Picture-perfect Killarney is probably the only national or provincial park established at the urgings of prominent landscape painters, not at the behest of naturalists. The park’s many beauty marks include the startling ivory-white quartzite ridges and striated red granites of La Cloche and Killarney ranges, as well as its string of lakes set in forested valleys.

An interlinked network of small lakes, rivers, and short portages makes Killarney a paradise for canoeists. Nellie Lake, in the northwest, has the park’s clearest water, with visibility of about 90 feet. Dozens of longer routes take canoeists deep into the park’s interior.

Fall hiking is becoming increasingly popular. The spectacular colours at that time of year, set against the white pines and the dazzling white hills, make for an exhilarating visual display.