If you go to the same destination more than once at the exact same time of year, call it an annual event.

Annual July long weekend back country camping trip.

One slight difference, the trek would be completed by canoe not foot.  For those of you who have completed a backcountry trip by foot, you know canoe trips feel like a walk in the park.

For the first few canoe trips, relax and stay on one campsite for at least two days.

Canoe Lake is a popular access point.  It is less intimidating than Opeongo Lake access.

Canoe Lake

The first day paddle.

There is a short 295m portage between Canoe Lake and Joe Lake, this gives you access to a wealth of back country campsites on beautiful lakes.  While paddling along Joe Lake we came around a bend to find a moose!  How amazing to see a moose in the wild.

Moose in Joe Lake

Through a few more portages and finally our destination – Burnt Island Lake.  There were a few other canoes coming out of the portage at the same time.  In this situation, be sure to get ahead of the others to get a good camp site. TIP: Carry binoculars.  With binoculars you don’t have to canoe right up to the site to see if it is occupied.  Once you spot an empty campsite, paddle at the speed of light.  If you paddle slow someone else may get there first.

Try to get the site that faces the sunset (sunlight lasts longer into the night).  This site faced between east and west.

A view of Burnt Island Lake.

A beautiful butterfly visitor to the camp site.

The sunset from the camp site.

A loon gliding through the lake.

Take a late night canoe ride to watch the sun disappear behind the forest.  I’m sure everyone who has been back country camping can appreciate the sunsets in Algonquin Park.  It’s a beautiful national park.  We come here to relax and rejuvenate from city life.  Perhaps you will make a trip out here one day.

A last paddle to enjoy the final sunset of our trip.