Algonquin is distinguished for its vast spread of maple hills, rocky ridges, and scores of lakes. The unique topography of the park offers such a mesmerizing view that one couldn’t help but stare at it in awe for hours.
Spread over 1.9 million acres (7630 square kilometers) Ontario’s Algonquin Provincial Park was also the first one in the province and celebrated its 125th anniversary last year. The park was initially founded as a reserve, in order to protect the timber from deforestation. The headwaters of the major rivers which flows through the park, provide a wildlife sanctuary and keep settlers away from the timberlands.
When the Ottawa, Arnprior & Parry Sound Railway was built on the south side of the park, it provided better access to the public and began to welcome tourists. Later in 1933, when Highway 60 was constructed, the park was even easier to access and become a popular destination for thrill seekers and RV and camping enthusiast.
A few adventurist fishermen were the first ones to discover the park followed by Tom Thomson, and The Group of Seven artists.
Today, the massive park allows RV campers to embrace peace, quiet, and solitude among the timberlands, lakes, and rocky ridges. It also allows them to embrace their adventurous side exploring the area on foot and enjoy a date with nature.
There’s only one way to get to Algonquin Park, and that is by road. The best route to take is highway 60 that leads directly to the park. Make sure your vehicle is in excellent condition before taking the trip as it is a long journey and a remote destination.
At the park, there are several spots to park the vehicle and explore the rest of the park on foot, bicycle, or through canoeing. However, RV campers can drive their vehicle all the way to the campgrounds.The roads are wide and well-maintained and campsites can accommodate truck campers, trailers, RVs. Class A, B & C motorhomes as well as fifth wheels.
Kerney Lake Campground offers 104 wheelchair accessible sites with comfort stations (flush toilets) and shower facilities but no electric hook-ups offering a more primitive camping experience.
Rock Lake Campground offers 121 electrical sites with comfort stations (flush toilets), shower facilities, and laundry facilities. Trailer sewage disposal facilities and fresh water filling stations are also available.
Pog Lake Campground offers 286 electrical sites with comfort stations (flush toilets), shower facilities and laundry facilities with a beach front and more secluded campsites.
Mew Lake Campground offers 131 electrical sites with comfort stations (flush toilets), shower facilities, and laundry facilities. It’s a dog-free zone. This campground also features a beach side area and store with ADA accessible campsites.
Lake of Two Rivers Campground offers 241 electrical sites with comfort stations (flush toilets), shower facilities, and laundry facilities. The campsites are located close to the beach and store front but offer limited privacy. A boat launch area is also available close by for boating enthusiast.
Algonquin Provincial Park has seven campgrounds that accommodate RV and tent camping. All campgrounds are well-maintained and offer several amenities and facilities for campers to enjoy a comfortable and enjoyable experience. Sanitary stations in Algonquin Park are closed for the winter months. Reservations can be made via phone.
Canisbay Lake Campground offers 242 dog-free electrical sites with comfort stations (flush toilets), shower facilities, and laundry facilities. Showers with wheelchair access is also available and campsites offer plenty of privacy. A beach front is located close by and access to campsites is by paved roads.
There is a network of trails at Algonquin Provincial Park, offering more than 110 kilometers of cross-country opportunities. Some of these Nordic cross-country trails are also arguably the best ones in Ontario. These trails are well-maintained, packed, and groomed, and track set on a regular basis. There is one trail however that is neither groomed nor track set.
The park enjoys the presence of various historical and archeological resources. So much so, that it has been the inspiration behind more than 40 books, a dozen films, 180 scientific papers, a symphony, and even the art of Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven.
The Algonquin Logging Museum takes visitors back to the times when logging was a major part of this area. The Visitor Center allows families to experience a number of interesting and fun-filled programs.
Over 200 vertebrates breed within the boundaries of Algonquin Provincial Park. Many of the non-domestic mammals are large and striking, which brings many campers to the park all hoping to catch a sight of these majestic beasts during their visit. Some of these mammals include white-tailed deer, moose, beaver, wolves, black bears, and many other smaller mammals like chipmunks and squirrels. The park is also home to over two hundred different species of birds including the loons, osprey, eagles and more. The vast landscape and plenty of untouched areas make Algonquin Provincial Park a unique and diverse ecosystem.
Excellent for tent camping with 24 non-electric campsites situated close to comfort stations (flush toilets).
Anglers can buy their bait and tackle from the nearby Two River Store and then enjoy the smallmouth bass and lake trout fishing in the Lake of Two Rivers. The authorities only allow lures and worms in the Algonquin Provincial Park. There are also local guides available at the premises to take care of all your angling needs and provide you with boats, tackles and even a lunch at the shore with the very fish you have caught. Canoeing facilities are also provided at the park.
Campers can either bring their own bikes or rent one from the nearby Two Rivers Store. There are two biking paths in the park, Minnesing Trail or the Mew Lake. The former is rugged and more difficult, while the latter offers an easier bike ride as it takes the bikers alongside the abandoned railway bed. Mew Lake trail begins from the now-defunct Ottawa, goes through Arnprior and Parry Sound Railway.
From casual to ambitious, the first provincial park in Ontario offers 15 hiking trails to trekking enthusiasts. All 15 trails are self-guided, varying in lengths and leading to different locations. The trails allow leisurely walks to explore the mesmerizing surroundings and come across the diverse flora and fauna of the region.
All the trails are properly curated and marked for ease of navigation. Every trail takes hikers towards a different aspect of the park. One might walk you alongside the shores of the many lakes the park has, while the other would take you to outcroppings with magnificent views of the wildlife and landscape below. Get the interpretive guide book to learn about the trails and points of interest.
Algonquin logging museum, fire tower trail, and spruce bog boardwalk trails are wheelchair accessible.
