Algonquin Park

With less than a one-hour drive through the rugged landscape of rock and pine, you reach Algonquin Provincial Park. Known throughout the world for it’s natural beauty and accessibility, the Park is 7725 square miles of forest, lakes and rivers and a sanctuary for plant life and animals. Enroute to Algonquin from Ogopogo Resort, stop at the Dorset Lookout Tower, a publicly accessible fire tower used to watch for forest fires in the area. The scenery from the tower, particularly in the fall, is spectacular.

The early history of Algonquin saw scattered aboriginal families living off the land. In the 1800s, loggers came in search of the great White Pine trees and for many years logging was the way of life. Men lived in remote and primitive camps, cutting timber in the winter and then floating the logs down swollen rivers in the spring to saw mills further south. One of two museums in the Park celebrates this history.

The Park was created in 1893 as a wildlife sanctuary and to protect the five rivers, which have their headwaters in the Park. With this protection, Algonquin soon became an adventurous getaway for those loving the outdoors including Tom Thompson and the Group of Seven, Canada’s famous landscape painters.

Today, Algonquin Park provides an accessible means for the public to appreciate the rugged natural beauty, which covered much of Canada. There are many hundreds of kilometers of hiking, biking, cross-country ski and dogsledding trails. The hikes can be taken from the highway for a few short hours or for a number of days, taking the backpacker well into the Park interior.

Many people come to Algonquin to catch a glimpse of a wild animal or take in the beauty of a spring wildflower. Bear, moose, deer and wolves are common to the Park and the first three are commonly seen by visitors right along the road. A visit to the Visitors Centre and Museums in the Park is a good place to start for advice from the Park Rangers.

A classic way to visit Algonquin is by canoe. There are over 2000 km of canoe routes to choose from with many ‘outfitters’ near the Park who can supply the canoes, food and equipment needed for a trip. Traveling like the Voyageurs of years gone by is an effective way to visit the Park interior.

Carol and Bruce will be pleased to assist you with planning a day trip into Algonquin Park. The drive from Ogopogo into the Park takes you along scenic Hwy 35 and Hwy 60, picturesque at any time of year.