Vacationing in Ontario’s wilderness with adventurous teenagers

The province of Ontario has numerous vacation spots in amongst the beautiful boreal forest. There are a variety of parks to set-up camp. When choosing a park visit the Parks Ontario website and click the Visiting Park’s tab. This website has all sorts of information on the parks including what it will cost to stay and what exciting things there are to do. Exploring the outdoors is great for families that want to connect with their teenagers. Today’s world has become extremely fast paced with all that technology has to offer. That is exactly why it is so important to get back to nature.

Families can experience camping, fishing, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, and white water rafting in Canada’s wilderness. Whether booking through government parks or private outfitters a vacation in the great outdoors awaits all who venture there. Below is a description of these activities for those who are new to them or have not actively done for quite some time.

Camping, Boating, and Fishing in Ontario

Camping is a great way for teenagers to get back to basics. There are many enjoyable things that go with camping like setting up a tent, cooking at a fire pit, swimming, and so much more. At camps there are boat rentals to take advantage of. If you are new at boating there are often guides who will take out groups. There will be docking areas to launch personal boats as well. Before leaving on a trip check the Ministry of Natural Resources’ angler website to find out what type of fishing licence is required, what types of fish are in season, and what the daily limit is per person.

Hiking on Wilderness Trails

Hiking trails have scenic routes that show trees, natural streams, waterfalls, rock beds, and wildlife. Walking up and down small hills is good exercise too. Bring along a lightweight pack-sack to carry bottled water and a few snacks. There are numerous trails throughout Ontario. Check out the photos and their titles below. Remember to bring a camera along to take some nice pictures too.

Water Adventure Getaways in Ontario

Canoeing is an excellent way to travel the water. Most canoes are big enough to fish from. Be careful though, as they are a bit tipsy. It is a great tool for bird watching. Many birds enjoy being near the water and paddling by with a canoe will not scare them away. Bring along a camera to get some fantastic photos.

Kayaking is similar to going canoeing, but the unit is closed in. There is not much room in them. Most kayaks are for one rider only, however, there are some that are made for two. They are a great way to enjoy the water and its surroundings. Bring along a pair of binoculars to look even deeper.

White water rafting is an excellent water sport for youth and adults to experience. Teenagers are at the perfect age to try out this activity. It is a great way to do some bonding with family and make new friends. Outfitter guides are well trained for safety and know the rapids well. The rafts are very large and fit a group of people. It will be a rough, exhilarating ride so plan on getting soaked.

Spending quality time with family members and enjoying the simple things that the outdoors have to offer is priceless. Whether planning a vacation for the entire family or setting aside some time for one-on-one with a teenage son or daughter, Ontario, Canada has fantastic camp-sites and endless lakes and rivers to explore together.

Camping in Ontario’s Historic Algonquin Park

The four season beauty and vastness of Algonquin warrants the thousands of worldwide visitors the northern Ontario Provincial Park receives each year. Within the park are many small lakes and rivers for swimming, fishing, canoeing and kayaking. There is also access to many excellent hiking and biking trails scattered along the corridor.

There are a variety of camp site sizes and amenities available. Anything from tents to large RVs can be found throughout the many campgrounds of the developed portion of the park. First-come-first-served sites are available for last minute trips, but the popularity of Algonquin makes it worth reserving a spot.

The Ontario Provincial Park’s online reservation system makes it possible to make a site specific reservation up to 5 months in advance. The website’s detailed maps, campground and site descriptions make it easy to choose a site to your liking. Depending on the attributes, sites in some campgrounds go faster than others.

There are three supply stores with restaurants in the park. Along with a large variety of groceries, camping and fishing supplies, The Portage store and Lake Opeongo store also rent canoes and kayaks. Additionally, for a small fee these stores provide delivery service of your rental to your campground. The Lake of Two Rivers store provides mountain bike rentals.

Campgrounds

Each campground has its individual charms and camper preferences. In accordance with the Algonquin Information Guide, below is a brief description of each in order from the West Gate to the East Gate of the park.

Tea Lake

The closest to the West Gate entrance, one of the smallest campgrounds, 20 hp motor boats permitted.

Canisbay Lake

One of the largest campgrounds, good site seclusion, good beach, no motor boats permitted.

Mew Lake

Medium sized campground, good beach, close to store/bike rentals, open year round, easy access to bike trail, many waterfront sites available on the small lake, no motor boats permitted.

Two Rivers

Large campground, closest to store/bike rentals, easy access to bike trail, good beach,

Pog Lake

The largest campground, good seclusion of sites, easy access to mountain bike trail, many, large waterfront sites, no motorboats permitted.

Kearney Lake

Smaller campground, good beach, no motor boats permitted

Coon Lake

Small campground, no motor boats permitted, 6 km/3.7 miles from highway 60

Rock Lake

Medium sized campground, 20 hp motor boats permitted, access to a variety of good canoe and kayak water ways, 8 km/5 miles from highway 60.

Achray, Brent, Kiosk

These campgrounds are a considerable distance away from the highway 60 corridor (30-50 km or 18.6-31 miles.) They are all small campgrounds with good site seclusion, a good beach, and motor boat allowance.

Biking

There are two biking trails in Algonquin Park. One is the Old Railway trail that runs through 3 campgrounds. As its name suggests the trail follows an abandoned railway bed. It is a smoother trail suitable for family outings. The Minnesing trail is a mountain bike trail with 4 different length loops.

Hiking

Along the length of the park’s corridor there are 15 hiking trails that range in length and difficulty. The Algonquin Park Information Guide gives detailed information about each.

Many species of birds and animals thrive in Algonquin Provincial Park. It is considerably populated with large mammals such as moose, black bears, deer and wolves. In addition to many species of fish, turtles and beavers are found to habitat the park’s ponds, lakes and rivers. The likelihood of glimpsing one of these creatures is quite high depending on the time of year you visit. For more detailed information about Algonquin Provincial Park visit online or call 705-633-5572.