One mere lifetime would not suffice to accomplish all the wilderness exploits on tap at Algonquin Provincial Park. Established in 1893 to protect the headwaters of the five major rivers that originate in the park this is Ontario’s best known and most beloved park.

The park’s landscape is typical of the Canadian Shield – a wild and beautiful place of lakes and stream, craggy granite hills, and seemingly endless forests. More than 250 bird species have been recorded in the park. The most looked-for local species are the spruce grouse and the gray jay.

Most of the interior is a connected network of lakes. Canoeists can make their own way through the park without benefit of route marks, but this calls for considerable orienteering skills.