Ontario Outdoor Adventures: Haliburton Highlands & Algonquin Park

2016 has been an interesting year of travel for me. With the birth of my first child, Florence, at the tail end of 2015 we had to make several changes to our typical travel style to accommodate having our new bundle of joy in tow. In early June we had a fantastic week in a beautiful townhouse in Virginia Beach, along with my wife’s extended family. For our 2^nd vacation with my family we chose a peaceful cottage setting deep in central Ontario cottage country, just on the cusp of the famed Algonquin Provincial Park.

I had been to this cottage (40 minutes north-west of Bancroft), as well as Algonquin Park many times in the past, but never for anywhere near as long as the full-week vacation we planned this time around. The extra time allowed me to spread out many activities over the course of the week throughout the beautiful backcountry.

Hiking:

The cottage is located only a 5 min drive from the start of the Algonquin Park ‘High Falls’ hiking trail. The trail snakes through the forest on relatively flat terrain for about 1km before becoming quite steep and rocky over the next 500m or so. It eventually approaches some picturesque river rapids and ends with a great view of High Falls. The falls are photo-worthy for sure, but would never be confused with world famous Niagara Falls. We tried to bring Florence along in her quite rugged stroller (Bob Revolution SE), but once we got to the rocky portion there was no hope and she had to be carried the rest of the way, something I can’t really recommend for obvious reasons. After you get to the falls opening, there are options to rock-hop along the riverbank and also some side trails back into the forest to keep you occupied.

Carrying Florence along the home stretch of the High Falls trail

The rapids at the bottom of the falls

Finally, the majestic High Falls 

Running:

I set off one morning on a run that I had planned out ahead of time via Google Maps. From the cottage road I headed due north about 2km to Kingscote Road. This is a 7km long dirt road that eventually leads into Algonquin Park and an interior canoe access point on Kingscote Lake. The 7k run across this road provided some great views of marshlands and was easily the most “backwoods” I have ever been, but runners beware: this is a logging route and massive logging trucks can rip around the corner at any time. I ran in the oncoming lane to avoid getting clipped from behind, unless there is poor visibility ahead where I moved to the right to avoid not being seen in time. The run was hilly and fairly grueling, but ended with a beautiful view of the pristine lake. In addition, I also ran some of the snowmobiling routes near the High Falls trail entrance, these were much less challenging and generally safer than the Kingscote segment.

Kingscote Lake, an official Algonquin Park interior launch point

Elephant Lake Road

Kayaking:

Our cottage was right on the shores of Benior Lake, so clearly some water sports were in good order. The provided kayak was great for exploring the lake. In addition to the cottage our family was staying at, we had two other family members that own cottages on the same lake, so the kayak became a great method of zipping around to pop in for lunch or just say hi. On our final full day I took up the challenge to paddle to the north end of Benior and exit the lake via a river leading into Algonquin Park and eventually the High Falls rapids. It was about a 5km one-way paddle of what can only be described as one of the most tranquil settings I’ve ever experienced. The gentle winding river traversed untouched wilderness before ending where the rapids began. I settled into a small bay where High Falls hikers approach the rapids and as timing worked out, met up with my parents who were doing the hike at the time. The paddle back to the cottage was a challenge, however. When I re-entered the lake it was much choppier due to increased winds and the afternoon motorboat traffic. My recreational kayak held up quite well in the added chop though, and my tired arms were able to eventually power me back.

Entering the serenity of Algonquin Park

Clutch photo from my dad, hiking the trail at the same time

The end of my watery road

General Cottage Thoughts:

Our cottage, while a tad rustic was perfect for our group. We had as many as 9 people staying in it and it never felt crowded. Being on a septic system for a full week was a new experience, but hey, it’s a cottage not the Four Seasons. As mentioned Benior Lake is great for water sports like kayaking, canoeing, jet skiing, tubing etc. It is large enough to leave a lot to explore and to connect to other bodies, but small enough to easily get to friends and family staying at other parts of the lake. We had a shallow sandy beach which is perfect for small children, but the sand turns to mud and seaweed pretty quickly once you walk in. We did a bit of fishing but without much success. In the autumn my aunt and uncle have caught massive musky, but apparently the summer is a quiet time for the fish. Florence was a bit too young to really partake in activities, but she had a great time hanging out with everyone and checking out the forest and lake scenery for the first time. As a cottage staple we had amazing bonfires each night and thanks to mostly clear skies the stars were just spectacular.

Surreal calmness of Benior Lake in the morning

Just can't beat that dock life 

Bancroft: 

After several days of cooking our own (abundantly carnivorous) meals, we decided to treat ourselves to a dinner out in Bancroft. About 40min from the cottage, Bancroft is the biggest town of substance in the area. It has all of the amenities a town should, a large grocery store, beer and liquor stores and a hardware store. It also has a quaint main drag with lots of little artsy shops. Unfortunately for us, the evening we arrived many of them were already closed for the day. For dinner we chose the Bancroft Eatery & Brew Pub which had some great eats and delicious local Ontario craft beef. After dinner we took a short drive up a steep road to the locally famous Bird's Nest lookout for a fantastic view of the town and surrounding forest.

Florence The Explorer enjoying the view at Bird's Nest Lookout in Bancroft

If you are considering a trip to Algonquin Park, check out my previous post.

Want to know more about the cottage we booked? Check out their website here. 

Mike @ Palms & Pints 

@palmsandpints

Algonquin Park

Some of my fondest childhood memories come from time spent camping with my dad in Algonquin Park. While only being a few hours’ drive from the Toronto area, there is just something enchanting about getting away from the urban sprawl to a place where the air is fresh, the water is clear and the outdoor recreation is endless. We would spend each 3 or 4 day getaway hiking the various interpretive hiking trails, cycling the daunting mountain bike routes and of course relaxing around a campfire under the stars at night. Years later I have rediscovered my love for Ontario’s most popular provincial park and try to make it there at least once a year for my dose of Canadian escapism.

Towering Pines 

A beautiful vista, one of the countless in the park

Transportation around the park is easy. The main road (Highway 60) runs right through the park from the West Gate to the East Gate, with visitor centers at each side. Pick up a park map on your way in as all of the trails, campgrounds and other points of interest are mapped based on kilometre marking from the West Gate. This section of the park is known as the ‘corridor’, whereas the less accessible ‘interior’ can only be accessed via portage routes and is recommended for more experienced and adventurous folk.

Whiskey Rapids 

As an avid runner and cyclist I am always looking for a cardio-based outdoor adventure. The hiking trails of Algonquin are unbeatable. Each one explores a different element of the park’s geography, eco-system and history from raging rapids to beaver dams, early 20^th century logging camps to peaceful spruce bogs. The views from these trails probably haven’t changed much in hundreds of years since the early settlers portaged through the land. Be sure to grab a guidebook (50 cents) at the starting point of each trail (or from the park visitor centres during the off-season) to get an excellent description of each section of the trail via numbered posts.

Lush forests and pristine waters

A hiking trail post marker

 Unlike most of Southern Ontario’s well known lakes, many of the lakes within Algonquin Park’s boundaries ban the use of power boats, meaning both the noise and oil pollution is non-existent and the water is calm and crystal clear; a canoer's paradise. Some of the golden sand beaches I would wager could compete with the best in the country.

Blue sky reflecting off of clear waters in a typical Algonquin bog

My most recent trip to Algonquin Park was this past October. Like the last couple of years we stayed at a very well located cottage complex in Dwight, only a 15 minute drive from Algonquin’s West Gate. Full review of this property can be viewed here, but in brief as long are you are not looking for luxury, this is a clean, well equipped and very affordable option in the area. On the way back to the city be sure to stop at 3 Guys and a Stove in nearby Huntsville for the best gourmet buffet breakfast you’ve ever had!

Logging Chain Lodge - our base for all Algonquin adventures

Mike @ Palms & Pints

@palmsandpints

Manitoulin Island in Photos

I spent a sunny August weekend with my wife and in-laws on beautiful Manitoulin Island. As a life-long Ontario resident I was surprised it had taken me nearly 29 years to make it to the world's largest freshwater island. To be honest, a day and a half wasn't nearly enough time to take everything in, but we did our best, exploring on foot and bike as much as possible. Here are some of my favorite photographs from the adventure:

Picturesque beach at Gore Bay - after a 20min bike ride from our cottage.

Gore Bay (the bay, not the town), as seen from dock level.

Getting ready for the next cycling adventure, with Ice Lake in the background

The Meldrum Bay Inn, where we had a fantastic dinner - Full Review Here

The stone pier out into Meldrum Bay. It was cool to see, but likely not worth the hour drive from Gore Bay as there wasn't much else in the area.  

An old sign that lists just about everything you are going to find in quaint Meldrum Bay.

Majestic Bridal Veil Falls. We wished we had more time to swim in the lagoon below like some were doing, but sadly we only got a quick visit on our way off the island. 

One of the many beautiful sailboats docked at Little Current, our entry/exit point of Manitoulin Island. 

Manitoulin Island is a pretty well kept secret compared to other Ontario 'Cottage Country' destinations, so we were a little surpised to see a cruise ship making the rounds.

Enjoying the sunshine and the view. If I want my own boat one day I may have to start a little smaller. 

Some musings about Manitoulin Island:

-There are two ways to get to the island, a 3 hour drive from the Toronto area, followed by a 1.5 hour car ferry, or a 6 hour straight drive. When you factor in having to arrive at the ferry 1 hour before departure you are looking at similar timelines. We choose the road route as it provided a much more flexible schedule. 

-As the island isn't very accessible by car, there are surprisingly few on the road. This makes for fantastic cycling with little towns and places of interest separated just enough for a nice ride. 

-Take a week if you truly want to experience the island. A weekend is far too short. Plan to picnic by beaches and hike the trails. The more you can cover on bike & foot the better as it's hard to really appreciate it's beauty from the non-coastal main road that spans across it. 

Here is my review of Evergreen Resort, the cottage we booked for the trip. 

Thanks!

Mike @ Palms & Pints

@palmsandpints