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Well, its Friday again! Time for the last (for now) of the trail articles from Algonquin Park, we could only cover a few of them on our visit as there simply is so much to do, I’d recommend you take at least three days if you want to hit on the best parts of the park! But don’t worry, if you’re wanting more Algonquin Park trail articles, we’re heading back in October to try catch the Autumn colours, and we’ll see what trails we can go on then!
The trail in this article is the Whiskey Rapids Trail, the very first of the trails along Hwy 60 on the left. Remember if you’re going to park up anywhere in Algonquin Provincial Park or do any of the trails, you’ll need to pull up at the gates (big buildings just off the side of the road either end of Highway 60) and go in to get a Permit. These are $15.00 currently but the rates do change depending on the time of year, so remember to check out their website (linked at the bottom of the article!)

Make sure you’ve picked up one of the Algonquin park news papers while you’re getting a permit, they’re free and they’re very .. VERY useful to use the map on the back so you know where you are going!

Before you go on any of these trails, remember to have brought with you, proper walking equipment – for example decent walking shoes with a good degree of tread, and comfortable clothes suitable for what ever the weather may be on the day you go on the trail. Another thing you’ll want to factor in is the bugs! If it’s forecast to be warm, chances are you’ll be up against the Mosquitoes and or Black Fly – so bring your bug repellent!

The Whiskey Rapids Trail is a 2.1kilometre loop starting on Highway 60, 7.2 kilometres from the West Gate of Algonquin. For about half of its length, the trail follows the Oxtongue River and culminates on a fine view of the picturesque Whiskey Rapids. The trail guide for this particular trail helps you understand the role of rivers in the natural and human history of Algonquin Park.

This was actually the first trail we had a look at going round, but as it wasn’t the most beautiful of days, grey clouds loomed over the forest and as we set off on the trail it started to rain.. so our trip to this particular trail was pretty brief. I’d recommend you take the Hardwood Lookout Trail first though if you are going on trails for the first time, regardless of Whiskey Rapids being closer to the West Gate simply as the terrain you will be walking on on the Whiskey rapids, at least at first is pretty uneven, and you’ll have to walk over plenty of tree roots down fairly steep inclines – so make sure you have proper walking boots!

Post one of the trail stops you just at the start of your river-side walk, only a short distance into the trail. The guide explains that you are now standing above a quiet stretch of the Oxtongue River. It’s hard to realise that this placid stream was once a huge, thundering river at its birth 11,000years ago. That was when the last glacier, two kilometres thick, finally melted back from Algonquin. The Valley you are stood in at this point carried away staggering quantities of icey melt-water and, obviously with it, millions of tonnes of sand and gravel released from the ice! The mighty river raged for a century or two but eventually the ice was gone and the torrential flow was reduced to almost nothing.. simply the quiet stream you’ll see today, meandering its way through the sandy bed left by its giant ancestor. Even though now it’s only a trickle of its former self, the Oxtongue is still of fundamental importance in Algonquin Park. It and seven other major rivers have their headwaters in the rugged Algonquin dome, the highlands of the Park’s west side where elevations reach as high as 585 metres above sea level! For much of their existence these rivers have served as major travel routes for us humans – first for the First Nations, then for trappers, and then for loggers who used them to float their timbers to the outside world as you may have seen in movies.. and obviously now for today’s canoeists.

If you continue on the trail, you’ll be taken through a hidden world of underwater discovery, with the points on the posts marked along the river describing the flora and fauna that is found beneath the clear waters, as well as how the different species interconnect in their own ecology. Obviously you’ll likely be there on a fairly good day, and if you’re there in late may you may end up having to contend with the Blackfly, who are featured in the trail guide! You’re right by one of their spawning sites!

The trail as I’ve mentioned continues until you reach the rapids themselves. The guide explains how important rapids actually are to river life, forcibly mixing air into the water – giving the water more oxygen so that fish and other creatures can live better in the water downstream. And while you’re here have a read of the guide at point seven, paying particular note to the final facts it gives.. I’ll let you find what exactly it says for yourself – but you will wish you had your bugspray if you don’t have it on you already!

Post 8 lets you discover exactly how the Whiskey Rapids got it’s name – and the rest of the guide then explains about this area’s logging history, and sets you on the path of an old tote road, a primitive road which logging companies built to allow them to take their cargo to and fro. I will however leave the discovery of how the rapids got their name, along with the rest of the information about its logging past, the railway, road and dam for you to find out on your walk!

Don’t forget – the trail guide is only $0.50 so put a couple of quarters in the pipe below the sign back at the start of the trail, which as this trail is a nice simple loop circuit you’ll find yourself at before you know it!

Overall, this is a nice short trail with plenty of variety in its scenery – it is obviously slightly more challenging in places to walk, but it’s worth it providing you take yourself bug spray and proper walking equipment!

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This entry was posted on Friday, July 16th, 2010 at 9:10 am and is filed under Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.