Algonquin Provincial Park canoe routes

Algonquin Provincial Park, established in 1893, sits a few hours' drive north of Toronto where the St. Lawrence Lowlands give way to the Canadian Shield. Explore Magazine counts more than 2,000 kilometres of canoe routes across the park, with well-marked portages and designated canoe campsites that have fire pits and outhouses.

Destination Ontario describes a five-day loop from Canoe Lake to Big Trout Lake in Tom Thomson country, a shorter option for less experienced paddlers and a whitewater trip on the Petawawa River, and suggests spring and fall for more solitude. Outfitters in and around the park rent gear and sell route maps, two of them inside the park at Canoe Lake and Lake Opeongo. Backcountry campsites are reserved through Ontario Parks.