Algonquin National Park, located in Canada’s Ontario province, is the ideal place for a weekend of nature and adventure. Indeed, at 7,630 km2, it’s one of Canada’s largest parks. Moreover, it takes “only” 4 hours to get there from Toronto. And to top it all off, with autumn just around the corner, we thought it would be a good opportunity to see the fall colors. So, naturally, we decided to spend a 3-day weekend there. I’ll tell you all about it in detail in this article.

Day 1: Arrival at Algonquin National Park, Ontario

September 22, 2022 | Temperature: 4/14°C | Weather: Cloudy, light rain

Departure from Toronto

We start our trip in our rental car. Direction Algonquin Provincial Park! After a 4-hour drive from Toronto, we’re on Route 60, which crosses the park and offers numerous hiking trails. You won’t have to pay anything if you just want to drive through the park. However, if you’re going to stop for a hike, you’ll have to pay C$21 per vehicle. This pass is valid all day. You can buy this day pass 5 days in advance online or by phone. Alternatively, at the park entrance, there’s an entry point where you can stop to buy the pass and get a map. Note that this pass is linked to your vehicle’s license plate.

We were expecting a toll booth, but in the end, it’s more like a rest area. Basically, if you don’t stop there, you can still drive on. So we missed it and had to turn back.

Whiskey Rapids and Track and Tower Trail

With our precious sesame in hand, we head off for our first hike: Whiskey Rapids Trail (2.1 km – 66 m elevation gain). This easy hike takes you along rapids on a forest trail. Then, after a quick bite to eat in our car, we head for the Track and Tower Trail hike (8 km – 273 m ascent). This hike, which is rather moderate in terms of difficulty, takes around 2h30. As with the previous hike, most of the trail passes through forest, so you’re covered the whole way. The view of Cache Lake is well worth the detour.

Evening in Barry’s Bay

As evening approached (fatigue began to set in tbh), we headed for our Airbnb. We chose to stay in an Airbnb instead of camping because, firstly, we weren’t sure about the weather conditions (aka, are we going to freeze?) and, more importantly, because we didn’t have any camping gear.

Our Airbnb is in Barry’s Bay. It is, to date, one of the warmest Airbnbs we’ve done. Indeed, it really feels like home. It’s a little cottage in the back of a barbershop. After slipping on our slippers (yes, there are slippers), we explore the house and discover that everything, really everything, is provided. There’s even everything you need for breakfast!

With the Metro supermarket just across the street, we do a bit of shopping and decide to eat at the Airbnb in the evening. There are very few restaurants in this small town, and most of them close at 6 pm. And, let’s face it, we feel like chilling in front of Netflix while eating pizza. And so, on this relaxing note, we end our first day in Algonquin Provincial Park.

Day 2: Hiking Day in Algonquin National Park

September 23 | Temperature: 8/14°C | Weather: Sunny

Algonquin Provincial Park is renowned for its many hiking trails. With 140 kilometers of hiking trails, there’s never a dull moment! So it’s only natural that this day should be devoted to hiking.

Beaver Pond Trail

After a queenly breakfast, it’s off to the Beaver Pond Trail (1.9 km – 76 m elevation gain). From Barry’s Bay, the park’s eastern entrance is 55 km away. Beaver Pond Trail offers excellent views of two beaver ponds. We had hoped to see some beavers, but in the end saw none. It took us about 30-35 minutes to complete this loop, which I would classify as easy.

Centennial Ridges Trail

We now head for the Centennial Ridges Trail (12.2 km – 438 m elevation gain). My favorite hike in Algonquin Provincial Park! I’d describe it as a moderate hike since it’s quite steep, but if you’re in good physical condition, it’s totally within your reach. And really, the views of Algonquin Provincial Park are totally worth the detour! Stopping for a quick bite to eat, it took us around 3.5 hours to finish this 12-kilometre loop.

Algonquin Lookout Trail

To round off the day, we decided to do the Algonquin Lookout Trail (2.1 km – 71 m elevation gain). Faster than the Centennial Lookout Trail, this hike offers breathtaking views of Algonquin Provincial Park. Nevertheless, expect to climb! In fact, almost all the way to the lookout is a continuous climb. The advantage is that the descent is much more enjoyable.

Back to Barry’s Bay

And so, on this last hike, we take the car back to Barry’s Bay. About 5 minutes after we got home, Rangarune, our Airbnb host, knocked on our door, bringing us lots of cakes (which were really toooo good). We chat for a few minutes, and once we’ve left, we say to ourselves that this really is the best Airbnb we’ve done so far!

It’s on this very friendly note that we end our last evening in Algonquin National Park, Ontario.

Day 3: Back to Toronto

September 24 | Temperature: 12/17°C | Weather: Sunny

As we have to return our rental car in the early afternoon, this morning/day is devoted to driving from Barry’s Bay to Toronto. Before setting off, we take a quick tour of Barry’s Bay. It’s a charming village on the shores of Lake Kamaniskeg.

We bid farewell to our Airbnb and hit the road again to return to the hustle and bustle of Toronto.

What we spend during our 3-day weekend in Algonquin National Park, Ontario

Algonquin National Park in Ontario is the ideal destination for a weekend of relaxation and adventure in the great outdoors. We’ve focused solely on hiking, but there are plenty of other activities available, such as canoeing and kayaking. My advice: don’t forget your hiking boots and enjoy!

La Bise,