Algonquin Park Interior

Last week Jim and I took advantage of the post-Labour Day lull and treated ourselves to a short camping trip in Algonquin Park. The sky was beautiful and the water was calm. We had a couple brief rain showers pass over our campsite, but since we already had the tent and tarp up, it didn't dampen our spirits at all.

The trip started with an early drive to the park office in Kearney, just 20 minutes east of the Fern Glen Inn. We picked up our permit from the office and our rental canoe from Canoe Algonquin and headed to the Magnetawan Lake access point on the western edge of the park. It's less than 30km from Kearney to the park, but it takes a good 45 minutes to drive it, slowing down when the road goes from paved to gravel and somewhat bumpy. But trust me, it's worth it.

After unloading our canoe and gear, we were on the lake by 9:30 with a full day ahead of us. Since we were only spending one night in the park, we chose a campsite just one portage and a short paddle from the entry lake.

We set up camp leisurely before exploring the woods beyond the campsite. I enjoy camp chores, such as setting up a kitchen, finding an appropriate tree for hanging the food bag, pumping drinking water through the filter. There's never an urgency to the chores, yet they are utterly important to our comfort. It's a nice way to work.

The day was spent paddling, exploring, swimming (okay, Jim and Saba swam, I waded), cooking, eating, and watching the water, trees and sky around us.

The next day we took our time heading out, stopping at a campsite for lunch and paddling into little bays and marshes just because we were in no hurry. Then home again in time for dinner with our batteries fully recharged and the sun lingering on our faces. What a beautiful little holiday.