Algonquin Provincial Park

After hearing about this park from almost every Ontarian I have ever come across, I decided to finally explore it. Let me tell you, it truly is as praise worthy as they say. Rolling hills, maples, lakes, waterfalls, all sorts of wildlife and acres and acres of forest, the park is truly heaven on earth and offers something for everyone.

Established in 1893, Algonquin is the oldest and first provincial park of Ontario, attracting more than half a million visitors each year! I was lucky enough to be able to visit Algonquin in Autumn. Although I have not seen it in any other season, I cannot imagine it would be more beautiful than it is in fall. Oh the colours! The park was bursting with red, orange and yellow. It was absolutely beautiful. I am at a loss of words to describe the beauty this park has to offer.

I went to the park for a day trip only, and if you are planning a day trip, especially to see fall colours, then this article should help you plan your day.

I started off early in the morning to beat the crowd. Driving from Richmond Hill, ON, I left at 5 am and reached the park around 7:30. There was already a line up at the entrance gate. Although it was not too bad, I still had to wait about 20 minutes before I reached the front desk. After getting my day pass and a map, I started the day with the very first trail, the Whiskey Rapids Trail.

Whiskey Rapids Trail:

This is a 2.1 KM loop trail, which is rated as moderately difficult, however, if you are an experienced hiker, then it is relatively easy. It is steep at some points, but not too bad. This trail is also kid friendly. It took me about 40 minutes to complete the trail (this includes stopping for pictures alot!). There weren’t alot of colour changes along this trail and the water level on the river was quite low. The rapids were nothing too fancy either. If you are only visiting for a day, I would suggest you skip this (unless you want to do a quick kid friendly trail).

After the Whiskey Rapids Trail, I went on to the Lookout Trail.

Lookout Trail:

This is a 2.1 KM loop trail, rated difficult. This is indeed steep and rugged, but again, for an experienced hiker, it should not be a problem. If you are traveling with kids, this trail is still doable. It took me 40 minutes to complete this trail, which includes stopping at the cliff to take in the scenery. The hike up to the top is really worth it. The cliff offers some magnificent views of Algonquin and you can see amazing colours as well. Keep in mind, this is a very popular and crowded trail, so I would suggest you do this first thing in the morning. Also, the trail was red and orange all the way. The colours had emerged completely so even the hike up to the lookout point was beautiful.

Once done with the hikes, next stop was Canoe Lake.

Canoe Lake:

I went to the Portage Store Access point (located at KM 14.1 on highway 60). I did a half day canoe rental (my first time!). It was CAD 31.95 for half day for a three seater Canoe. Full day prices, you can see here → https://portagestore.com/algonquin-park-rental-canoe-types/

I spent the afternoon canoeing. For about the first two hours, the water was calm, so it was really easy, considering it was my first time. Later in the afternoon, it started to get windy and the water became quite rough. I did a 360 degree turn thrice, before finally making it in the direction I wanted to go. The last hour to get back to the shore was the most difficult. If you are canoeing for the first time, do check the weather, and if possible, have an experienced rower with you.

After returning the canoe, I drove to East Beach.

East Beach:

The colours here were amazing and I had the beach to myself. I just sat on a tree branch and enjoyed the serene views.

Around 6 pm, I finally packed up to drive back home. I had my windows rolled down enjoying the cool breeze and the beautiful colours. Weirdly, it seemed, the colours had deepened more than when I came in the morning! It was a very peaceful and tranquil drive back home.

For day trips, please see some tips below:

TIPS:

1. Go early. I cannot emphasize this enough. Gates open at 8 am. Be sure to be there by 7:15 atleast to get in line. The park fills up very quickly and gets extremely crowded.
2. If you want to enjoy some of the most popular trails, beat the crowd and start first thing in the morning.
3. If you are aiming for shorter trails, do the Lookout Trail first. 
4. Carry lots of water
5. Leave the beaches/picnic areas for late afternoons.
6. For day trip, you can easily skip the Whiskey Rapids Trail. I did that one, but I would have rather explored something else. However, if you are looking for a quick trail that is kids friendly, then you can do this one.
7. Drive from one end of the park to the other on hwy 60. The drive is beautiful.

Algonquin is truly a wonder of nature, and if you have not been, this needs to be added to your places to visit list right away! More awesome pictures here.