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Algonquin
Park
Comfy Camping in Ontario's Largest Provincial Park
©
Outdoor Adventure Canada
Every
year I reserve some time to visit some of our countries provincial
and national parks. It is nice to sit back, relax and do some
comfy camping. I load up the car with the barbeque, cooler and
all those other frivolities that I can't take when I'm backpacking.
One spot that
has always had a place in my heart is Ontario's Algonquin Park.
Algonquin Park is over 7700 square kilometers in size with canoe
routes and backpacking trails set among hardwood and coniferous
forests. Algonquin also offers a variety of car camping opportunities
and many of them are situated on the Highway 60 corridor.
 I
have camped in most of the Algonquin campgrounds and each has
its own unique qualities. The campsites are a good size and are
well kept. There are a selection of sites within each campground
ranging from private tree-covered sites to beach and lakeside
sites. There are also a small handful of wheelchair accessible
sites in each campground. The "Comfort Stations" have
flush toilets and hot running water. They house warm showers and
are kept quite clean. There are laundry facilities and firewood
is readily available at most of the campgrounds.
The Lake of
Two Rivers Store, Opeongo Outfitters and the Portage store are
the only place within the park where you can restock your supplies.
Dinner at Canoe Lake is enjoyable along and hand scooped ice cream
can be had at the Lake of Two Rivers Restaurant. Enjoy the view
of Sunday Creek as you have lunch in the restaurant at the Visitor's
Center. For a more refined dining experience there is Killarney
Lodge and Bartlett Lodge.
The Visitor's
Center provides a great educational experience with dioramas that
explain the diverse ecosystem and history of Algonquin Park. The
trail and buildings at the Logging Museum give one insight into
how logging shaped the park that we see today.
Autumn is
a popular camping season and it the extraordinary colors bring
thousands of visitors to the park each fall. Don't forget your
camera. Wildlife is active at this time of year and if you are
an artist or photographer Algonquin is definitely an inspiration.
Mew Lake,
Pog Lake and Cannisbay Lake offer many private sites. Sites with
electrical hookups are available and both Mew Lake and Lake of
Two Rivers have sites that can accommodate larger trailers and
motor homes.
For the more
adventurous camper who doesn't want the work of an interior trip
there are paddle-in site that take only 20 minutes to reach by
canoe. These are offered at Rock and Cannisbay Lakes.
Algonquin
Park offers interpretative day hiking trails which teach you about
the park's ecology provide spectacular views and give you a glimpse
into the park's history. More information can be found in our
Day Hiking section.
Before you
visit Algonquin Park it is advisable to make a site specific reservation.
Reservations can be made 5 months in advance by telephoning 1-888-ONT-PARK
or visiting www.ontarioparks.com
For more articles
please view the archives.
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