her two calfs-twins moose babies. I thought I had died and gone to heaven!
Apparently, the little family visit this swampy area every evening when the air cools down.  It was beautiful to watch the shy moose calves play in the long grass and disappear into the trees, only to reappear a few meters away.  That Moose Momma was so calm, even with the number of spectators only 300ft away from her.  I could spend hours watching the moose trio, but the mosquitos were starting to come out in droves so I headed back to the campsite.


What a fantastic end to the day!  I thought it couldn't get any better, but when I got back to the camp someone had left a small bundle of dry firewood next to our fire pit!  Amazing.  After the campfire got going, we sat up late into the night planning out our adventures for the next day.  Visiting the washhouse that night and seeing the sky so full of stars, made me feel so grateful for where I live on this Earth.  I know there are SO many places on this globe I have yet to discover, but somehow exploring in my own backyard is always the most gratifying for me.  It gives me a sense of pride in the natural abundance we have in Canada, and it also gives ME a better understanding of what it means to be a Canadian.


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