Algonquin Provincial Park
Ontario Provincial Park · Whitney, Ontario
Algonquin Provincial Park is Ontario's oldest provincial park, created in 1893, a vast area of lakes, rivers and forest on the Canadian Shield, famous as the landscape that inspired Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven. Most visitors see the Highway 60 corridor, where short trails, lookouts, the Algonquin Visitor Centre and the Logging Museum sit along one road. The deeper experience is by canoe, with portages and interior permits, using outfitters at Canoe Lake and Opeongo Lake. Moose are often seen at roadside pools in May and June, when black flies are also at their worst. Public wolf howls have been held on some August evenings, and fall colour in late September and October draws large crowds. A day-use permit is required to stop in the park; confirm current rules and book ahead for peak weekends. Toronto and Ottawa are each about three hours away. Allow a long day for the highway, or three to seven days for a canoe trip.
Algonquin Visitor Centre, Highway 60, km 43, Whitney, Ontario, K0J 2M0, Canada
The park is open year round, with most services on the Highway 60 corridor and the roads reachable in all seasons. The Algonquin Visitor Centre, the Logging Museum, outfitter stores and campgrounds run on seasonal hours, usually longest from late spring through early autumn and reduced in winter, so confirm before you plan a long drive. A day-use permit is needed to stop in the park, and peak fall weekends can sell out, so confirm and book ahead. Interior camping and canoe routes need reserved permits. Public wolf howls, when held, are usually a few evenings in August and are not guaranteed. Dawn and dusk are the best times for moose, and park gates may be closed or staffed lightly outside summer.
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