Week 46: Algonquin Provincial Park

Growing up in small-town New Brunswick, I feel as though I've had my fair share of rural experiences.    I enjoy the beauty and purity of nature, and the holistic sense of being a part of it.  However, I like nature on my terms.  For example, you couldn't pay me enough to go camping in the bush somewhere, or even in someone's backyard for that matter.  I know there are many people out there who are in love with it, and boast about how great the experience can be with all their high-tech camping equipment, blah, blah, blah.
Here are the reasons why I'm strongly against camping:
1.  Bugs!  I don't care what kind of super-duper netting you got at Mountain Equipment Co-op; they always find a way in.  And, who wants to coat their body with repellent DEET slime?  Not me.
2.  Sleep deprivation!  With a bad back, I struggle to sleep on top quality beds let alone a few inches of plastic or foam over a hill of rocks.
3.  No toilets!  What is a person supposed to do in the middle of the night to relieve themselves?  Venture into the wilderness only to be eaten alive by the bugs who are swarming outside your tent?  Not this girl.
The kind of nature I like to do is the one where you visit for the afternoon and then return to your comfy nearby hotel for the night.  You get the best of both worlds that way.  That was my plan for visiting Canada's oldest provincial park.

Algonquin Provincial Park is about a 3.5 hour drive north of Toronto.  It has over 2,400 lakes and is 1.5 times larger than Prince Edward Island.  Highway 60 runs through the southern part of the park linking the West Gate (nearest to Toronto) to the East Gate (nearest to Ottawa).  You can simply drive through the park for highway purposes only, or purchase a permit required for any stops along the way.  A day permit costs $14.16 plus tax.  You can get a ticket if you're caught stopped at any of the park's services along Hwy 60 without a permit.  The park offers many activities such as picnic grounds, campgrounds, day trails and overnight backpacking, lodging, restaurants, canoe and boat rentals, outfitting stores, bike trails, etc.  I like to hike so I decided to try one of their many interpretive day trails.  If you're really into hiking their overnight backpacking trails offer crazy distances from 19 km to 88 km.  Go, Hiking!  I chose a short 0.8 km trail not far from the West Gate called Hardwood Lookout. The trail was fairly easy and had a view of Smoke Lake.  I don't know what I really expected but it was certainly anti-climactic.  I had every intention to complete another day trail after lunch, but to be perfectly honest I was so bored out of my mind that I needed to escape.  Apparently there are common moose sightings in the park but I was not so fortunate.  I did, however, see a fox with a fresh kill of some kind of bird.  That was the highlight of my wildlife sightings.

Overall, Algonquin Provincial Park is a great place for those who love to be as far from the city and as close to the bush as possible.  It has all the trees, lakes, and bugs that anyone can ask for.  As for excitement?  Nil.  Oh well.  I can scratch another place off of my "TO DO - And Never Return To" list.