Algonquin Park is a Provincial park centrally located in Ontario. Situated within a few hours drive from Toronto, Ottawa, and Kingston, this accessibility makes Algonquin Park a camper's haven for those looking to escape the noise of the city. Roughly 7,725 square kms in size, Algonquin boasts the largest provincially managed wilderness area currently available for camping, canoeing, hiking, and day-tripping, in this part of Canada. Its size, accessibility to car and back-country campers alike, as well as it's varied terrain and eclectic abundance of wildlife make Algonquin unique, and the number one draw of it's kind in Eastern Canada by volume.

Highway 60 provides the main access route into Algonquin. It bisects the park and provides easy access to some of the best car camping available. Highway 60 also serves as the jumping off point for many of the park's backcountry routes, including both the Highland and Western Uplands backpacking trails. Other wilderness access areas, Achray Station for example, are accessible via rural roads. It is recommended to consult a map carefully before planning your trip.

As you can imagine, due to the qualities outlined above and the growing public demand for outdoor/wilderness experience, Algonquin Park has seen a virtual explosion in visitor traffic in recent years and is virtually saturated with campers during the summer months. Fall and winter fair little better in that regard - witness a December camping trip I took last year at Mew Lake where every available campsite was taken. Therefore, common sense suggests the importance of making reservations, often weeks or months in advance, to ensure camping access to the park is granted due to the incredible volume and limited number of sites available. Reservations for this and other Ontario parks can be made at this web address: http://www.ontarioparks.com/reservations.html by following the links. However, day access is available upon demand - simply register at the appropriate gate for your day pass.

The links below provide significantly more detail and will help you to plan your trip to the park. Please keep in mind the information contained within these sites is provided without guarantees - please check your facts before committing to any trip into the park. Happy camping!!