Wanted to try backcountry canoe camping but intimidated about the difficulty? This is a perfect intro for those who are new to it and a unique chance to unwind in a gorgeous location for those with more experience.
We're heading to Algonquin Highlands - just south of its more famous cousin, Algonquin Park.
The adventure starts with a canoe lesson before we paddle a short 2.5km to our spacious group campsite. You'll canoe through iconic Canadian Shield landscapes, with sandy beaches, granite rock faces and beautiful pine fringed shores.
This is a backcountry camping trip which means we’ll be away from any sort of support or vehicles. We’ll carry everything we need to survive in on our canoes and be completely self reliant for the trip.
We start the adventure by picking up our canoes and getting a short lesson that will have you all comfortable on the water. Then it's just a short 2.5km paddle to our group campsite, taking about one hour.
The Camp
We've got a large group campsite on the lake with enough room for all of us. Everyone will be assigned a different responsibility at camp and together, we'll set up our home for the night. This involves:
Sleeping Arrangements
There's limited space on the campsite so we're sharing WU provided tents separated by gender. If you'd like to bring your own hammock to sleep in, please let us know on Discord asap.
This being backcountry, you can't rely on having phone reception, there's no electricity or running water and the toilet is a box atop a hole in the ground.
We'll be purifying our own water and bringing our own toilet paper.
Water
There's a risk of water contamination with viruses like Giardia (beaver fever!) and bacteria so we'll be purifying water on site. We'll be providing all necessary equipment for water purification but feel free to bring your chosen method in addition.
Fire
There's no fire ban so we'll be able to have a campfire at night.
Campsite responsibilities
This trip is an opportunity to build your skills so we'll all be mucking in to make the trip a success. We'll divide up responsibilities on the campsite so you learn how to set up a tent, do a bear hang, purify water etc. We'll also share in the work to cook and keep things clean. Is there something you really want to learn while we're out? Do you have skills you could share with the group? PM us on Discord and let's work it in.
Saturday 20th July
07:50 - Meet at the PetroCanada next to Keele Station. We leave at 08:00. There's a Tims around the corner if you want to grab breakfast/packed lunch
08:00 - Shuttle leaves from PetroCanada at Keele
10:45 - Meet self-drivers at the Frost Centre Access Point
11:00 - 12:30: Pick up canoes begin paddle lesson and head to the campsite.
Lunch: Eat packed lunch at the campsite
13:30-18:00 - Set up camp. Hang out at the campsite. Learn camping skills and relax
18:00 - Dinner
Evening - Fireside hangs
Sunday 21st July
Morning - Choice of paddle exploration or hike to a viewpoint
12:00- 12:30 - Lunch
12:30 - 13:30 - Paddle out
17:00 - Anticipated return to Toronto
This custom map is georeferenced, meaning it will show you where you are on the map in the right software and lays out the rough path that we’ll be following. It’s opened with the Avenza app which must be downloaded and installed in advance of the adventure.
You should also download the What3words app - this makes it easy to share and find locations in the unlikely event that you get lost.
Clothing:
It looks like we've got good weather and travelling by canoe means you can pack a little more for comfort than you would on a hike in trip. This is a suggested list:
Gear:
Camping Gear/Sleep system
We'll be providing tents for everybody but you will need to bring the following:
Personal Stuff:
Period Products
Wondering how to handle camping on your period? Here's a great resource with everything you could need to know. If you still have questions, Chrissy has offered to be our resident outdoorsy Period Professor and you can message her privately on Discord.
Random Stuff:
Got light-weight games? Bring em!
We'll be providing most meals (either vegan or meaty according to your dietary requirements) for this adventure along with tea and coffee but no milk.
You're responsible for your own breakfast (before we meet) and a packed lunch on day 1.
Saturday lunch - Packed lunch that you bring
Saturday night dinner - Hot meal
Sunday morning breakfast - Hot oatmeal
Sunday lunch - Wraps
You're welcome to bring your own burner for making tea and coffee. You should also bring your own snacks!
We'll provide the following:
No additional reservations required
Ticks - Black legged ticks are in the area. You should wear pants rather than shorts to prevent them latching on and lighter colours make it easier to spot them and keep you more cool. There's no need to worry about ticks if we take a few precautions and we'll talk about doing a tick check after the hike just to confirm we haven't picked any up. You can learn more here
Water danger - Only swim in places where you've been told it's safe to do so and only under the supervision of one of our guides. If you can't swim, keep out of the water.
Drowning - You must wear your PFD (life jacket) at all times in the canoe and only canoe under the supervision of one of our guides
Getting lost - This is a wilderness location, away from help so it's important that we stay together at all times. If you get separated from the group, stop and blow your whistle/shout for help if there's no phone reception. It's unlikely that you'll have reception during this adventure. No breaking off without first discussing it with the hike leader!
Hiking injuries - Wear appropriate footwear and hike within your abilities. If you need extra support, bring hiking poles. Any injuries? Let us know in advance of the hike.
Wildlife - Bears are active in the area. We'll give you a full briefing on bear safety but rest assured that they pose very little threat to us. Want to learn more about wildlife safety? Watch the recording from our session with Ontario Park's bear expert. We'll provide all equipment necessary for a bear hang.
It's extremely important that no food is left unattended at the campsite (we've had meals stolen by raccoons before!) and at night, we'll take everything smelly out of bags and hang them in a tree, safe from wildlife.
The Anishinaabe and Algonquin Peoples originally lived here and maintain a presence around the area to this day.
Anishinaabe: This group includes the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi nations. The Anishinaabe people have historically inhabited the Great Lakes region, including areas that are now parts of Ontario and Quebec. Their traditional territory includes parts of what is now the Algonquin Highlands.
Algonquin: The Algonquin people are closely related to the Anishinaabe and are considered part of the larger Algonquian language family. The Algonquin nation traditionally occupied a large area of eastern Ontario and western Quebec, encompassing the Ottawa River watershed and parts of the Canadian Shield, including the Algonquin Highlands.
Wanted to try backcountry canoe camping but intimidated about the difficulty? This is a perfect intro for those who are new to it and a unique chance to unwind in a gorgeous location for those with more experience.
We're heading to Algonquin Highlands - just south of its more famous cousin, Algonquin Park.
The adventure starts with a canoe lesson before we paddle a short 2.5km to our spacious group campsite. You'll canoe through iconic Canadian Shield landscapes, with sandy beaches, granite rock faces and beautiful pine fringed shores.
This is a backcountry camping trip which means we’ll be away from any sort of support or vehicles. We’ll carry everything we need to survive in on our canoes and be completely self reliant for the trip.
We start the adventure by picking up our canoes and getting a short lesson that will have you all comfortable on the water. Then it's just a short 2.5km paddle to our group campsite, taking about one hour.
The Camp
We've got a large group campsite on the lake with enough room for all of us. Everyone will be assigned a different responsibility at camp and together, we'll set up our home for the night. This involves:
Sleeping Arrangements
There's limited space on the campsite so we're sharing WU provided tents separated by gender. If you'd like to bring your own hammock to sleep in, please let us know on Discord asap.
This being backcountry, you can't rely on having phone reception, there's no electricity or running water and the toilet is a box atop a hole in the ground.
We'll be purifying our own water and bringing our own toilet paper.
Water
There's a risk of water contamination with viruses like Giardia (beaver fever!) and bacteria so we'll be purifying water on site. We'll be providing all necessary equipment for water purification but feel free to bring your chosen method in addition.
Fire
There's no fire ban so we'll be able to have a campfire at night.
Campsite responsibilities
This trip is an opportunity to build your skills so we'll all be mucking in to make the trip a success. We'll divide up responsibilities on the campsite so you learn how to set up a tent, do a bear hang, purify water etc. We'll also share in the work to cook and keep things clean. Is there something you really want to learn while we're out? Do you have skills you could share with the group? PM us on Discord and let's work it in.
Saturday 20th July
07:50 - Meet at the PetroCanada next to Keele Station. We leave at 08:00. There's a Tims around the corner if you want to grab breakfast/packed lunch
08:00 - Shuttle leaves from PetroCanada at Keele
10:45 - Meet self-drivers at the Frost Centre Access Point
11:00 - 12:30: Pick up canoes begin paddle lesson and head to the campsite.
Lunch: Eat packed lunch at the campsite
13:30-18:00 - Set up camp. Hang out at the campsite. Learn camping skills and relax
18:00 - Dinner
Evening - Fireside hangs
Sunday 21st July
Morning - Choice of paddle exploration or hike to a viewpoint
12:00- 12:30 - Lunch
12:30 - 13:30 - Paddle out
17:00 - Anticipated return to Toronto
This custom map is georeferenced, meaning it will show you where you are on the map in the right software and lays out the rough path that we’ll be following. It’s opened with the Avenza app which must be downloaded and installed in advance of the adventure.
You should also download the What3words app - this makes it easy to share and find locations in the unlikely event that you get lost.
Clothing:
It looks like we've got good weather and travelling by canoe means you can pack a little more for comfort than you would on a hike in trip. This is a suggested list:
Gear:
Camping Gear/Sleep system
We'll be providing tents for everybody but you will need to bring the following:
Personal Stuff:
Period Products
Wondering how to handle camping on your period? Here's a great resource with everything you could need to know. If you still have questions, Chrissy has offered to be our resident outdoorsy Period Professor and you can message her privately on Discord.
Random Stuff:
Got light-weight games? Bring em!
We'll be providing most meals (either vegan or meaty according to your dietary requirements) for this adventure along with tea and coffee but no milk.
You're responsible for your own breakfast (before we meet) and a packed lunch on day 1.
Saturday lunch - Packed lunch that you bring
Saturday night dinner - Hot meal
Sunday morning breakfast - Hot oatmeal
Sunday lunch - Wraps
You're welcome to bring your own burner for making tea and coffee. You should also bring your own snacks!
We'll provide the following:
No additional reservations required
Ticks - Black legged ticks are in the area. You should wear pants rather than shorts to prevent them latching on and lighter colours make it easier to spot them and keep you more cool. There's no need to worry about ticks if we take a few precautions and we'll talk about doing a tick check after the hike just to confirm we haven't picked any up. You can learn more here
Water danger - Only swim in places where you've been told it's safe to do so and only under the supervision of one of our guides. If you can't swim, keep out of the water.
Drowning - You must wear your PFD (life jacket) at all times in the canoe and only canoe under the supervision of one of our guides
Getting lost - This is a wilderness location, away from help so it's important that we stay together at all times. If you get separated from the group, stop and blow your whistle/shout for help if there's no phone reception. It's unlikely that you'll have reception during this adventure. No breaking off without first discussing it with the hike leader!
Hiking injuries - Wear appropriate footwear and hike within your abilities. If you need extra support, bring hiking poles. Any injuries? Let us know in advance of the hike.
Wildlife - Bears are active in the area. We'll give you a full briefing on bear safety but rest assured that they pose very little threat to us. Want to learn more about wildlife safety? Watch the recording from our session with Ontario Park's bear expert. We'll provide all equipment necessary for a bear hang.
It's extremely important that no food is left unattended at the campsite (we've had meals stolen by raccoons before!) and at night, we'll take everything smelly out of bags and hang them in a tree, safe from wildlife.
The Anishinaabe and Algonquin Peoples originally lived here and maintain a presence around the area to this day.
Anishinaabe: This group includes the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi nations. The Anishinaabe people have historically inhabited the Great Lakes region, including areas that are now parts of Ontario and Quebec. Their traditional territory includes parts of what is now the Algonquin Highlands.
Algonquin: The Algonquin people are closely related to the Anishinaabe and are considered part of the larger Algonquian language family. The Algonquin nation traditionally occupied a large area of eastern Ontario and western Quebec, encompassing the Ottawa River watershed and parts of the Canadian Shield, including the Algonquin Highlands.
