Now although i have probably managed to capture this restaurant in one of the least desirable ways, on a dull rainy day – (for which i apologise!) These restaurants usually actually look pretty unique and stylish.
Now, remember what i said about all these restaurants generally having a unique point about them, if it isn’t the general style of their restaurants, Swiss Chalet’s unique point is their chicken. Swiss Chalet is best known for rotisserie chicken and smoked barbecue ribs, which are traditionally served with such side dishes as french fries, baked potatoes, salads, rice, and vegetables. Chicken dishes are also served with Chalet Sauce, a dipping sauce that is somewhat similar to barbecue sauce gravy.. well .. that is one interpretation of it. Their dipping sauce, something which Swiss Chalet are very proud of, is one of the strangest dipping sauces I’ve actually come across. It is fairly runny, rather than thick so it will coat anything dipped into it – lightly. I would probably describe it more of a light tomato sauce with a hint of BBQ, with possibly a cinnamon and or nutmeg twist. I think it’s for the spice’s reason that the sauce isn’t necessarily to everyone’s taste, though i like it – and that’s all that matters to me! — If you go – why not try it and let me know what you think to it!

When i went i had the chicken sandwich and soup. The menu states you can choose what chicken you can have on it, so you can choose either breast meat or brown meat. The only problem is that you will have to pay extra for the breast. I did kind of find that a little bit odd, since breasts are nice big chunky pieces easy to cut up, where as leg meat, which lets face it is where the majority of the rest of the meat on a chicken comes from – is fiddly, having to debone it first. But still i think we all know why you pay a little more for it.. because more people prefer breast meat! So hey – why not pay the extra for that extra special sandwich?
The dinner came, as a nice big sandwich, along side a nice big bowl of soup.. Now is it me or is the idea of a meal consisting of a bowl of soup – AND a chicken sandwich, the best idea for a lunch? It’s the best of both worlds, soup giving you that warming feeling, and then a chicken sandwich to finally fill you up! I don’t really understand why more places haven’t taken it up! They’d sure get my custom!

Still, for evening meals you can’t go wrong here. They have a really nice, varied menu which offers a number of things that give it simply a fresh feel to other places. It includes completely new ideas such as for starters, their Cheese Perogies: Cheese and potato filled dumplings served with Cajun sauce for dipping, or what about their Garlic Cheese Loaf, also on their starters menu: Oven-baked sundried tomato mini-baguette topped with melted Cheddar Jack cheese, diced green onion and tomato!

There’s also another little bit of intelligence gone into their menu, for example in addition to the genius that is Chicken sandwich and soup, If you can’t decide on whether you want to try their chicken, or their ribs – why not get both?! They do BBQ Ribs and Rotisserie Chicken Combos!

So, to sum it up, If you want to try somewhere different, with a fresh unique style, with plenty of choice and thought gone into its menu, as well as somewhere which serves great food and will also leave you with a unique experience – Swiss Chalet is definitely worth a visit while you’re out on your holidays!

The map below shows the actual restaurant i photographed above, though if you don’t get chance to go to a Swiss Chalet before you head to the airport going home .. and you’re flying from Toronto – there’s actually one in the airport, before you go through security – so no excuses to miss out!

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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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The Canada Goose is a wild goose, which is native to arctic and temperate regions of North America, having a black head and neck, white patches on the face, and a brownish-gray body. It is often called the Canadian Goose, though technically this isn’t its correct name.. being picky that is!

This species is native to North America. It breeds in Canada and the northern United States in a variety of habitats. Its nest is usually located in an elevated area near water such as streams, lakes, ponds and sometimes on a beaver lodge. Its eggs are laid in a shallow depression lined with plant material and down. The Great Lakes region maintains a very large population of Canada Geese.

By the early 20th century, over-hunting and loss of habitat in the late 1800s and early 1900s had resulted in a serious decline in the numbers of this bird in its native range. The Giant Canada Goose subspecies was believed to be extinct in the 1950s until, in 1962, a small flock was discovered wintering in Rochester, Minnesota, by Harold Hanson of the Illinois Natural History Survey. With improved game laws and habitat recreation and preservation programs, their populations have recovered in most of their range, although some local populations, especially of the subspecies occidentalis, may still be declining.

In recent years, Canada Geese populations in some areas have grown substantially, so much so that many consider them pests (for their droppings, the bacteria in their droppings, noise and confrontational behavior). This problem is partially due to the removal of natural predators and an abundance of safe, man-made bodies of water (such as on golf courses, public parks and beaches, and in planned communities).

Contrary to its normal migration routine, large flocks of Canada Geese have established permanent residence in the Chesapeake Bay and in Virginia’s James River regions, and in the Triangle area of North Carolina (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill), and nearby Hillsborough. Some flocks in Canada may even choose not to migrate, even during the winter, if food (such as leftovers from human) is constantly available throughout the season.

So, if they breed in Canada, surely that means they fly to and from Canada to the UK right? We see flocks of them flying around the country at certain points in the year right? Well, the answer is actually no.

Canada Geese have reached northern Europe naturally, as has been proved by ringing recoveries. The birds are of at least the subspecies parvipes, and possibly others. Canada Geese are also found naturally on the Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Siberia, eastern China, and throughout Japan. However, these geese were actually introduced into the UK. They were first introduced in Britain in the late 17th century as an addition to King James II’s waterfowl collection in St. James’s Park, their success though proved all too successful and now we find them all over the UK. Greater Canada Geese have also been introduced in Europe, and have established populations in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Scandinavia. Semi-tame feral birds are common in parks, and have become a pest in some areas.

So what about these flocks of birds that form their famous V formations, flying from the pond down your road? Where do they go? The most likely answer is that soon after their young can fly they have moved a short distance to join up with a larger flock nearby.
Many birds, geese included, spend much of the year in large flocks but disperse when they need to find breeding sites an raise their young – your pool is probably ideal for a pair but not suitable for a winter flock.

Most recoveries of ringed Canada Geese in Britain have found that the individuals concerned were within about 30 miles of the place where they were originally caught (although some do move further – including some quite long distance movements within Britain to join moulting flocks, and a few movements to the continent).

So there you have it! The Canada Goose, maybe you’ll spot some of these not so unfamiliar birds while you’re over in Canada yourself!

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Montana’s is known for their ribs, steaks, rotisserie chicken and other lodge fare. The restaurant aims to be a family/casual concept, rather than fine dining. The theme of the restaurant is of a lodge/wilderness setting and they try to provide guests with an escape to simpler times and places. When you enter the restaurant you may be surprised to find various items mounted up on the wall and suspended from the ceiling .. one of the items being a truck!

Montana’s is somewhere we always try to go to at least once during our trips, and their menu is full of fantastic quality food at great prices. There’s one thing that we always try to have when we are out – and that’s the starter Nachos.. but don’t get it just for yourself! We made that mistake once, the first time we went out in fact.. if you do, you will get a heck of a lot of nachos, so get them to share, but with their mix of blue and normal corn chips, as well as the various toppings you can buy as extras to go on them – they’re well worth every cent. (Hint: get them topped with pieces of steak!)

Another of our favourites are their burgers.. They serve some of the ULTIMATE burgers. There’s no going home still feeling hungry with these, and with the variety of different burgers available – there’s always something you would want.. that’s if you’re not tempted away from burgers by their steaks, ribs or other dishes! Oh, and their Cedar-Roasted Salmon is fantastic too if you’re looking for a healthier option!

Let your waiter/waitress know if you have a birthday in the party as well, they have a particular routine to carry out if they do and you get a free small desert! Though the whole restaurant clapping with the staff crowning the birthday person with a large horned hat may not be to everyone’s taste!!

There are restaurants located in all Canadian provinces except for Quebec and the three territories, so if you’re in the right Provinces, keep your eyes open for them! You’re sure for a memorable evening!

For more information, as well as their menus and locations check out Montana’s Cookhouse’s website

When we’re out in Canada our usual Montana’s is in Orillia

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Over the next year, we’re hoping to add to our articles in other Provinces of Canada, and carry on bringing you honest ideas, tips and help for anyone heading to Canada from the UK.. and of coarse to our Canadian and world wide readers who visit to find information about places they want to travel to as well!

A clear day at the marina in Orillia, ON

So finally, if you want to help contribute to Canada Trip, live in Canada or visit Canada regularly – Let me know! We’re always looking for some help finding more fantastic places of interest, places to eat, stay and of coarse play in Canada!
Email me: enquiries(at)canadatrip.co.uk

Time to look forward to the next year, and for all those hoping to make it to canada in the next twelve months, i wish you happy holidays! Dont forget to let us know how it goes!

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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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Now, the photo above is certainly not one of my favourite photos.. it was taken on the move so i’ll apologise for that! However, my trip to Arby’s was actually in fairly high expectation. I’d heard their roast beef in their sandwiches was so tender.. Given the recommendations i was thinking i was in for a pretty decent treat. And besides – I was in Canada, and along with the US, Spain and Australia, it’s a beef loving country – with good cause due to the quality of their beef.

We parked up outside the adjacent Tim Horton’s and went inside. Its interior was the usual comfy fast food restaurant feel, similar to most burger kings in the UK. Immediately i was a little surprised. I had kind of expected the sandwiches to have really nice thick pieces of roast beef in them, but from what i could see in the pictures was more of a very thinly sliced .. wafer thin in fact – beef on a burger bun. I quickly put that to the back of my mind though – it doesn’t matter how the meat is cut right? providing you have enough of it on the sandwich!

Well – we all know from McDonald’s in the UK that we should never trust the pictures on the menu, but i was thinking – this is Canada, half hearted doesn’t exist!
We decided to have just the Beef ‘n’ Cheddar sandwich, though not the Combo, as really we were hoping to just try their signature beef sandwich. Fries are fries ultimately in Canada, it doesn’t matter where you go – you wont be disappointed in them, and though the Curly Fries here at Arby’s are one of the things they are well known for, i would be surprised if they were any better than the particularly high standards that all Canadian fast food restaurants set across the board!

This is actually a pretty difficult review for me because as much as i want to give places the benefit of the doubt, Arby’s was truly a big disappointment.. For someone who was expecting to have thick pieces of nice roast beef on a nice big breadcake, the size of the sandwich was a little bit of a let down.. To be fair though, the bun was very good quality, nice and soft and it was onion topped so it gave it a nice complimentary flavour to the beef. As well as the bun the sandwich came with what i think was squeezy cheese, rather than real cheese – so the quality was the usual processed cheese flavour, pretty strong, but with an almost chemically side to it .. What was nice though was the tomato-y sauce that was on the sandwich, this did work really well. It was sweet and subtle – so it didnt overpower the meat or the cheese on the sandwich, which a lot of sauces tend to do.

So .. now we come to the beef. This is Arby’s signature beef, the meat which it’s business is about.. and i honestly was disappointed greatly by it.. The meat, whether it is cut from a real joint of beef, or actually taken from a reformed beef-roll which they cook on site, just simply did not taste as much as it should have.. The flavour was so subtle the cheese covered it up almost completely… The concept was also a little odd to me. This was what we’d call in the UK – Sandwich ham style beef. You know the stuff you can get in Sainsburys or Morrisons, pre-packed wafer thin sandwich beef, but it was warm, on a sandwich. The beef at Arby’s is actually just as good as the Morrisons Sandwich beef..

Still, Arby’s is not bad. I’ll stress that. You get a nice sandwich, it’s filling and you get the usual quality you’ll expect from anywhere which serves food in Canada, but for me, there’s nothing truly special, nothing that sets it high up there as somewhere you’d decide above other places to go for lunch.. Unless of coarse you wanted to try its Jacket Potatoes, wedges or loaded potato skins, or even their ham sandwiches. My problem ultimately was that i went in with expectations that were far too high.. Maybe i’ll call in again in october to try it out again!

I’d love to hear from people – to tell me what you think about Arby’s – what your favourite things are, whether you agree or disagree with what I’ve said, and I’m looking for people from Canada, the US and especially people from the UK who have tried Arbys after knowing what we can get in the UK supermarkets.

So to sum it up, Arby’s – its not my first choice for lunch, it’s a sandwich shop at heart, serving warm sandwich beef sandwiches. Why not give it a try and let me know what you think!

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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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The one we go to is in Lindsay, it’s a joint restaurant as interestingly this particular store has one counter, one set of tills but you can either get KFC or Taco Bell (or both if you wanted)!
One of the things i like about Taco Bell is that it has simple, cheap food which fills you up well. It’s also something that we have rarely seen, even though there has been Taco Bell stores in the UK.. they all closed down in the mid 90s.

The food items i usually get are the 2 taco combo, which you can choose from hard or soft tacos, or like we usually do – get one of both, and then upgrade it by having Supreme fries with it. Supreme fries are something that i believe is only available in canada. You get a cardboard tray with (skins-on) fries piled on it. On top of the fries you then have taco-mix mince, sour cream, onions, diced tomato and chives – i wouldn’t miss having supreme fries with my meal!

The other thing i like from here is the particularly cheap 1/2 lb burrito, that being a steak burrito. There are a number of burritos available, one being that or there is also the chicken burrito – which is spicy chicken in a sauce along with rice – these really do the job if you’re hungry and just need something to fill you for a couple of hours!

They serve Pepsi at these places, just like KFC – they also serve mountain dew (which for benefit of people in the UK is a very sweet citrus flavoured fizzy drink), iced tea, fruitopia, a lemonade and a fizzy orange.
In the restaurant in Lindsay, you are given a cup and you can help yourself to your choice of drink, and you are allowed to have refills at no added cost!

Just like all places in Canada, they have absolutely no resemblance to the UK KFC fries.. I think I’ve mentioned before – UK fries in KFCs here are soggy, usually under cooked and taste pretty awful. Not only that KFC have no idea how to use a salt shaker, so the chips are completely unseasoned. Be it for health or just being cheap, that’s how things are.. We are of coarse provided with salt sachets.. but to be honest the fries just are awful at UK KFCs… especially if you compare it to the Canadian KFCs or Taco Bells.. These fries at Taco Bell or KFC in Canada are skins on, and seasoned well. For me i think they’re actually the best fries you can get at any fast food place in Canada. Though, its a very tightly run competition!

So, if you’re hungry and you’re passing a Taco Bell, head on in and have a go at Mexican style Fast food!

Interesting Fact: If you’ve been to Canada or the US already.. or even expats from Canada or the US, then you may be interested in this news! Taco Bell opening a restaurant again in the UK at Lakeside Shopping Centre in Essexhttp://www.bighospitality.co.uk/?page=articles&ID=205024

Link to Lakeside shopping centre’s taco bell information: http://www.lakeside.uk.com/store_profile-6200.htm

For more information about what’s on the menu and their Locations in Canada – check out Taco Bell’s website: http://www.tacobell.ca/

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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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