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I’m hoping this question will solicit a lot of opinions and a good conversation… what’s your ultimate Algonquin trip? There’s no criteria - what’s your favourite route; hardest route to tackle; scenic route; easy route; family friendly route… what do you look for when planning a route? (What am I missing?)
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lavieille lake would be at the top of my list,, at my age it is doubful ?
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Shanny G wrote:
what’s your ultimate Algonquin trip?
I have wanted to complete either a meanest link, or a full West to East trip through Algonquin for quite some time. The challenge is the amount of time off of work for the first, and the logistics for the second.
what’s your favourite route; hardest route to tackle; scenic route; easy route; family friendly route… what do you look for when planning a route?
I love any trip, but my most memorable are the week long trips that incorporate plenty of river travel. Big lakes, small lakes, I love it all... but when you are deep in Algonquin on the smaller rivers it feels "quiet" and more remote.
Favourite : A few summers back we did a week long loop from Tim to Magnetawan. Paddled the Nipissing from Big Bob to the Whiskey Jack portage, Redpine Bay, Big Trout, Petawawa, Misty etc... it was one of the best trips.
Hardest: Any trip that is going through Maple Creek, Birchcliffe Creek and is not planned with spare days... our 4 day loop was cutting it close!
Scenic : The east side of the park is pretty epic. Travers to McManus, or Barron Canyon/ Highfalls / Grand Lake are all beautiful spots that are easy to access.
Easy / Kid Friendly: Over the years I have taken my children, and my late father, on some easy trips. I really liked the beach campsite on the East shore of Shirley, exploring Basin Lake, and getting up to the Scorch Lake trail from Kingscote. I also did a Gilmour Lake trip with the kiddos last fall, so easy to get to and just enough to do to keep everyone occupied for the weekend.
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I'd like to finish the Meanest Link(Completed OP to Huntsville), or a Full Link. I've done Whitney to Oxtongue Lake while training for MRX. Not quite a full east to west but still a decent trip. I'd love to do a trip from north east ( Wendigo or Travers??), back to my buddy's cottage on Muskoka River near Balsam Chutes. I don't think I've had a favorite route yet. Each trip is memorable for different reasons. Although simple, we did a trip to Big Crow as soon as we could when the park opened back up during Covid. The weather , the campsite and the company, coupled with the drama that was the pandemic definitely added to the experience and that is still probably one of my most memorable trips. Yet to determine this years annual route so who knows what is to come. Regardless of where I cannot wait to get out there. Great Topic BTW.
Last edited by Shayne74 (3/21/2025 9:34 am)
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For me, it is the next trip up into APP, particularly with my age: and since I can only get up there only once per year. Historically what I've liked is my brother and I seeing new areas that we haven't seen before. But on the same side, getting back to a place we enjoyed in the past is equally great. Probably a lame response for what you are looking for, but my list includes going to the 1st lake and hopefully 1st camp site that I started my APP journey over 18 years ago. Guess that might count as a bucket list. (Just nervous about going back up there with all of the politics going on and seeing a Pennsylvania plate. sigh)
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For me, it is the next trip up into APP, particularly with my age: and since I can only get up there only once per year. Historically what I've liked is my brother and I seeing new areas that we haven't seen before. But on the same side, getting back to a place we enjoyed in the past is equally great. Probably a lame response for what you are looking for, but my list includes going to the 1st lake and hopefully 1st camp site that I started my APP journey over 18 years ago. Guess that might count as a bucket list. (Just nervous about going back up there with all of the politics going on and seeing a Pennsylvania plate. sigh)
Not lame at all!!! Everyone has their own reasons and ideas and I’m so curious as to what those all are. I’d love to tackle the Meanest Link if I didn’t have to worry about work and holidays. I’d love to go to Lavielle again but also want to check out the northwest section of the park too.
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Bucket List Trip: To do the entire meanest link unsupported.
Favorite Trip: So many favorites that it's hard to choose just one trip. Did enjoy returning and completing the Kiosk/Nadine/Cedar/Kiosk loop for the first time after failing to complete the loop the year before. Had to abort the first attempt after making a phone call on top of heart attack hill and receiving news of a family members passing. Sometimes think favorite trips may be the most memorable ones even if the trip may not have been enjoyable at the time...
Hardest Trip: Any trip that involved travelling long stretches of narrow, shallow, alder choked muddy creeks with beaver dams during peak bug season while temperatures are nearing 30 degrees Celsius.
Most Scenic Trip: IMHO any trip on the east side of the park near Achray/Grand/Barron Canyon/Spectacle/Carcajou/Greenleaf/Travers to McManus etc. Love the pines!
Easiest Trip - Family Friendly Trip: Sec and the surrounding lakes. Close to home and the smaller lakes are easier to paddle on windy days.
Last edited by Dwight (3/21/2025 11:27 am)
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The trip I want to do will probably take two-ish weeks. It starts at the Tim River Access Point then up to the Nip from there take the Nip all the way down to Cedar. From Cedar I would take the Petawawa River to Burntroot Lake and the make my way to the Tim which I would take upstream the whole way back to the access point.
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I'd like to push through to Boot lake. I was unable to get there a few years ago, had to give up on it (got lost on a portage, it was a whole thing), and it has bothered me ever since.
Also, I'm with AndyW. I'm concerned about my NY plates up there for an ice out trip this year, but there's only so many more years I'll be able to do this, so I'm figuring on going, at least for now. Usually I'm concerned with the weather forecast, but the forecast of importance now has to do with the political environment, with bad weather ahead, unnecessarily generated on this side of the border, that I wish had never started. I apologize for bringing up politics at all, it has no place on this forum, I know, but this situation makes me absolutely sick. I cherish the friendships, which are now strained, and understandably so.
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For those with US plates. I'm sorry you feel like this but don't blame you one bit. Strange times for sure. Hopefully the climate changes and you can get a trip in soon. I'd say rent a car but still means leaving our car somewhere north of the border. Good Luck!
Last edited by Shayne74 (3/21/2025 2:12 pm)
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A+ topic, really gets the gears turning!
Ultimate route? I've been eyeballing a couple 10-14 day trips. Stuff like the Brent run, going down the Nip from Tim River access to Cedar, Cedar to Lavaielle by way of Radiant and the Crow and then back up through Nadine and Maple...but I gotta wait until the kids are a bit older before I tackle something like that I think.
Favorite route so far was Ope -> B. Trout -> Hogan -> Big Crow -> Lav -> Ope. But we had great weather and everything really "clicked". Lots of close seconds though.
Hardest is easy. We thought we had an easy morning out from Head lake to Cache and we wanted to make a loop so we went down Head creek and then up the Madawaska at the beginning of May. The trip down Head creek was fun and scenic, but we did NOT plan for the slog upriver. We were absolutely spent after 2-3hrs of paddling 1 foot at a time against a quite strong current. Flopped onto the dock at Cache a lifeless wreck. Fun times!
Easy route and family friendly is Booth probably. Lots of beach sites, a little bit of portaging to feel like an adventure but not too much. I've had good luck at Little Island and Canisbay with little kids. McIntosh can be nice too if you're willing to do the 2.4km carry from T. Thompson.
As for our friends south of the border, I wouldn't let the political tension keep you from the Park. Most people up here are very aware that what comes from the White House is not indicative of the people who live under its governance (same goes for 24 Sussex). If you're really worried about the vehicle, maybe back into the parking spot and covertly remove any front plate before pushing off?
See you out there!
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My bucket list trip I call "Turn Left". It starts at Squirrel Rapids and ends at McManus lake. You have to stay in the park on an official paddling route; at every junction you turn left; no backtracking. It's somewhere between 6-700km and takes you on some crazy detours on a giant loop around the park. One day LOL.
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Thank you folks, really interesting trip ideas in this thread.
Favorite and most memorable trip of 2024 began as a solo trip over the May long weekend. It was an in-and-out trip from Opeongo to Lavieille and back, with time spent on a few smaller lakes.
Over the long weekend, Lavieille was busy. Unexpectedly and happily, shared the campsite with two Americans, who were travelling together, and a solo tripping Canadian from Ontario. Had a great time. Sincerely appreciated the company. The two American gentlemen resided in different states but had met up every year for over a decade to canoe trip in the backcountry of Ontario. These two Americans had seen more of the Ontario backcountry than the Ontario lad and I. Felt good to be Canadian, living in such a beautiful country, and thankful that we have such fantastic places to go canoe camping after learning of their travels. Was amazed at how far these American gents travelled each year to visit the beautiful backcountry of Ontario.
One night, the Canadian gent, who was great at reading people, mentioned and identified that one American was a Democrat and the other a Republican. This was kind of a hot topic last spring with everything going on in politics at the time. One of the Americans confirmed that he was correct, one of them was a Democrat and the other a Republican and that the two of them had one rule: never talk politics. These two gentlemen had spent so much time backcountry tripping together and had obviously maintained an excellent relationship by not discussing politics. Thankful to this day for the great time spent with these two Americans, and have kept in touch with the Ontario gent. Learned so much and truly enjoyed the company. I hope many others have similar experiences this upcoming season, meeting and learning from people while backcountry camping in the park! I hope everyone is happy to share the beauty of Algonquin Park with our neighbors from the south.
Cheers!
Last edited by Dwight (3/21/2025 7:09 pm)
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My favourite route was to Lavielle starting from Cedar last fall. 13 day solo. Had alot of rest days really relaxing. Didn't see another soul for 5 days of it.
Bucket list trip isn't so much a route but its my canoe partner. My son will be joining me for 9 days. We've done trips before but he's college age and off to college in the fall so this might be the last one for a long time. I gave him the choice of "anywhere" in the park and his only request was to travel a route where every lake was a new place for him....Done! I planned the route and we are both pretty excited about. This will be Mid-May starting out of Cedar. He's never been there, I'll have to show him the box car!
Keeping with that mindset the next trip I plan after that will be in the fall, but it'll be solo and I feel that I should explore a new area of the park. So currently looking at things trying to figure that one out. Kinda always wanted to have a crack at "Heart Attack Hill"...we'll see.
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I love all of these answers - thank you for sharing! I’m really looking forward to the 2025 season and love reading how each of you have experienced Algonquin.
I’ve always loved Opeongo which is nostalgic for me as it’s been “my lake” since I was a child. Same with Galeairy.
Lavielle stole my heart as did Burntroot more recently in adulthood. Looking forward to checking out the northwest part of the park hopefully this year. I’d love to do the Meanest Link….
I’d love to pick a route where I don’t have to worry about work or holidays for 7+ days.
I’d love to do a solo trip. But I’d also love to do an easy, introductory interior trip with my 13-year old niece. Suggestions welcomed!
Happy camping and safe travels!
Last edited by Shanny G (3/22/2025 10:45 pm)
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For those with US plates. I'm sorry you feel like this but don't blame you one bit. Strange times for sure. Hopefully the climate changes and you can get a trip in soon. I'd say rent a car but still means leaving our car somewhere north of the border. Good Luck!
It's all of you on this forum I'm not worried about as we all have a kindred spirit. It's the "overnighter" close to Toronto on our way home I worry about.
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For those with US plates. I'm sorry you feel like this but don't blame you one bit. Strange times for sure. Hopefully the climate changes and you can get a trip in soon. I'd say rent a car but still means leaving our car somewhere north of the border. Good Luck!
It's all of you on this forum I'm not worried about as we all have a kindred spirit. It's the "overnighter" close to Toronto on our way home I worry about.
Noone wants to overnight in Toronto after and Algonquin trip. lol. If you can get that far I'd say make a run for the border and spend it in Buffalo .
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