A Day Trip to Fabulous Algonquin Park, Canada
By NURIN AND MALIK MERCHANT
UPDATED FOR 2020: Please visit the following links for 2020 Algonquin Park Fall Colour Report, and Openings and Closures at Algonquin Park due to Covid-19. In our photo captions below we have mentioned the facilities that are closed in 2020. Based on our visit to the Park in 2019 and the stopovers we made, only the Art Centre remains closed for 2020.
Note: The trip was done on Wednesday, October 9, 2019. We begin this revised post with a short textual summary of an ideal day trip to Algonquin Park from Ottawa or Toronto. Our trip started in Ottawa, and we made the entry into the park at the East Gate on Highway 60. Vehicles from the west or Toronto in south would enter from the West Gate on Highway 60. The Highway 60 corridor in the Park runs for 56 kilometres (kms), and distances noted in this post as well as in the official guide map are measured from the West Gate.
SUMMARY: DAY TRIP FROM TO ALGONQUIN PARK AND SUGGESTED ITINERARY
- Day Trip from Ottawa to Algonquin. Back to Ottawa by 9 PM for important duty!
- Departed Ottawa at 06:10 AM. Heavy foggy patches along the way.
- Arrived at East Entrance at 09:40 AM, Paid $18.00 vehicle fee and obtained a very informative map of the Park.
- Highway 60 corridor from West Gate of Park to East Gate is 56 kms (distances shown below are measured from West Gate). Our trip began at the East Gate, since it’s closest from Ottawa.
- Proceeded to Beaver Pond Trail (at 45 KM mark, from West entrance).
- Completed Beaver Pond Trail (2.1 KM). A MUST DO! Level of difficulty, near moderate but certainly not difficult! Doable by anyone who is able to walk; average level of fitness is fine! Good walking footwear with grip, please!
- Time 2.0 hours, medium pace, benches to sit on, beautiful photo ops throughout trail and especially at lookout point near end of trail.
- Admire the engineering feats of beavers who have constructed dams across lakes throughout Algonquin Park.
- Proceeded to the Algonquin Visitor Centre (at 43 KM mark). MUST DO! Outstanding history of first nations people, wonderful animal exhibits that reminded us of the Museum of Natural History in Ottawa. Spacious restaurant, great gift store and bookshop, great lookout area just outside the building. One can easily spend 1-2 hours at the visitor centre. We spent only 30 minutes!
- Proceeded to Two Rivers Store for lunch (at 33 KM mark). Service exceedingly slow and, after 15 minutes, left queue.
- Proceeded to the Portage Store by Canoe Lake (14 KM mark). Fast efficient service, good food and a great view of Canoe Lake surrounded by great autumn colours. Time spent 1 hour including lunch.
- DID NOT PROCEED WESTWARDS TO WEST GATE AND DECIDED TO DRIVE BACK EAST.
- Going East, at 16 KM drove on gravel road leading to Arowhon Pines Lodge for 2 kms to view some superb foliage. Distance of 8 kms to the lodge was a lot. Made way back to Hwy 60 after 2 kms of slow gravel driving.
- NOTE: THIS FACILITY IS CLOSED FOR 2020 DUE TO COVID-19. Proceeded to Algonquin Art Centre (at 20 KMS). MUST STOP IN FUTURE AFTER COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS ARE LIFTED. Spent 30 minutes.
- Superb art work on display and purchase. One can easily end up spending 1-2 hours at this fabulous art centre.
- Proceeded to a camp ground with a beautiful beach, adjacent to Lake of Two Rivers. Spent 30 minutes at the beach. Great photo op of foliage at distant, watched canoeists.
- Bypassed the famous Lookout trail. Next trip in a year! It would have taken 2-3 hours. Would have done Lookout if we had not done the Beaver Pond Trail earlier. However, Beaver Pond Trail was worth every step!
- Instead, proceeded to Spruce Bog Boardwalk (at 44 KM)! A very pleasant and easy 1.5 km boardwalk with lake views, bog forests and fantastic foliage scenery. Total 1 hour. Some might find this boardwalk a little bit boring, but we found it extremely relaxing.
- Proceeded to Lake Opeongo Store, off 47 KM mark. It is 8 kms of driving on a paved road leading to the store and the largest lake in Algonquin Park. The store offers canoes to rent, and Algonquin Outfitters offer guided tours of the region. Total time spent, including driving to Lake Opeongo from Hwy 60, 1 hour. Had hoped to see wildlife, because this road really feels like a wildlife road with so many ponds by the road.
- Left Park at 5:45 PM. Arrived Ottawa 9 PM to serve bunny, Pistachio!
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Date posted: October 13, 2019.
Last updated: September 23, 2020 (facility closures in 2020 due to Covid-19 are stated in the post – only 1 from the stops that we made, and that is the ALGONQUIN ART CENTRE).
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Dr. Nurin Merchant received her veterinary medicine degree with distinction from the Ontario Veterinary College (University of Guelph) in 2019, and now works as a veterinarian in the Ottawa region. Born and raised in Ottawa, Nurin completed her international baccalaureate (IB) program at Colonel By Secondary School before proceeding to the University of Guelph for an undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences which she passed with Honours. She then pursued veterinary medicine in the same school. Nurin enjoys hiking, loves nature and, of course, animals. She is also an artist. She paints, sculpts as well as designs and makes greeting cards during her spare time. She has a beautiful bunny named Pistachio, which she acquired from an animal care and rescue facility a few years after the death of her first rabbit, Wobbles.
Nurin’s dad Malik is founding publisher and editor of three blogs/websites, Simerg (2009), Simergphotos (2012) and Barakah (2017). He tweets at http://www.twitter.com/simerg and has a facebook page for Barakah at https://www.facebook.com/1000Fold/.
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Awesome, thank you Malik and Nurin for sharing. Mawla bless you and family. Ameen
Thanks for sharing Nature’s Bounty that is Algonquin National Park. The photos are incredibly expressive of Nature that needs to be shown and shared.
Beautiful pictures!
What beautiful views: A Paradise on Earth (Al-Firdaws al-Mafqud)
Great pictures, so beautiful there. Wow!
Congratulations on Nurin’s graduation. Amazing pictures.
Beautiful photos; thank you for sharing.
Ya Ali Madad Malik Bhai & Nurin, Thank you very much! This is what I love – scenic places make me feel good.
Thank you so much for sharing! Wonderful indeed…Lovely colors during this time of the year. Remain blessed Nurin. Ameen.
Love, Light & Cheers
Muslim Harji
Beautiful pictures. Thanks for sharing.
A wonderful experience and amazing pictures!
Thanks for sharing the stunning photos which rival National Geographic Photos.
These photos touched my heart for two reasons if not more.
The Qur’an teaches us to study and learn from nature and our universe for its abundant bounty.
The other reason being love and bond between father and a daughter, timeless and priceless!
May Allah’s blessing be on you both and family for sharing intellectual wisdom in the tradition of your parents/grandparents.
Thanks for sharing! Lovely photos and great father/daughter team.
Wow what beautiful photos!
Excellent…you both had a superb visit.
Lovely photos!
The colours and pictures are simply breathtaking!
Excellent photography, Nurin. Awesome. Thanks.
The nature very beautifully captured by both Nurin and yourself. The pictures are indeed awesome. It must have also been great to spend time together. Best wishes and warm regards to both.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing.
Fabulous!
Fantastic photography. Was there no train journey?
Thank you for your feedback. There is no special train journey to see foliage at the Algonquin Park. You may be thinking of the special train that takes visitors through the Agawa Canyon in Sault St. Marie, which is much further to the North West.
The Algonquin Park photos are amazing. It is so good that you could share this wonderful time with yourr daughter Nurin. The post brought a lot of memories – fall colours and the black flies. Keep well!
Wonderful pictures. Nature beautifully captured!
Thank you for sharing Abdulmalik. Beautiful fall colours and amazing photos. It must have been great to spend time at the Park with Nurin. May your bond always stay strong and full of joy. I met her in Vancouver. Give her my love. You both look wonderful.
Malik and Nurin:
May Allah reward you for your service in this world and the next. You are creating awareness for people to enjoy the creation of Allah.
Malik and Nurin:
I am so excited to get your fabulous post about your day trip to Algonquin Park. It reaches me as I wake up on a grey and wet miserable morning!
I felt as if I was following you both on your trip with Nurin taking the photos of natural beauty in Canada in autumn. This is a great article and a very special one personally to me. I am simply over the moon of having you as my friend. Thanks a million for the piece.
Beautiful!
Lovely! Precious moments. Thank you for sharing.
What a great way to spend father-daughter day together. I am very impressed with the photos and the blog. This was an awesome father-daughter cooperation and I love the photos. Simply fantastic!
Какая красивая дочька Нурин .А фотки это что то невероятное .Очен красиво получилось спасибо Малик за ваш труд Дай Аллах вам здоровья и ваше дочьке .
Translation (google): What a beautiful daughter Nurin. And the pictures are something incredible. It turned out very beautifully. Thanks Malik for your work. May Allah give you and your daughter health.
Thank you Malik for sharing the beautiful photos and making us part of your special father-daughter trip with Nurin. It must be a wonderful trip togetherness. May Mawla’s blessings always be with all of you and your family.