Camping has been a favorite hobby of mine since I was in Elementry School and went on my first Brownie sleep-away camp. Almost every summer after that, I would spend a week away in the great outdoors through Guides and Pathfinders. I didn't start camping again until my mid-twenties when friends of mine would make an annual weekend camping trip to Algonquin. We went several years in a row and got good use out of my favorite Coleman dome tent. That tent could be set up by one person in the dark, I loved it! I still have it ready to hand down to my son for his first great camping adventures with his friends.
When it was time to pick my family's first camping trip I couldn't think of anywhere else to pick but Algonquin park. I had always camped in September with my friends. This leads to not being able to experience the wide range of events the park provides. When I planned this trip I knew I wanted to be there for the public wolf howl. With that in mind, I set out dates accordingly.
This trip being our first try at camping I wanted it to go smoothly. I hoped my family would love the adventure and outdoors as much as I had and want to make this a yearly event. I made sure to order trail books ahead of time to be able to plan what hikes my family could conquer. My son isn't a high-energy boy so I knew long hikes would be too much for him. The booklets are great and helped me decide how long they would take and what we should expect to see on the path. If you don't want to get the booklets ahead of going you can always pick one up at the beginning of the trail. If you do want to order start here http://store.algonquinpark.on.ca/cgi/algonquinpark I also liked going through Pinterest for great camping hacks always a good idea if you haven't camped in a while.
I started planning this trip in March. Provincial Parks let you book 5 months to the day before your visit. I had camped at several different campgrounds in the park because of that I already had a good idea of where I wanted to stay. A more family-friendly location with a beach and in walking distance to the Two Rivers Store for nighttime ice cream treats! That left us as the Lake of Two Rivers Campground. I made a top ten site list. Since we camp mid-week, our top site has already been booked from campers that had been staying earlier in the week. There is a workaround for people to book their site but I don't share in this practice as I don't think it's right to book sites for the time you never planned on being there. I have been able to book a Provincial park for 4 summers now I hope to keep that up without having to use other methods.
With a drive of about four hours ahead of us I downloaded some of my son's favorite songs and a couple of kid's podcasts. We really liked Wow in the World and But Why: a podcast for curious kids. I made a snack smorgasbord using a fishing tackle box container and downloaded a new video game on his switch to keep the drive peaceful. With the car packed and GPS ready to go we hit the 401.
Our campsite wasn't ready until three so we had time to get a hike in before setting up camp. We also needed to stop and have lunch. I prepared a picnic before leaving the house ready for a quick stop. We stopped at the Algonquin Visitor Center where we found washrooms and a picnic table. We also looked around inside and were able to pick up the Algonquin newspaper and see what events were organized for the week. A great place to start your camping to get your bearings.
Right near the Visitor Center is Beaver Pond Trail. A great 2 km loop hike. We got to see a great beaver damn. unfortunately never got to see any beavers.
It was time to set up camp. When we had checked in earlier the rangers had told us that the bear sitings in campgrounds had been daily and to be extra cautious of where we put our trash and coolers. Also, they gave us a packet for any fish we caught. They were surveying the fishery in the park and were using campers to help with the research, which my son was very interested in. Unfortunately (but fortunate for me so as not to have to touch the fish) we never caught anything.
We had a great spot close to the bathrooms and showers but not too close, close to the running water tap but again not too close. Site 147 had it all, it was a quick walk to the store as well for ice cream. We also had electricity which was very handy since the whole up north was in a fire ban. The whole summer had been awful for forest fires. We knew this going into the trip so I packed a portable electric grill. That grill saved us big time.
After setting up camp and relaxing after some dinner we headed out for another hike. Spruce Bog Boardwalk is a great easy walk. Nice and flat and only 1.5 km that loops. This is a great after-dinner quick walk.
During the night we had brought a small telescope and tried to see stars up close. We downloaded a star map app to help, The beach at this campsite is great for stargazing. The whole area open's up so you don't have any trees obscuring the view. My Son was just happy to stay up way past his bedtime!
The next morning we had a great pancake breakfast and got on our way for some great sites. The first hike of the day was Lookout Trail. This would show us the best views of the park. A hike under 2 km also loops. A bit steeper than we had done in the past but when we saw the view it was so worth it!
After some lunch and rest. I had this magical idea that my Son would want to relax and read a book when we took a rest time. I cracked very quickly and let him have his Switch. Let's be honest everyone gets some rest time then!
We had our last hike for the day at Whiskey Rapids Trail. Another 2 km loop would have a couple of steeper areas but not difficult. Sadly this wasn't a trip where we saw any wildlife but once we got back to our site we overheard other campers at the showers talking about a bear that had an adventure into the campground and scared a couple of families before heading on. Just another reminder to make sure all trash and food are put away.
Overall Algonquin Provincial Park is a great first camping adventure. It really has everything a family would want to keep all ages entertained. The website shows what events are happening, there are movie nights on the beach, Wolf Howl the list goes on and on!
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