Algonquin Adventures / Yurt Camping

**Posted by Chipz03** 9/14/2015 12:34 pm

Hi All,

I'm trying to plan a 3 nighter (Jan.1-4) yurt camping trip in Algonquin but the space is very limited. This will be my first attempt during the winter season so if anyone here may be experienced and could share a tip or two that would be very much appreciated

Aside from yurts are there options to car camp with a tent during these dates or would the parks be closed for tents?.. Just trying to get a general idea of how this works. Also, would the water be frozen over or would I still be able to fish?

Thanks for your help in advance

Susan

**Posted by Peek** 9/14/2015 12:48 pm

Hey Susan,

Yurts are great! They are heated and have fairly comfy mattresses, they sleep 4 I think. A great way to introduce yourself to winter camping. Base camp at a yurt and hike/snowshoe the trails along the highway 60 corridor.

You can camp with a tent in the winter time too, but the rules are a little different than summer camping (you can't camp on summer campsites, portages, trails, or within xxx meters of them, etc.) but cold tenting kind of sucks. It's.. well.. cold. You'd be better off renting a hot tent (canvas tent with a wood stove) from an outfitter - but if you've never winter camped before, I'd probably hold out on this idea as setup can be complicated and these things are fairly heavy - you'd need a pulk (sled) for sure. I'd probably start with the yurt, book it soon cause they fill up fast - especially around the time you are looking to go.

Fishing in Algonquin during winter is illegal. Algonquin Park is a fish sanctuary from Dec 1 to the 4th Saturday in April - no fishing is permitted during this timeframe.

Last edited by Peek (9/14/2015 12:48 pm)

**Posted by Rob H** 9/14/2015 1:09 pm

Susan to add to what Peek mentioned, Mew Lake is open all Winter with both hydro and non hydro sites available. The comfort station is also open and heated.
What Bev and I have done in the past is set up on a hydro site with a couple of electric heaters in the vestibule to take the chill off. We also lay some fleece blankets on the floor to help out.
The hydro in the area is not the best and has been known to fail for hours so make sure you have warm sleeping bags and extra warm blankets just in case.
We will be in Mew Lake to bring in the New Year so stop by if you are in the area.
Winter in the park is amazing and I am sure you will enjoy the experience bi if you are looking at a Yurt, BOOK NOW as they go rather quickly.

Last edited by Rob H (9/14/2015 10:51 pm)

**Posted by Barbara** 9/14/2015 2:14 pm

Chipz03 wrote:
Hi All,

I'm trying to plan a 3 nighter (Jan.1-4) yurt camping trip in Algonquin but the space is very limited. This will be my first attempt during the winter season so if anyone here may be experienced and could share a tip or two that would be very much appreciated

Aside from yurts are there options to car camp with a tent during these dates or would the parks be closed for tents?.. Just trying to get a general idea of how this works. Also, would the water be frozen over or would I still be able to fish?

Thanks for your help in advance

Susan

No fishing in winter allowed in Algonquin Park. Check the Ontario Fishing regs for Zone 15.

A lot of helpful information found on the Algonquin Park website:

Winter in Algonquin Park
http://www.algonquinpark.on.ca/visit/general_park_info/winter-in-algonquin-park.php

Algonquin Park Winter Guide
http://www.algonquinpark.on.ca/pdf/winter_guide_algonquin_park.pdf

Barbara

**Posted by Barbara** 9/14/2015 2:16 pm

Peek wrote:
Hey Susan,
You can camp with a tent in the winter time too, but the rules are a little different than summer camping (you can't camp on summer campsites, portages, trails, or within xxx meters of them, etc.) but cold tenting kind of sucks. It's.. well.. cold. You'd be better off renting a hot tent (canvas tent with a wood stove) from an outfitter - but if you've never winter camped before, I'd probably hold out on this idea as setup can be complicated and these things are fairly heavy - you'd need a pulk (sled) for sure. I'd probably start with the yurt, book it soon cause they fill up fast - especially around the time you are looking to go.

Susan was asking about car camping in the winter, not backcountry camping.

Barbara

**Posted by DanPM** 9/14/2015 2:22 pm

Yup... car camping rules are the same in winter as in summer, except with fewer campgrounds open.

And since that is the topic of this thread, it should be in the Campgrounds and Frontcountry forum, not the Backcountry Paddling Trip Planning forum. Maybe a mod can move it?

**Posted by Peek** 9/14/2015 2:26 pm

@Barbara - ah true! must have seen the backcountry paddling and just assumed (haha though one can't paddle in winter)..

well, never the less, the most important piece of information I gave is still very relevant - no fishing in Winter!

**Posted by Steve E** 9/14/2015 3:53 pm

When I first got into winter camping in Algonquin I would stay on a hydro site at Mew Lake in a tent, and bring an electric blanket. Id put it in my sleeping bag and warm it up about a half hour before I went to bed. That was such a nice feeling getting into a pre-warmed bed!

**Posted by Chipz03** 9/14/2015 8:34 pm

Lol @ Rob. Don't jinx it, power outage during the middle of the night would be a nightmare.

Would there be snow yet up at Algonquin in January? Also, does anyone have any reliable portable heater brands to share?

Steve, thx for the electric blanket suggestion! Thats going to be a life saver

Susan

**Posted by My Self Reliance** 9/14/2015 8:39 pm

Snow?!! Yep

**Posted by Steve E** 9/14/2015 8:44 pm

The campground hosts usually have heaters on hand in the event there is a power outtage (at least they used to). Have to be careful using any sort of combustable heater in a closed shelter though.

As for snow in January? Yup usually lots of snow

**Posted by Rob H** 9/14/2015 11:02 pm

Forgot all about the electric blanket Steve suggested but if you have one, pack it. Bev loved the idea.
One more thing, if you end up tenting, take snowshoes if you have them. Packing down a tent site in just winter boots takes way to long and is really not that effective leaving a very uneven floor area.
Yes I am speaking from first hand experience here and yes it did entertain the couple in the R.V. across from us.
I have not used them with a tent but have heard nothing but good things about the Mr Buddy propane heaters
http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/mr-heater-9000-btu-portable-buddy-heater-0762357p.html#.VfeW6vlVhHw
and the 18000 BTU one
http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/mr-heater-18000-btu-big-buddy-heater-0762358p.html
Watch Canadian tire and others as these go on sale frequently.
A couple of other things that came to mind if you end up tenting.
If you use tent pegs of any kind, do not push them in far enough that they are flush with the snow. They will freeze and it is much easier to push down on them to break them free than it is to dig them out.
Solo I cold tent in a 2 person 4-season tent but with Bev we take our (and no laughing) Big Agnes Tensleep 4 person 3-season tent with way to much ventilation but a full fly. What I do is make sure that other than the vestibule,the bottom of the fly is slightly buried in snow to cut down on drafts. The good side of all the ventilation is we have never had a problem with condensation.

Last edited by Rob H (9/14/2015 11:44 pm)

**Posted by Chipz03** 9/15/2015 8:39 pm

Oh boy, this sounds like a whole new level of camping! Lol. Getting the impression that the snowfall level will be completely different than what we get in the city.

Thanks for all the details everyone. This should be very interesting..

**Posted by BethNearNorth** 9/15/2015 10:48 pm

Chipz03 wrote:
Oh boy, this sounds like a whole new level of camping! Lol. Getting the impression that the snowfall level will be completely different than what we get in the city.

Thanks for all the details everyone. This should be very interesting..

Umm, yes, the snow levels will be definitely different than those in 'the city' which I assume you mean Toronto.

We don't get snow that turns to slush the next day and we measure the amount on the ground by inches and centimeters, not millimeters. Last year I think we had at least a foot on the ground by New Years and that was where it got swept away by the wind and melted down by the winter sun. In the bush there might be 18 to 23 inches by that time of year.

Snowshoes are recommended for getting around on the trails and for tamping down the snow where you want to pitch your tent.

Here's a website that shows snowfall etc for you for the park.

http://www.farmzone.com/statistics/summary/cl7086380/so087

Keep in mind that driving up here in the north should not be done without a good set of snow tires on. All season tires won't cut it up here!

**Posted by scoutergriz** 9/16/2015 8:02 am

Snowshoes are nice, but not a real necessity for car camping at Mew lake. The roads and campsites are plowed down to about 2" and they plow regularly. You might need a shovel though to dig out the fire pit, they generally plow as close as they can get, but they don't shovel them out.
By all means, bring an electric blanket or heater, but don't depend on it! The power can (and does) go out quite frequently whether because someone wiped out a pole, or a snowladen tree fell on a line, or just from ice buildup. It's usually fixed in an hour or so but that can be a cold hour at 3am. It's not uncommon to hit -30C overnight, so extra blankets and a good pad are almost a necessity.
Remember too that the stores in the park are closed, so make sure to gas up and pick up any extras before you enter.
for pegs I use landscaping spikes and a hammer. you'll never get pegs into that frozen ground! plastic ones just shatter, and metal ones end up doing a good imitation of a pretzil.

**Posted by Chipz03** 9/16/2015 10:45 am

Hmmm.. intimidating responses! With all this new information I think we may be leaning more towards the yurts. If by chance we end up tent camping this winter I do have a few more questions below if any would know the answer to them..

The Lake of Two Rivers Store will be closed too?
Would we still be able to purchases firewood at the park?
Will the showers be operating during that time?
We've never tried a hydro site before, would we need one of those long electrical extension cords to bring into our tents to plug our heating units into?

**Posted by Steve E** 9/16/2015 11:07 am

1. Lake of Two Rivers store is closed
2. Firewood is purchased at the self serve wood lot located at Mew Lake
3. The comfort station (and showers) are heated and it's always nice and toasty in there!
4. I would bring an extension cord for sure.

Hope that helps!