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Algonquin Provincial Park, in central Ontario between Georgian Bay and the Ottawa River, is Canada's oldest provincial park and one of its most famous wilderness areas. Its landscape of maple and pine forest, lakes, rivers and bogs inspired painters of the Group of Seven and Tom Thomson. Thousands of kilometers of canoe routes make it a classic paddling destination.
Highway 60 crosses the southern part of the park, giving easy access to many sights. The Algonquin Visitor Centre has exhibits on ecology and history and a viewing deck over the forest, while the Algonquin Logging Museum explains the timber industry that once dominated the area. The Algonquin Art Centre shows wilderness art. Short trails such as the Spruce Bog Boardwalk, Big Pines Trail and Centennial Ridges offer different perspectives, from bog wildlife to old-growth pines and ridge-top views. Canoe Lake, associated with Tom Thomson, and Lake Opeongo are starting points for longer paddles. On the east side, Barron Canyon has steep cliffs that can be viewed from above or by canoe, and Brent Crater is an ancient meteorite impact site.
Paddlers and hikers come for the backcountry, while families stick mostly to the highway corridor. Moose sightings are common in spring along Highway 60. Fall brings spectacular foliage and crowds, while winter offers skiing and snowshoeing.
WiserMap travel guideAlgonquin Park Ontario Canoe Lake and Highway 60 TrailsPlan Algonquin Provincial Park with the best places to visit, from Highway 60 trails and Canoe Lake to Lake Opeongo, Barron Canyon and Brent Crater.Read the guide
The Algonquin Visitor Centre on Highway 60 has excellent exhibits on the park's wildlife, forests and human history, a film, a bookstore and a restaurant. Its rear deck gives a sweeping view over forest and wetlands where moose are sometimes seen. Stop here early in a visit for trail and wildlife updates.
The Algonquin Logging Museum combines a reception building with a 1.3 km outdoor trail that passes a recreated camboose camp, a dam and chute, an alligator tug and other exhibits on the history of logging in the park. It is easy and good for families. It is open mainly from spring to fall.
The Spruce Bog Boardwalk is a 1.5 km loop near the Visitor Centre that crosses black spruce bogs on boardwalks, with signs explaining bog plants and wildlife. It is one of the best spots to see spruce grouse and gray jays. It is accessible and easy, and in winter it is popular for snowshoeing.
The Brent Crater in the northern part of the park is a meteorite crater about 3 km wide, formed around 400 million years ago and now filled with forest and lakes. A trail with a lookout tower explains its formation. It is reached by a long gravel road from Highway 17, far from the Highway 60 corridor.
The Big Pines Trail is a 2.9 km loop off Highway 60 through a stand of huge old white pines, some more than 200 years old, along with the remains of an old logging camp. It gives a sense of the forest before large-scale logging. The trail is moderate; allow about 1.5 hours.
The Centennial Ridges Trail is a demanding 10 km loop that climbs along two high ridges with some of the best views in the Highway 60 corridor, over lakes and endless forest. Allow four to six hours and carry plenty of water. It is particularly beautiful during the fall colors in late September.
The Lookout Trail is a short but steep 1.9 km loop off Highway 60 that climbs to a rocky ridge with a wide view over hundreds of square kilometres of forest and lakes. It is one of the most popular trails in the park, especially at sunrise and during fall colors. Arrive early to find parking.
On the east side of the park, the Barron Canyon Trail is a 1.5 km loop to the rim of a dramatic canyon with cliffs about 100 m high above the Barron River. Paddlers can also canoe through the canyon below. It is reached by a long gravel road from Pembroke, so plan for the drive.
Canoe Lake is the main access point for canoe trips into Algonquin's interior, with the Portage Store offering rentals, outfitting and a restaurant. The painter Tom Thomson spent much time here and died on the lake in 1917, and a memorial cairn stands on its shore. Day paddles are easy to arrange.
Lake Opeongo is the largest lake in Algonquin, reached by a side road from Highway 60. An outfitter offers canoe rentals and a water taxi that carries paddlers to the far arms of the lake, saving a long paddle. Large lakes can get rough in wind, so travel early in the day and stay near shore.
The Old Railway Bike Trail follows the bed of a former railway through the forest for about 16 km between campgrounds in the Highway 60 corridor, passing lakes and historic sites. It is mostly flat and easy, good for families. Bring bug spray in early summer, and watch for wildlife on the trail.
On some August evenings, park naturalists lead a Public Wolf Howl, when visitors gather and staff howl to wild wolves, which often answer from the darkness. It is a famous Algonquin experience. Events are announced only when a pack is located nearby, so check the park website and Visitor Centre.
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