Algonquin Park
"The Gem of Ontario”.
“The Park”.
The “land of lakes and rivers”.
We couldn’t pick a better place to start off a trip in Canada. It shows off the spectacularness of our great outdoors and many of our favourite pastimes.
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Hike to beautiful viewpoints and gaze at the rocky ridges, rolling hills and lookouts – maybe even for sunset
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Keep your eyes open for wildlife that call this place home including moose, black bears, white-tailed deer, beavers, loons, and wolves
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Rent a canoe and explore the beautiful landscapes Canadian style
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Swim in the pristine lakes - one of over 1.5K in the park
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Settle down with a bonfire in the evening and enjoy a Canadian favourite dessert - S’mores
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Learn about the history, geography and wildlife of the park at the beautiful visitors center
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There are over 2 thousand kilometers of canoe routes and 1.5 thousand lakes!
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It is 25% the size of Belgium. It is also larger than Prince Edward Island (one of Canada’s provinces) that many of you will visit.
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Visiting Algonquin and the areas around is a favourite hobby of people from Ontario. The beauty and opportunity for day paddling and canoe tripping are unparalleled.
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You can also enjoy yourself by swimming in the pristine lakes and relaxing on the sandy beaches.
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4K moose!
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2K bears!
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35 packs of wolves!
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Chipmunks & Squirrels. Loons (on our "Loonie" coin).
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~Infinite beavers.
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You might be wondering how would someone get between all the lakes with their canoes and gear? Well you gotta carry it all! Portaging!
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You can try that “Portage” thing (carrying a canoe) when we are there. Where you might ask? At the appropriately named “Portage Store”.
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One of our favourite trails includes Track & Tower that allows you to explore abandoned train tracks – and lookout towers. Another is the short Lookout trail which is perfect for sunset.
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Take in the views which inspired an entire generation of artists - the Group of Seven. They are also sometimes known as the Algonquin School. They were predominantly a group of Canadian landscape painters from 1920 to 1933.
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They believed that art could be developed through direct contact with nature – which happened for many in Algonquin – the Gem of Ontario.
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You can see some of their great work at the National Art Gallery of Canada in Ottawa – the next stop of the trip.