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Algonquin Provincial Park
What Canada Looked Like Before Man Arrived
By Julia Rosien
If you prefer company while camping, stay at one of the Highway 60 campgrounds. If you'd rather enjoy nature alone, travel by paddle and portage. Experience some of Algonquin's 1,500 kilometers of canoe routes and remote campsites, isolated lakes full of hungry trout and remote wilderness without meeting another soul.
Dogs and black bears don't get along. A dog exploring its surroundings may encounter a bear and come high tailing it back to camp with the bear in hot pursuit. If you must bring your dog, keep it leashed at all times and be aware that dogs are prohibited on many trails and all beaches.
If you want to leave civilization behind but need some guidance, make use of Algonquin's hospitality before pushing away from shore. Bring your own canoe or rent one at the Portage Store (Canoe Lake), the Opeongo Store (Opeongo Lake) or Bartlett Lodge (Cache Lake). If you're not ready to head into the wilderness without a guide, consider hiring one at Canoe Lake, Smoke Lake or Lake Opeongo.
Visit Canoe Lake and you may just see Tom Thompson, famous Canadian artist, paddling silently across the lake, disappearing into the mist. After lunch on a midsummer day in 1917 he paddled past Wapomeo Island in Algonquin Provincial Park presumably to fish. His upturned canoe was discovered that evening.
Camping the interior means carrying everything you need. Non-burnable containers like cans and bottles must be packed out of the wilderness, so do some research on what types of food and supplies to bring. Learn how to protect your food from bears by suspending it high off the ground between two trees. Discover how to reuse six to 10 squares of paper toweling by drying them on rocks after each use. Before deciding on your route, get expert advice on how far you can expect to safely trek in one day.
