The Visitor Centre has world class exhibits on the Park’s natural and cultural history, a relaxing restaurant, an excellent bookstore, and “The Algonquin Room” featuring ongoing exhibitions of Algonquin art. A theatre presentation sums up the Park story and then takes you out to the viewing deck from where you can admire a breathtaking panorama of wild Algonquin landscape.

Look out for the large sign by the side of the road indicating you have arrived and head up the road to the centre. Its a longer road than i first expected but you’re there sooner than you know. When we went the car park was only half full, so it seemed that it had plenty of parking – though i would imagine at some points in the year the car park may get rather busy! 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!).

As you walk through the doors you’ll be in an open area with a large map in front of you showing the whole of the park. To your right is the public toilets, a shop and the cafe. To the left, there is the Theatre and the start of the short walk around the exhibits. The walk around exhibit trail is well worth having a look at, especially if you have kids with you, it includes interactive buttons and sounds so they can explore while playing.
The walk around includes exhibits showing how plants interact with each other, as well as how the animals that also live within the park interact with those plants. It’s pretty comprehensive in its approach, it explains from the very smallest plants through to moose, bears and wolves – as well as not forgetting Algonquin’s 1000s of lakes and what happens within and around its waterways.

Along with depictions of nature by having full sized, real stuffed animals on display in the exhibits, the walk around also explains how man has had an effect on the park – from its beginnings and the First Nations, through to the railways, tourism and conservation that has gone on in the park.

Due to the varying flow of visitors, the visitor centre has varying opening hours:

• April 24 to June 24, 2010: Daily 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• pril 24 to June 24, 2010: Daily 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• June 25 to September 5, 2010: Daily 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• September 6 to October 11, 2010: Daily 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• October 12 to October 31, 2010: Daily 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• November 6 to December 19, 2010: Weekends 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• December 27, 2010 to January 2, 2011: Daily 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• January 8 to January 30, 2011: Weekends 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• February 5 to February 13, 2011: Weekends 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• February 19 to February 21, 2011 [Family Day Holiday Weekend]: Daily 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• February 26 to March 6, 2011: Weekends 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

So, finally.. If you’re in the park, please don’t forget to go visit the visitor centre, even if it is just to park up and relax a little in the restaurant, or to take a look round their well thought out exhibits its not something to miss out on.
For an up to date list of park visitor centre’s opening hours click here, and for more articles on Algonquin park here on Canada Trip take a look by clicking here
For all other information, including permit costs and practical advice for trails, as well as information on all the most recent events you’ll also be interested in looking at Algonquin Park’s main website.

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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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Basically what you will find is an interesting spot – which although is historical, is the result of the removal of various previously essential components of the early park. You’ll arrive at the Car park and walk up to the right where you’ll find your first sign explaining the site. The sign explains that you are now standing at Cache Lake, the hub of Algonquin Park from the 1890s to the 1950s. Park Headquarters, a major railway station and a large hotel occupied this site during those years. As it says, all you need to do is take a 250 metre round trip along the old railway station platform to view four other historical panels which will explain what was there during those 60 years.

You walk up past the sign on your right, and you’ll find yourself looking curiously at some railway sleepers, and a very small length of railway track. On its right you’ll find the recognisable raised platform of a railway station, and plenty of trees which surround both the platform, and even encroach on the track just a little up the platform.

On your right you’ll find the first panel. It explains the Ottawa, Arnprior and Parry Sound Railway line, constructed through the southern part of Algonquin Park began operation in 1897 running steam locomotives. Algonquin Park Station was built in 1906 on the flat area you stand on to read this particular panel. The rail line was a busy freight and passenger route in the early years, and the main way to come to Algonquin Park until Highway 60 was completed in 1936. Through travel on the railway stopped after a trestle between Cache Lake and the Lake of Two Rivers was condemned in 1933. Local use declined over the next 20 years and the last train left Cache Lake in 1959.. I always have a big soft spot for railways, especially the steam railways of the past. I cant help but feel these days with diesel and electric trains, some of the magic which used to seem to surround steam trains, and the odd romance about abandoned lines — has all been lost. Still at least at this spot – the site is remembered for what it was, and once was used for.

If you walk further up, the next panel explains about the large hotel that used to exist just up the sloping hill on the right of the station. The Highland Inn was opened in 1908 and by 1910 it could accommodate 150 people. It featured fishing, boating, swimming tennis, billiards, dancing to a live band, music and reading rooms, a store and even a post office. Things went well until the great depression of the 1930s and use of all of Algonquin’s hotels declined dramatically. And with the rise of camping after the second world war, the Highland Inn was dismantled in 1957, leaving the hill empty for trees to repopulate.

If you head further down the platform you’ll find the park headquarters panel on the left. This gives you a good understanding of where the headquarters used to be. If you peer through the trees and look at the board, you can imagine how it looked before these rapidly growing trees existed. A number of fairly sizable house-looking buildings providing the offices for the administration of the park. The buildings were torn down or moved in 1959 – and the current HQ is at the East Gate of the park.

As the final panel then explains, little evidence remains of Cache Lake’s early days as an essential peice in Algonquin park’s history. the removal of the highland inn, the railway and most of the park’s headquarters in the 1950s was part of a government policy to return Algonquin Park to ‘a more natural state.’ However, Cache Lake is still a very busy place, serving as an access point for canoe trippers, more than 60 leasehold cottages, two youth camps for girls and Bartlett Lodge.

If you head back again towards the car park, the lake will now be on your right.

This is a good spot to snap a couple of photos, and there’s also a couple of toilets there as well should anyone need them!

It doesn’t take long to quickly walk this little platform of history – but its nice to get a sense of what was there, and to see exactly how things have changed.. especially for those who like railways.

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First, I’ll say it again.. this is a beast of a trail. You really have to be serious about this one, it’s going to truly take the majority of your day to walk this one, and with a difficulty rating of “Difficult” you’ll need to make sure you’re properly equipped for the job too!

The Mizzy Lake Trail is an 11-Kilometre loop (not counting a two-kilometre optional side trip) beginning on the Arowhon Road just in from km 15.4 on Highway 60. The trail visits nine small lakes and ponds with a view to maximising your chances of seeing wildlife, particularly moose and beaver. Results obviously cannot be guaranteed but the possibilities are good, especially if you are at the prime areas early in the morning or later in the evening. (Try to avoid the middle part of summer days. That is by far the poorest time to see wildlife.)
You should wear good, solid, water resistant footwear and allow SIX HOURS to do the trail. If by some chance you have misjudged your rate of progress and want to avoid finishing the trail in darkness, you may walk back to the parking lot via the Arowhon or Weldwood roads, both of which connect to the old track part of the trail.

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.

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! 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!

We had a quick walk a little way into the trail to just get the very first glimpse of it. We simply didn’t have the time needed to go round the whole trail, nor did we have the correct footwear! The first sign you come to – once again reminds you of the undertaking you’re about to embark on

As i said, this trail is pretty rough territory, the fallen leaves and vegetation on the ground makes it a little slippy underfoot but, to be honest this is a true trail! It takes you through almost overgrown areas, you make your way round trees, under branches and along a meandering path which is well trodden but still more difficult to see than the previous trails we’ve featured so far. As i said earlier this trail focus’ on allowing you the opportunity to see wildlife for yourself, in the wild, in their own natural habitats. If you’re up to the walk this is truly a trail to go on if you’re wanting true Canadian wildlife!

One of the first points along the trail you will come to is an especially picturesque beaver dam. Beavers are actually less numerous in Algonquin than they used to be but, even so, the Park probably has a population of well over 10,000 animals.
But, quite apart from their impressive numbers, the beavers of Algonquin Park have other strong claims to be the number one position they have on this particular trail devoted to park wildlife. For one thing, Algonquin Park may never have been established if it hadn’t been for the beaver. In the late 1800s, many people in Ontario had become greatly alarmed by the decline of game and fur-bearing animals (particularly the beaver) and one of the major reasons for the establishment of Algonquin Park in 1893 was to provide a sanctuary where depleted wildlife stocks could recover and survive.

The plan was so successful that a mere 15years after the park was created, beaver numbers were so high that they were being live trapped for shipment to zoos around the world or to re-stock other areas in North America where beaver populations had been extirpated.

Again, the trail guide for this particular trail is fantastic, and certainly worth the 50c that you pay to keep it, it doesn’t simply just talk about beavers – it also talks about the other wildlife that exist on this particularly eclectic adventure through places which hopes to provide you with experiencing the different creatures that live here. The booklet documents some of the creatures that live here as being of coarse Beavers, but also otters, deer, moose, bears, Eastern-Wolves, turtles, martens, fishers, porcupine, great blue herons, broad-winged hawks, white throated sparrows and the scarlet tanger.

One of the species i’m sure a lot of people would have picked up on in that particular list is Wolves. Many people would love to connect with that particular part of Algonquin Park’s wildlife and this trail does in fact allow for that.

Post 6 is at Wolf Howl Pond. This pond was named in the early 1970s when the meadow at the far end of the pond was used by a pack of wolves for several summers as a ‘rendezvous site’. A wolf rendezvous site is a sort of temporary headquarters used by wolves when the pups have become too big for the den but are still too small to travel and hunt with the adults. Because wolves tend to occupy such places for long periods of time, the discovery of a rendezvous means that park staff can take visitors out to hear wild wolves howling with a rather high expectation of success. Back in the 1970s several thousand people participated in ‘Public Wolf Howls’ and heard at that very location the incomparable sound of wolves howling under starry skies, in response to the imitation howls given by park naturalists.
Public wolf howls are still held each August whenever a rendezvous site is found at an accessible location and they continue to have a high rate of success. If you get a chance to go on such an expedition, they highly recommend that you do! there are few ways better of making contact with Algonquin Park’s most famous animal and listening in on its family life, not in a zoo or on television, but in that animal’s true environment.

If you’re interested in going on these Wolf Howls, remember to ring up the park and find out if these are going on to arrange your visit.

So, this article has touched on just a couple of the natural wonders you may see on your trek around this impressive trail – The best way to see this all though, is obviously to head out on it yourself! If you are looking for adventure, and a wildlife enthusiast – this trail is the only one you’ll want to go on!!

For more information about Algonquin park and its Trails and attractions – remember to check out our Algonquin Provincial Park section

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Canada Day (French: Fête du Canada), formerly Dominion Day, is Canada’s national day, a federal statutory holiday celebrating the anniversary of the July 1, 1867, enactment of the British North America Act (today called the Constitution Act, 1867), which united two British colonies and a province of the British Empire into a single country called Canada. Canada Day observances take place throughout Canada as well as internationally.

Frequently referred to as “Canada’s birthday”, particularly in the popular press, the occasion marks the joining of the British North American colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada into a federation of four provinces (the Province of Canada being divided, in the process, into Ontario and Quebec) on July 1, 1867. Although Canada is regarded as having become a kingdom in its own right on that date, the British Parliament kept limited rights of political control over the new country that were shed by stages over the years until the last vestiges were surrendered in 1982 when the Constitution Act patriated the Canadian constitution.

In London today, Canada Day in London is taking place in Trafalgar Square. The event will kick off at 10:30 am with the Singing of O Canada by the Canadian Tenors and dropping of the puck by His Excellency James Wright, High Commissioner for Canada. Put on some red and white to show your Canadian spirit and join them for the Trafalgar Street Hockey cup, traditional Canadian delicacies, beer and wine as well as live music and performers all day. Canada Day is a Free event and enjoyable for all ages, so if you can get there -its worth doing! There are events happening until it ends at 10:15pm so if you want to experience a bit of Canada in the UK, see if you can get yourself there!

For more information about Canada Day in London have a look at their website http://www.canadadaylondon.com/… or how about going crazy – booking a last minute flight out to Canada – 8 hour flight, 5 hour time difference, so you can take off just after lunch and be in Canada for dinner! .. Ah if it wasnt for work… and money hehe..

So finally, Happy 143rd Birthday Canada! And us at Canada trip wish all Canadians a Happy Canada Day!

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It’s a stark contrast from the busy casinos, amusements, restaurants and rides of Niagara’s town centre, but Niagara Falls Falls Queen Victoria Park does its job well, providing visitors with a calm relaxed open space full of life, both flora and fauna – and colour.

Queen Victoria Park is literally the “heart” of Niagara Parks. Bounded by the steep Fallsview moraine and the Niagara River Great Gorge, the Park contains a valuable collection of unique native and international plants and beautifully maintained gardens.

Walking through the Park beside the Falls, from Clifton Hill to beyond Dufferin Islands, you can enjoy a rock garden, hanging baskets, a Hybrid tea rose garden and attractive carpet-bedding displays. Park benches and well-groomed lawns provide pleasant venues for relaxation and photography.

Queen Victoria Park celebrates every season in style. In Spring, over 500,000 daffodils start the season in their bright and welcoming way. Magnificent magnolia trees, breathtaking tulips and other blooms are all there for you to enjoy.

Summer features carpet bedding displays as well as thousands of bedding plants. Fuchsia and lantana standards, cannas, coleus and many other plants provide horticultural and aesthetic points of interest. Chrysanthemums and kale are used in the Fall to provide interest after the arrival of “Jack Frost”.

During the Winter months, the stark branches of trees and shrubs create visual and special interest for our visitors, especially when beautifully covered with the freezing mist of the Falls.

We went at the beginning of May, and what caught my eye first was the brilliant red tulips that were around the paths in abundance while walking up the path from the falls towards the town centre, and around the park there were a number of other coloured tulips – pink, yellow, white, and purple!

The route we took this particular day was to first park up in the car park we usually do, up at the far end just past the falls on the right. There’s been a new welcome centre opened since we last walked along the main front of Niagara Falls, so we walked down the side of the car park, over the bridge – through the centre and out by the side of the falls. From here we walked down the path and came upon the sight in the picture above. That was when suddenly i realised exactly how beautiful the park was. Its a difficult competition, to compete for your eye at the Falls, on one side you have the huge majesty of the natural horse shoe and America falls, and on the other the beautiful Queen Victoria Park. Usually of coarse The falls wins out.. but the park shouldn’t be underestimated!

We walked down the path to the main town and walked up the main street where there is Wendy’s, Tim Horton’s, the amusements and things – and grabbed a bite to eat. It’s on the way back which we decided to spend some time enjoying the park and exploring it more than we usually do, which is to simply use it as a quiet route back to the car park.

Seeing the skylon looming from the top of the hill, through the trees of the park is certainly a unique sight greeting you as you begin to walk through the park and as you continue you find yourself walking by a fountain, again surrounded by flowers. This is the Zimmerman Fountain Pond. This beautiful fountain takes its name from Samuel Zimmerman who came to Canada from Pennsylvania in 1842. He amassed a fortune through a series of lucrative contracts involving the building of the second Welland Canal and various railway lines, allowing him to begin construction of a large estate in what is now Queen Victoria Park. The estate was unfinished when he was killed in a railway accident in march 1857. This fountain pond which dates back to 1856 is the last remaining remnant of his estate.

Further into the park you’ll find rose gardens and even a small island surrounded by a pond. You’d think it would look slightly out of place in such an area but it manages to blend in well to the surroundings, and is all but missed as you walk down the road on the other side!

Along with the beauty of nature’s plants you’ll also find some of the wildlife – such as the black squirrels and the Canada Geese that are around the park

There are so many different colours and sights to see in Victoria Park, the best thing for me to suggest is for you to have a look for yourself while you are there! It’s not a massive park, and you’re never far from the main road, but its definitely not worth missing if you’re heading to Niagara Falls and love a little greenery in your visits!

Since i took so many photos, and haven’t the space to really display them all on this article, I’ve put some of the above photos as well as my other favourites below for you to have a look at!

The park is particularly easy to find as if you’re by the falls, then the park is right on the other side of the street:

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That was it’s stumbling block for me.. But i promised i would go in and have a look – so i did!
When i first went in, maybe rather silly of me – i couldn’t see anywhere where it said it sold any other drinks other than root beer so i asked for just a burger rather than the combo, luckily though someone else with us had the combo and asked for a diet coke. Now I’m sorry to all those of you who love root beer.. but i really cannot stand it. For people in the UK who want to know what it is most like? Well, its most like dandelion and burdock, but it tastes completely of Germolene. . . which makes it very difficult for me to enjoy! At this point however on our trip i hadn’t tried genuine Canadian root beer, only British root beer found in a couple of supermarkets. But lets move on from my root beer dislike!

The menu does push the root beer an awful lot, all the combos are pictured on the menu with burger, fries and the trademark glass of root beer with the foam top – but worry not! A&W do sell other drinks as well as root beer, in fact they are one of the stockists of my favourite Cola – Coke. Not only do they do coke but they also do iced tea, sprite, minutemaid and a variety of Milkshakes.. oh yes and rootbeer floats too..

A&W in Canada have what they call the burger family, which for me makes me feel a little bit silly when i go up to the person serving me and ask for a Pappa Burger, but put that aside and actually look at the food and it is actually very good quality.

I had the pappa burger – which is a double patty burger with sliced onions, pickles, mustard and ketchup. This is generally the standard accompaniment which you get with your burgers, with lettuce and tomato usually being reserved for the special burgers that they do. One thing i will say – is that with the pappa burger being so filling, Grandpa must have had a big stomach, being a triple burger!

The burgers themselves i have to say were fantastic. I’d put the quality of the burgers on par with Wendy’s, not only do they have a really nice meaty texture they also are packed with flavour, and the pretty simple condiment selection really lets the burger shine through rather than it being generally softened by salad. Where the burgers differ from Wendy’s though is that they’re generally more of a ‘home style’ burger – they’re round and they are similar to how burgers turn out should you cook them at home – having a slightly ‘crispy’ texture on the outside – I actually liked it so much i was disappointed with myself that i had only had the burger and not taken the combo option.. so I’ll be going back again next visit!

One of the things i will praise A&W is something I’m sure every one of us has thought for years when we go to McDonald’s in the UK, or Burger King, you get a large drink and they fill half the cup up with ice!! A&W proudly state on their cups that they do not put ice in their drinks. They state they chill their drinks to the perfect temperature anyway, which removes the need for ice which not only reduces the amount of drink you get, it also reduces the taste. So, to all other restaurants around the world – Look at A&W and learn your lesson!!

A&W don’t just do burgers, they also do a range of “chubby chicken” which come in burger form, strips or pieces of chicken. I haven’t tried any of these yet – but if any of our readers wants to comment on exactly what this is like – please feel free to let me know and i’ll tag it into our article!

So to sum it up, A&W is actually a very good place to get yourself a burger combo lunch, don’t get worried that all you have to choose from is root beer – because you have all the choices of the majority of the burger restaurants out there. The burgers are good, the fries are good and the drinks aren’t ruined by ice – what more could you need?

Finally, i appologise again to all those who like root beer, and insist anyone who hasnt tried it yet – please try it, even with my warnings! You never know if you like something until you try it

The A&W we visited is in Orillia, opposite  the old Walmart store:

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The Spruce Bog Boardwalk's main Bog

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 Spruce Bog Boardwalk is a 1.5km, wheelchair-accessible loop which will take you across two separate bogs, the Sunday Creek Bog and a small kettle bog, enabling you to see at close range the little known bog habitat. About half of the trail’s length consists of boardwalk sections resting on bog mat.
To be honest, although it’s an easy trail, one of the very easiest in the park, for me it was actually the most fun. The variety of different sites sounds and environments you pass through make no section of it particularly samey.

The Spruce Bog Boardwalk trail is located at the 45.2KM point on highway 60, so keep your eyes open for the kilometer marker posts so you can find your way to it. It should take about 1 hour to go round and as I’ve said previously it’s defined as an easy trail, one of only 3 ‘easy’ trails in the park.

When you pull into the car park, you’ll see there is a small toilet block should you need it while in the area. The trail starts as normal at the big sign which also dispenses your guide booklets. If you want to get the most from the trail, as always I’d recommend you taking one – and even purchasing it by depositing $0.50 into the collection pipe.

As soon as you start on this trail, you’re immediately taken on the board walk. A wooden path built on top of the boggy marsh underneath it. Occasionally you can see underneath the current boardwalk the remains of a previous boardwalk which had existed in the past though had succumb to the damp environment that it rests on top of.

You come fairly soon to the first point in your trail guide which then gives you a round up of the flora that’s around you – including the black spruce trees and the carpets of moss. It’s at this marker also the guide will explain exactly how these bogs were formed and even how the presence of particular animals helped create the environment you’re able to walk through.

After you have walked over the first small arm of the bog, you’ll find yourself back on solid ground briefly, and as you turn to the right on the trail your first view of the open bog can be seen through the parting in the trees where the trail takes you

as you make your way through the trees you see the beginning of the boardwalk once again as it makes its way out into the marshy land, at parts you wonder how it’s not simply sinking in as the bog is completely waterlogged, thousands of years of fallen leaves and dead plant matter built up into a thick peat – and you’re walking on a remarkably sturdy wooden path crossing the very centre of it. This is when you’ll find your second post which explains everything you would need to know about this particular open bog. If you’re unlucky with the bugs – this is going to be one of their hot spots – standing water is right by the boardwalk!

If you walk a little further, on the right there is a bench – built just out from the board walk so you can sit for a while and listen to the birds and the breeze as it rustles through branches. It’s also quite interesting to look around you and see where the bog starts and the trees end – forming this natural clearing in an otherwise very wooded area. If you continue then, further up the trail, you’ll start to see the thin trees which are trying their best to march into the bog, thin and scrawny at first, gradually getting better and better established until you finally set foot on the ground once again to walk through yet more woods. Keep a look out for the various plants the guide book talks about, as it gives you a sense of curiosity to find them, having explained the various uses some of the plants had actually been used for – such as Labrador Tea!

Not much further along you’ll now come to the Kettle Bog. In a nutshell, these form by a large ice block which existed for many many thousands of years, which had been first stranded by a glacier, then buried by sand and gravel. As temperatures rose, the ice melted allowing the covering sand and gravel to sink causing a large almost circular hole in the ground – filled with water. It’s then in this water that the plant life surrounding it encroach on, making the bog. These days – or at least certainly the day that i was there, there was no visible water at all, just what looked to be almost a meadow! but don’t be fooled.. this cover simply masks a small lake of water. Eventually of coarse this will be completely filled with peat, but not for many thousands of more years. Obviously, don’t try walk onto it? You’d only be doing something woolly mammoths were considered stupid for doing many many thousands of years ago, when we find their remains preserved for thousands of years in the acidic, oxygen-poor peat nine metres down!

Don't be fooled by it's meadow like appearance, its simply a thin bog mat, resting on the top of 9 metres of water!

The kettle bog is about half way round the trail, you start to head back, following the trail, and you initially once again find yourself walking through a wooded bog – the boardwalk surrounded by a number of trees – and the sunlight dappled on the walkway through the canopy. As in my photo below, there’s also a number of trees that haven’t been so lucky in recent storms which can occur in the area, being blown over – though still supported in part by their old neighbours

when you once more find dry land, you’ll have almost finished your bog board walking experience, from here on the most of the walk is on land. There’s some particularly photogenic cliff faces draped in a covering of brown dried old pine needles and other leaves on the left as you make your way back.

The final part of the walk takes you over the last part of the bog, and across a small bridge that almost looks like it’s being washed away by the almost stationary stream flowing beneath it and across the bog – it’s at the next numbered post where you will learn how humble beavers 7,400 years ago built dams to set the stage for the bog in the first place. From here its a straight walk back to the car park!

My only word of caution i will give about this particular trail, is that the boardwalk is as you can see from the photos above, not always fenced on either side. The majority of the boardwalk is actually unfenced, so if you’re going with children, remember to keep a very close eye on them and keep them close..

Honestly though, if there’s only one trail you do, being short of time or short on energy, this is the one I’d absolutely set as a must to do. Its a relaxed beautiful trail where you can set your own pace and just enjoy the nature around you – and as you’re walking over the wooden boardwalk – it almost seems that you’re literally walking on water.. giving you a privileged feeling to be there looking at the middle of a bog.. without the need for the usual accompaniment that goes with seeing the middle of a bog – drowning!

For more information about Algonquin park and its Trails and attractions – remember to check out our Algonquin Provincial Park section
And you can also visit Algonquin Park’s official Website.

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This is where we had lunch. If you head in – I’d recommend the Coffee, it was fantastic and with the added bonus of free refills its worth every penny! The menu has many classics – such as the BLT – or if you wanted to go for something more traditionally Canadian you could have the pea meal bacon on a bun. These sandwiches come served on a plate with veggy sticks (of cucumber and carrot), along with a separate dip, and a separate dressing for your sandwich. I had the BLT and it really was worth having – I’d recommend it to you – but .. what i liked the most? One of us couldn’t finish the Pea meal Bacon in a bun.. well there was my chance! Not only was the pea meal bacon cooked perfectly, it was really tender and thickly cut. The bread cake/bun was really soft – and of coarse it came with the veggy sticks and condiments.
Sandwiches are available on white, wholemeal (brown) or Dark rye bread – so you see you even get more of a choice of bread than in the UK!
The grill doesn’t just do sandwiches though, they also do all day breakfasts, lunch time specials, home made soups, wraps and even Quesadilla – so why not be adventurous and try something new?

We were eating indoors – obviously – due to the miserable weather, but even indoors the grill provides a pleasant atmosphere which will give you a sunnier feeling even on a rainy day.

However, if you head out to Gravenhurst, i can guarantee you’ll find better weather than we did that day – and if you are graced by the sun that day the Sunset Grill also has outside a beautiful area with chairs – so you can enjoy your meal outside with the breeze coming in off the lake – watching the steam boats take people on short cruises. Even should you be as unlucky as we were, there are still pretty views to enjoy from inside as you can look through the windows at the lake.

The sunset Grill’s opening hours in spring is 8:00am until 3pm Thursday to Sunday so you can head along for breakfast or lunch. To get the most up to date information on opening hours it’s best to visit their website http://www.thesunsetgrill.ca/index.html

You can find the Sunset Grill in Gravenhurst:

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So if your out and about in Muskoka – why not call in for lunch? Its not something you’ll want to miss!

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The Trail this article is focusing on is the Peck Lake Trail.

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!

Peck Lake Trail is a 2.3 kilometre loop starting on Highway 60, 19.2km from West Gate of Algonquin Park. The trail takes you right around Peck Lake. The trail is of Medium difficulty, mainly due to the uneven and steep inclines you have to walk up and down. There are some fairly steep drops right by the path as well so make sure you have good footware on so you reduce risks of slipping. Remember to pick up one of the trail guides that you will find in the initial sign at the start of the trail. If you know you wish to keep the trail guide as a souvenir then put $0.50 into the pipe that is located right below it. Alternatively, you can always do this when you’ve completed your walk (or deposit the guide back in the small ‘letter boxes’ under the sign.

The whole idea of this trail, is to help you see what goes on within a lake – typical of those in Algonquin. This one in particular has Rocky shores and clear water – and the lakes in the park are one of its main attractions – as it does in fact have thousands of them! The trail guide is there to help you understand exactly what makes a lake tick.

The first part of the trail is also the part you will come back down last. you’ll know when you get to the splitting point as you’ll see a bench over looking the lake, and you’ll need to head right on the well trodden path around a particularly large tree. It’s worth taking that route round the tree as the route round the other side could lead to trips! You’ll be walking on natural forest floor covering this time round, not a gravel chip path – so there will be leaves, pine needles, twigs and of coarse dirt.. oh and not to mention the tree roots!

This trail is one of my favourites as it combines the beauty of the forest around you, along with the idyllic peace of a small inland lake. When i went, there was only us on the trail so it was particularly quiet that day. Unfortunately though as i mentioned on our last article the weather didn’t seem to be as favourable so when we got to the first informational post – designated in the tour guide booklet the scene over the lake, although beautiful was framed with particularly grey looking clouds!

Walking round the lake you’ll have the possibility to admire not just the trees but also the wildlife around it – if you’re lucky enough you may even get to see the Common Loon – a Bird that not only is one of the finest anglers as it dives under water to catch fish — but is also the bird you’ll see on the reverse of the Canadian Dollar coin – which gives the coin it’s name as being “the loonie”.

The trail book will also literally show you the story of “there’s always a bigger fish” from the minute algae to water fleas, to fish to even Mink and Otters.

So, after you’re mini lake adventure, about 1 and a half hours later you’ll finally get back to that bench. If you manage to catch it on a slightly more clear day than we did you’ll be able to take some fantastic photos of Loons, Kingfishers as well as the whole scenic background of the lake

If you’re reasonably good with walking, this is a trail you’ll want to head out on – it doesn’t take too long and there’s plenty of variety in the scenery!

For more information about Algonquin park and its lake – remember to check out our Algonquin Provincial Park section
And you can also visit Algonquin Park’s official Website.

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