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Trip Overview

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.

Adventure Details

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:

  • Figuring out campsite layout
  • Locating and preparing firewood
  • Setting up tents
  • Finding a suitable location for a bear hang
  • Choosing a cooking area
  • Setting up tarps etc.

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.

Itinerary

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

N.B. We can't wait for latecomers and we'll be leaving dead on 08:00. Don't get left behind!

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

Custom Map Download

Download Map

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.

Weather Forecast

Perfect weather!

Loading weather...

What to Bring

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:

  • Hiking boots
  • Hiking poles
  • Optional light shoes/sandals to wear around camp
  • 2 pairs of Socks
  • Pants
  • Underwear
  • Long underwear (in case of cooler weather)
  • Shirt/T-shirt
  • Sweatshirt
  • Toque and gloves for the night
  • Rain gear
  • Hat
  • Camp towel
  • Bug net
  • Bathing suit

Gear:

  • Head lamp
  • Compass (optional)
  • Whistle
  • Battery pack for phone
  • Water filter (optional)

Camping Gear/Sleep system

We'll be providing tents for everybody but you will need to bring the following:

  • Camp pillow (blow up or just stuff some clothes into a bag)

Personal Stuff:

  • Water bottle/bladder
  • Pillow - ideally blow up. Or use spare clothes!
  • Sunscreen
  • Bugspray
  • Shampoo, soap, hairbrush/comb (optional - I don't bother washing backcountry for short trips)
  • Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss
  • Hand sanitizer, wipes
  • Period products
  • Prescriptions, enough for the entire trip
  • Antihistamine if you have allergies
  • EpiPen if required
  • Sunglasses
  • Toilet paper
  • Light campchair - optional
  • Snacks

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!

Food

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!

Rented Gear Info

We'll provide the following:

  • Tents
  • Additional gear for those who requested it
  • All necessary cooking and eating equipment
  • Equipment for bear hang
  • Water purification method

Additional Fees/Reservations

No additional reservations required

Dangers and Mitigation

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.

Shared Photo Album

Click on the button to share your photos from the trip and see what others have captured. Please note, we may use your photos on our Instagram. If you'd rather we didn't - let us know in the Discord.
Google Photo Album

Guest Waiver

Those bringing guests will need them to complete this waiver in advance.

Indigenous History of the Area

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.

Trip Overview

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.

Adventure Details

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:

  • Figuring out campsite layout
  • Locating and preparing firewood
  • Setting up tents
  • Finding a suitable location for a bear hang
  • Choosing a cooking area
  • Setting up tarps etc.

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.

Itinerary

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

N.B. We can't wait for latecomers and we'll be leaving dead on 08:00. Don't get left behind!

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

Custom Map Download

Download Map

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.

Weather Forecast

Perfect weather!

What to Bring

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:

  • Hiking boots
  • Hiking poles
  • Optional light shoes/sandals to wear around camp
  • 2 pairs of Socks
  • Pants
  • Underwear
  • Long underwear (in case of cooler weather)
  • Shirt/T-shirt
  • Sweatshirt
  • Toque and gloves for the night
  • Rain gear
  • Hat
  • Camp towel
  • Bug net
  • Bathing suit

Gear:

  • Head lamp
  • Compass (optional)
  • Whistle
  • Battery pack for phone
  • Water filter (optional)

Camping Gear/Sleep system

We'll be providing tents for everybody but you will need to bring the following:

  • Camp pillow (blow up or just stuff some clothes into a bag)

Personal Stuff:

  • Water bottle/bladder
  • Pillow - ideally blow up. Or use spare clothes!
  • Sunscreen
  • Bugspray
  • Shampoo, soap, hairbrush/comb (optional - I don't bother washing backcountry for short trips)
  • Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss
  • Hand sanitizer, wipes
  • Period products
  • Prescriptions, enough for the entire trip
  • Antihistamine if you have allergies
  • EpiPen if required
  • Sunglasses
  • Toilet paper
  • Light campchair - optional
  • Snacks

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!

Food

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!

Rented Gear Info

We'll provide the following:

  • Tents
  • Additional gear for those who requested it
  • All necessary cooking and eating equipment
  • Equipment for bear hang
  • Water purification method

Additional Fees/Reservations

No additional reservations required

Dangers and Mitigation

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.

Shared Photo Album

Click on the button to share your photos from the trip and see what others have captured. Please note, we may use your photos on our Instagram. If you'd rather we didn't - let us know in the Discord.
Google Photo Album

Guest Waiver

Those bringing guests will need them to complete this waiver in advance.

Indigenous History of the Area

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.