This Stunning Region in Ontario Offers Adventures for Everyone
There’s a very good reason why five members of the Group of Seven loved spending time painting in the Algoma region of Ontario.
It’s a beautiful area, and that beauty really intensifies when the colours explode into fall foliage… although it’s a gorgeous place to paddle, hike, camp or explore in any season.
Canoe, Kayak or SUP
If you’re a paddler, you’re really in luck since you can paddle inland lakes, rivers or even the big waters of Lake Superior. The lakes provide opportunities for canoeing, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding. Single-day trips and multi-day trips are available.
The Michipicoten River makes an awesome day trip. Naturally Superior Adventures’ knowledgeable guides provide insights into the river’s history. It’s an excellent river for spotting wildlife like moose and black bears and birds like eagles, mergansers and loons. While paddling it, I was lucky enough to have an eagle pose for me on a treetop as our canoe slid underneath it down the river.
Naturally Superior also offers SUP adventures and kayaking excursions along the shores of Lake Superior, just north of the provincial park boundary. Visitors can camp there or stay at Rock Island Lodge.
Sandy Bay, just a short paddle from the lodge, was a favourite painting spot for Group of Seven artist A.Y. Jackson. There’s even an interpretive sign set up on the beach he used to paint from.
Many other kayak trips show off the beauty of Gitche Gumee.
Extended voyageur canoe tours are also available through Naturally Superior. I enjoyed a shorter half-day voyageur trip from the locks at Sault Ste. Marie to the Bushplane Heritage Centre with the Lake Superior Watershed Conservancy.
NSA and MHO Adventures also provide wilderness training courses. MHO offers a variety of multi-day trips, including short four-day excursions like the Spanish River trip. There are countless options for just about any type of trip or level of paddler.
Hiking and Backpacking Trails
If you prefer travelling on foot, there are numerous hiking and backpacking trails throughout Algoma.
The 600-kilometre Voyageur Trail can be hiked in bite-sized segments. The longest continuous segment stretches for 300 kilometre from Sault Ste. Marie to Elliot Lake, but you can choose to explore it along many different places in Algoma.
The Chapleau Crown Game Preserve spans more than 800,000 hectares, and is a wildlife lover’s dream. Bears, beavers, moose, bald eagles, loons, sandhill cranes, and several owl species may be seen along its numerous trails.
The 63- kilometre Coastal Trail traces the shore of Lake Superior, providing scenic cliffs, beaches and forest. It’s another wonderful place to spot bald eagles. Be sure to allow between five and seven days to complete this rugged path.
At the other end of the spectrum, there are many easy guided short hikes, like the one along Lake Superior to learn more about A.Y. Jackson.
Camping, Glamping and Cabins
Lake Superior Provincial Park is one of nine provincial parks in Algoma. These exquisite nature escapes have a range of amenities, from campsites with electrical hook-ups for RVs like Pancake Bay to wilderness parks like Mississagi River, with no facilities (but great canoeing). You can also find many private campgrounds.
Glamping is an option at Pukaskwa National Park (another great place for paddling and backpacking), which offers oTENTiks. Other campgrounds offer yurts, geodomes and bunkies (compact cabins) for rent.
There are numerous lodges throughout the area, some accessible by car, others only by flying in. They offer everything from cottages to luxurious lodges with a variety of packages including, but not limited to, fishing packages, romance getaways, healing retreats and stays in historical facilities like lighthouses or converted train cabooses.
What are you waiting for? Plan your epic Algoma adventure today.
This article was sponsored by Algoma Country
This region is located in Ontario, Canada and is a place to be experienced. Algoma borders two of the Great Lakes: Superior and Huron with shorelines being the most southerly borders. It is a landscape rich in old-growth forests and countless rivers, lakes and streams.
