I don't think I am alone in our yearly tradition to visit Algonquin Provincial Park to see fall colors. This year, we decided to make it into a backpacking trip, since we hadn't backpacked in far too long! We picked the Western Uplands trail, at km 3 near the west gate.
We got an early start on the day, an ambitiously planned a 15km hike in to our campsite at Norah Lake. We read reviews, and were prepared for a difficult hike ahead, but I'm telling you, we were still surprised by the number of hills! I wouldn't recommend doing even the shorter 32km loop in just two days. I would have preferred at least three because the difficulty of the eastern portion. We survived it, though. The colors weren't quite on peak, but the forest was nice and cool to walk in. Also, note that you should not get your hopes up once you get close to the campsite, because despite being only 500m away, it is nestled atop a huge hill- plan to walk up it in the daylight! We packed in fishing poles, hoping to get to the site early and perhaps catch a fish or two, but the lake was at high elevation, and dead. Beautiful views, though, quiet and serene. It was quite cold, so we gathered up some wood, started a fire, and set up camp. Both dogs were ready for bed when we arrived at 4pm, and went immediately to the tent. We turned in early as well, after a nice hot meal (pad thai for me). I should also mention how much moose and bear sign there was. I'm sure they were everywhere! Unfortunately, noisy dogs with us likely spooked any away if they were nearby. Other hikers we met had seen moose and even a wolf!
We woke up cold, stiff, and hungry. We ate a big breakfast (egg scramble and granola) in preparation for an even longer- 17km- hike out. Anticipating just as many hills on the way out, we were pleasantly surprised by the western portion of the trail. It was much more scenic, with many lake views, and have far fewer hills. We made it out just in time to avoid the rain, though it sprinkled on us throughout the day.
This was my first backpacking trip in Algonquin, and I have to say, trail-wise I prefer Frontenac Provincial Park. However, the privacy and remoteness of the campsites at Algonquin have Frontenac beat by far.
We got an early start on the day, an ambitiously planned a 15km hike in to our campsite at Norah Lake. We read reviews, and were prepared for a difficult hike ahead, but I'm telling you, we were still surprised by the number of hills! I wouldn't recommend doing even the shorter 32km loop in just two days. I would have preferred at least three because the difficulty of the eastern portion. We survived it, though. The colors weren't quite on peak, but the forest was nice and cool to walk in. Also, note that you should not get your hopes up once you get close to the campsite, because despite being only 500m away, it is nestled atop a huge hill- plan to walk up it in the daylight! We packed in fishing poles, hoping to get to the site early and perhaps catch a fish or two, but the lake was at high elevation, and dead. Beautiful views, though, quiet and serene. It was quite cold, so we gathered up some wood, started a fire, and set up camp. Both dogs were ready for bed when we arrived at 4pm, and went immediately to the tent. We turned in early as well, after a nice hot meal (pad thai for me). I should also mention how much moose and bear sign there was. I'm sure they were everywhere! Unfortunately, noisy dogs with us likely spooked any away if they were nearby. Other hikers we met had seen moose and even a wolf!
We woke up cold, stiff, and hungry. We ate a big breakfast (egg scramble and granola) in preparation for an even longer- 17km- hike out. Anticipating just as many hills on the way out, we were pleasantly surprised by the western portion of the trail. It was much more scenic, with many lake views, and have far fewer hills. We made it out just in time to avoid the rain, though it sprinkled on us throughout the day.
This was my first backpacking trip in Algonquin, and I have to say, trail-wise I prefer Frontenac Provincial Park. However, the privacy and remoteness of the campsites at Algonquin have Frontenac beat by far.