Our Canadian Identity and Algonquin Park are intertwined.  We camped there almost every year since we moved to Canada. In some cases, once in the spring and once in the fall to avoid bugs and crowds.  We learned how to canoe there and quickly bought our own canoe from a local canoe maker.  Our daughters went tent-camping since they were practically infants and we still laugh at our first camping experience with them.  Since our small campsite was almost hanging off a cliff so we had to keep the girls next to fire ring and the tent area at all times.  By the end of the day they were black from rolling in the ashes.

Good times.

Part of the experience for us was to rough it out in a tent in the woods away from city distractions.  We had a canoe, a cooler with some food, sleeping bags, and means to make fire.  That was all we needed.  We watched incredulously the big RVs that would roll in with their generators and TVs and couldn’t quite understand why you need to have all the comforts of home when you are in the woods.  Doesn’t it defy the purpose in a way?

This preamble highlights our mood as we made our first trip to Algonquin Park in the campervan.  We are now “those people”.  It was a strange feeling, but also a sobering one – why were we so judgemental anyway?  There are many ways to enjoy nature and to each their own.  It also highlighted the rapid passage of time, but that’s another story…

First time that we going to Algonquin Park without the kids.

And without Emma.

Getting there

We took almost all day to get there, as if we were putting it off.  We took a roundabout way and stopped in many places along the way.

The amazing Kirkfield Elevator locks,

Dorset and Robinson’s General Store “the best general store in Canada”

What should have been a 2.5 hour drive turned into close to 7 hours.

Putting our silly identity crisis aside, we rolled into Algonquin Park like a boss ready for some hiking and kayaking before our short Canadian summer ends.

Camping in Algonquin Park

Other than backcountry campsites, there are 12 campgrounds in Algonquin Park, most of them along the Highway 60 corridor.  We could only get reservations in the Lake of Two Rivers for the dates we were going.  Although this campground is not our first choice, we did have a lot of luck wildlife sightings canoeing river there, so we took it.  We booked 2 nights for a total of 116 Canadian Dollars.  A bit steep and we didn’t even use the electricity.

This campground is a bit crowded for our taste, but we were lucky to score a private and large campsite.  But really, we came here for the hiking and kayaking, not to hand out in the campground.

Hiking in Algonquin Park

We had a couple of extra pounds we needed to burn so we hit the trails.

We started with Bat Lake Trail, a 6km trail with some steep inclines and declines.

Algonquin forests are really textured.  Rock and timber create the backdrop,

 

and it is layers with mushrooms, berries, and plants – every which way you look, there is another layer, shape, or sound to experience.

 

The view from the top did not disappoint

We even had an inspirational sticker on the bench.

We were able to squeeze in a hike on the Lake of two rivers trail, a 2.3 km hike to a pine-clad cliff.  Again, we were not disappointed.

Kayaking in Algonquin Park

We did want to take out the inflatable kayak out again, so we headed to the lake of two rivers.  The beach was studded with canoes, kayaks, dogs and bathers,

but once we turned into the river, it was serene.

Just us and the herons.  Lots of them!

Trying to blend into the background,

Trying to look like emus,

Stalking fish.

And flying away

the next day, on our way out of the park, we stopped for a short hike at Hardwood Lookout Trail, a 1km trail.  It was short, but a good workout nonetheless, as it is mainly a steep climb to a beautiful lookout point.

We stopped in Tea Lake for one last kayaking excursion.  We paddled to smoke lake and back,

 

jumped in the lake for a quick swim,

and started heading back home.

We should do this more often.

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