Discover Algonquin Park: Wildlife, Nature, and Adventure

Where:

Located in south central Ontario, 250 KM (155 miles) north of Toronto and 260 KM (160 miles) west of Ottawa Algonquin Park was established in 1893.  Archeological findings tell us that the Algonquin area was home to First Nations peoples for over 8,000 years and long before the arrival of Europeans in the 1500’s. The Algonquin First Nation was part of the Algonquian peoples who inhabited most of the area south of Hudson’s Bay from the Rockies to the Atlantic Ocean.  

Algonquin Park was established to protect wildlife and the important headwaters of 5 major rivers which flow out from the park. Pioneer era loggers had been logging this land long before the park was officially formed.  They came for the towering white pines that were shipped to Great Britain to fuel the growing economy. In protecting this area from human habitation, the founding commissioners also sought to protect the primeval forest, resident birds and animals; provide a place for a “health resort”, conduct forestry experiments and have a positive impact on climate.

Algonquin is not the largest of Ontario’s provincial parks (Polar Bear and Wabakimi are larger) but it certainly is the largest in southwestern Ontario.  Algonquin is classified as a Natural Environment Park with opportunities for camping, hiking, canoeing and more in developed camping areas as well as backcountry. See quick facts below for more information. 

Why visit:

Edward O Wilson is a Harvard University biologist, naturalist and entomologist. He has theorized that because we have spent most of our evolutionary history (three million years and 100,000 generations) in nature before we starting building cities full of concrete, that we have an innate love of natural settings. For the majority of our evolutionary history we have relied on nature for all the things we need to survive.

As the world discovered during the pandemic, getting out doors in the fresh air and feeling grass under our feet or walking under a canopy of trees is remarkably healing and restorative.  Experiencing remote areas also gives us the opportunity to appreciate this land closely to how it has looked for thousands of years and where wildlife has made its home through the centuries. 

I’ve chosen to spend time in Algonquin because of the diversity and volume of wildlife within the park and that it is a reasonable commute from my home in Toronto.  By visiting at different times of the year I am trying to learn the rhythm of the park and its inhabitants to help me be more effective as a photographer. 

How to experience the park:

With a number of additions over the years, Algonquin Park is currently (2024)  7,725 square kilometres (over 1.89 M acres) of land and water, with water making up 12 % of the total area. It was the 12 % water and the potential to see wildlife that first drew me to Algonquin Park in July 2019. To visit lakes and rivers that were only accessible by canoe was something I had wanted to do for a long time and hadn’t found the right opportunity. I am not an experienced camper and needed the support and guidance of experts to help me learn and stay safe.

After some research, I found Voyageur Quest https://voyageurquest.com/algonquin-park-canoe-trip-adventures/ and chose their 5-day guided canoe camping trip across the north-west corner of the park from Kawaywaymog to Kiosk Lake via North Tea and Manitou.  It was everything I was looking for – a great learning opportunity, fun and relaxing.  Our guide was knowledgable, a good instructor and excellent camp cook.  This trip opened my eyes to the benefits of being at water level for photographing wild life.

Since that first visit, I have taken a number of workshops and guided hikes which are another great way to help find wildlife but more importantly learn about the wildlife you are trying to photograph.  Working with a knowledgable guide allows you to benefit from their experience and knowledge.  They are working professionals who have put in the hours to learn the park, how to guide and how to manage groups with the goal of having everyone having a safe and enjoyable time while capturing the best possible images.  See links below with information on guides I have traveled with.

Safety and Ethics:

This is a good place to add in a reminder about safety and ethics in photography.  Driving the main highway or access roads at dawn and into dusk can be a good way to find wildlife as these are the times of day that many species are most active.  Be sure you pull all the way over and out of the live traffic lane if you are stopping.  If there is an animal off the side of the road, don’t stop right beside it. Respect their space. Pull over a good distance away, quietly close your car door and walk back to observe.  This will increase your chance that the animal might stay in the vicinity and allow you to watch them for a longer period of time. Be considerate of others who may also want to be able to watch or capture a photograph. 

While you are watching the animal, pay attention to signs of stress – flicking their ears, swiveling their heads, pacing etc.  This may mean you are too close or there are too many people in their space.  Stressing an animal could result in them bolting into traffic or potentially through a line of people if they feel pressured and do not have an alternate, safe escape route. Do not be the reason why an animal or a person is injured. Life is tough enough for wildlife in so many areas of the country, we need to do our part to observe and enjoy while giving them space to live.

I admit to having been quite naïve when it came to the topic of feeding and baiting wildlife.  Who knew that people will wire a dead mouse to a fence post to try to get that perfect shot of an owl feeding?  It’s a topic that generates strong emotions and reasonable questions. How does feeding chickadees from your hand differ from dabbing peanut butter on the side of a tree for squirrels or pine martens?  I enjoy doing the former and would never consider the latter.

I remember watching chipmunks running up and down a tree trunk on a cold snowy day in January.  They kept coming back to the same spot – interesting.  So I took a look and found peanut butter smeared strategically up the trunk of a lovely birch tree.  I won’t use the images I took as cute as they are because it isn’t a true representation of chipmunk activity in the winter.  Perhaps if you called the image “Chipmunks in the Peanut Butter” your customers would know the origin of the shot?

Whether you are a professional trying to get the shot the client is looking for or an amateur trying to capture an interesting behavior, baiting wildlife can result in unintended consequences which are detrimental to the very wildlife you are (hopefully) appreciating.  Whether that is upsetting their natural diet all the way to the risk of habituating animals that ultimately can also result in their injury or death – its not humane or appropriate.  The Canadian Conservation Photographers Collective (https://www.theccpc.ca/code-of-ethics) and the North American Nature Photography Association (https://nanpa.org/why-nanpa/ethics/) have excellent resources to help you make an informed decision about your photography practices.

Closing:

At a time when doctors are now prescribing spending time outdoors as a way to improve physical and mental health, access to wild spaces has never been more important. 

While Ontario has over 340 provincial parks and 296 conservation reserves with an additional 48 national parks managed by Parks Canada, there is something special about Algonquin with its history, size and location. Whether it is Algonquin or any of the hundreds of other parks, we need to continue to advocate for these spaces so that they can continue protect the waterways, land and wildlife that call them home. 

Quick Facts:

• Links and Resources:
• Algonquin Park Visitor Information: https://algonquinpark.com/

• Wildlife Photography workshops:
• Helen E Grose https://www.helengrose.ca/
• Michael Bertelson https://www.wildoutdoors.ca/

• Places I’ve stayed close to the park (if you aren’t the camping type):
• Blue Spruce Resort https://bluespruce.ca/
• Algonquin East Gate Motel https://algonquinpark.com/east-gate-motel/