Zoe and I went camping in Algonquin Park in July 2025
There is no real trip log here as i didn't record our camping trip. I will state what the trip consisted of as best as i can recall. Left home on the 11th of July early departing ottawa to Achray in Algonquin Park. We stopped in arnprior for breakfast at McDonalds
Arrived at Algonquin Bound outfitters where we signed our paper work for the rented canoe and picked up 2 paddles, PFDs and an emergency boat kit and bought a map of the barron canoe route. Next we stopped at the park gate office to register and get our vehicle pass. We got to Achray, located our canoe. We visited the park store and then we set off after loading our boat.
Crossing Grand Lake to reach the portage into Stratton lake was uneventful as i recall. The water was calm. Zoe was a real trooper and helped out with the short 100m portage. The trail was busy with other canoe trippers. I hadn't planned on any site in particular for Stratton lake but i wanted to set up closer to High Falls for the next day as Zoe and I wanted to paddle out to it and visit it.
Zoe and I mostly hugged the north shore to check out campsites as we transversed Stratton. Some of the sites looked quite nice but the landing areas were pretty rocky and i didn't want the hassle of unloading while making sure the boat stayed upright. I knew there was a site on the peninsula that leads into the arm of Stratton lake that goes to High Falls, but this was already taken. So we grabbed the next available site right after it. The site had a decent landing area with a small beach, but not a lot of breeze as it was on the eastern slope of a hill. We set up camp and zoe helped with the tent. The thunderbox was located about 50 feet away from the site. Zoe approved, kind of.
