Algonquin Provincial Park (Pog Lake CG) - Wildlife, Canoeing, Cycling, Hiking, Museums & More!

Algonquin Provincial Park is one of Ontario's best parks. From wildlife viewing to canoeing, kayaking, cycling, hiking, camping and museums, it’s a must-visit destination in the Ontario Parks system. In this episode we review Pog Lake Campground, including the RV sanitation station and drinking water availability. We also visit the Visitor Centre, the Logging Museum, and the park camp stores, and look at some of the canoeing, biking, and hiking opportunities in Algonquin. Things to do: Canoeing. With thousands of lakes and rivers, Algonquin offers incredible opportunities for canoe and kayak trips. If you don’t have your own canoe, kayak or paddleboard, several outfitter companies serve the park. You can rent online or by phone and have a canoe delivered to your campground, or speak with the staff when they make their deliveries and pickups. Cycling. Algonquin has three bike trails, including the Old Railway Trail, which is accessible from a number of campgrounds including Pog Lake. For most of its 16-kilometre distance the trail follows the abandoned bed of the historic Ottawa, Arnprior and Parry Sound Railway that opened in 1896 and was decommissioned in 1959. This bike trail is rated easy and is family-friendly, while Algonquin’s other two trails are better suited to experienced mountain bikers. If you didn’t bring your own bike, rentals are available at the kiosk next to the Lake of Two Rivers Camp Store. Visitor Centre. Algonquin has a fascinating Visitor Centre — it’s actually more like a museum. From the park’s history to its wildlife and ecosystems, the displays and information are excellent. There’s also an observation deck and a bookstore/gift shop. This is the best provincial park visitor centre we’ve visited. Logging Museum. Algonquin also has a second museum that is worth visiting — or hiking — the Algonquin Logging Museum. The exhibits bring to life the story of logging from the early square timber days to modern forestry management, including logging that still takes place in parts of the park today. The exhibits are laid out along a scenic and easy 1.5-km trail that demonstrates the techniques, tools and conditions loggers have faced over the past 150 years. In addition to canoeing, Algonquin is famous for hiking on its 20 marked trails. Some have rugged terrain through hardwood forests, while others follow a tranquil boardwalk through a spruce bog. Wildlife: Visitors to Algonquin are often hoping to see wildlife. Moose are plentiful, and on this trip we returned to the area where we saw black bears on our drive in and found a female with two cubs flipping rocks and digging for lunch. Campgrounds: Pog Lake Campground. Divided into three sub-campgrounds, Section A — where we camped — has a pretty beach. It can get quite busy and noisy in July and August. Most sites in this section have electricity, and a few sit high with a nice view of the lake through the trees. Section A also includes a small radio-free and pet-free area. Section B has both electric and non-electric sites. Some of the non-electric sites in particular have beautiful lake views, although a few may be difficult to maneuver a large RV into. Section C is entirely non-electric camping. While many sites are large and some are on the water, the roads are narrow, so this section may be better suited to tents or small van and truck campers. If you arrive in Algonquin and discover you’ve forgotten something, the park has a well-stocked camp store near Lake of Two Rivers that includes a small restaurant. There are also two outfitter stores with camping and paddling equipment in the park: the Opeongo Store and the Canoe Lake Store (Portage Store). The Canoe Lake Store had some beautifully painted canoes on display. Algonquin has a lot to offer and is well worth planning a multi-day stay. Whether you come for the hiking, paddling, wildlife, or quiet wilderness, it’s one of the highlights of the Ontario Parks system. #AlgonquinProvincialPark #AlgonquinPark #OntarioParks #OntarioCamping #Canoeing #CampingLife #HikingOntario #WildlifeWatching