Lake names are important. The minute you see that name on the map you start to form a mental picture of the lake, whether you mean to or not. Sometimes, that mental picture is mundane or exceedingly accurate (or both! Hi Wet Lake!). Sometimes that mental picture is nowhere near reality (There are like zero big cats on Panther Lake. Not even an overfed housecat).  Sometimes that mental picture might put you off visiting a spot you absolutely should be visiting (Clamshell is about as uninteresting a name as I can think of, which is too bad because it’s attached to a very interesting lake ..read more

All of Algonquin Trip Reports, Campsite Reviews & More All of Algonquin Trip Reports, Campsites & More The Thunderbox Volume 2: Issue 9 - November 2023 Welcome to the November 2023 issue of The Thunderbox. The Thunderbox is a monthly roundup of anything Algonquin related that’s caught my eye. This month includes a spotlight on Baby Joe Lake , a review of my newest (and most spacious) two person tent, some new for 2023 campsite reviews and one of the most nonsensical articles on Algonquin Park I’ve come across. A quick note for anyone receiving this through an email subscript ..read more

My oldest daughter loves to trip. Loves it. The Sunbeam Circuit – Map Courtesy of Unlostify Maps I’ll tell you a story. This summer she did two weeks at Camp Wapomeo, a girls’ camp located on the sunny shores of Canoe Lake. As part of her session, she went out on a four-day canoe trip. Her cabin’s route was the Sunbeam Circuit. First night Burnt Island, second night Sunbeam, third night Tom Thompson. It’s a great route. Burnt, Sunbeam and Tom are all nice lakes and you get a little bit of everything the Park has to offer along the way (including a visit to the soul sucking quagmire that is ..read more

All of Algonquin Trip Reports, Campsite Reviews & More All of Algonquin Trip Reports, Campsites & More The Thunderbox Volume 2: Issue 8 - October 2023 Welcome to the October 2023 issue of The Thunderbox. The Thunderbox is a monthly roundup of anything Algonquin related that’s caught my eye. This month includes a spotlight on Clamshell Lake, a review of Columbia’s Facet 25 Alpha OutDry Hiking Shoe, and some news and updates. A quick note for anyone receiving this through an email subscription. First of all, thank you for subscribing! Secondly, this post looks better when view ..read more

For the past few years my wife’s extended family has been getting together for a weekend of base camping somewhere in the Park. The tradition started back in 2020 on Burnt Island, right after some of the COVID restrictions on gatherings were relaxed, and it was a nice way to see everyone again after a fairly unusual (and unpleasant) few months. In 2021 we took our talents to Tom Thomson Lake, where we mixed it up with the local turtle landlord and found a great little set of jumping cliffs just behind our campsite.  Last year we colonized Opeongo’s North Arm, making liberal use of Algo ..read more

All of Algonquin Trip Reports, Campsite Reviews & More All of Algonquin Trip Reports, Campsites & More The Thunderbox Volume 2: Issue 7 - August 2023 Welcome to the August 2023 issue of The Thunderbox. The Thunderbox is a monthly roundup of anything Algonquin related that’s caught my eye. This month includes a spotlight on Little Doe Lake, campsite reviews,  a trip down memory lane and more (the gear review is MIA this month, but will be back with a vengeance in September!). A quick note for anyone receiving this through an email subscription. First of all, thank you fo ..read more

All of Algonquin Trip Reports, Campsite Reviews & More All of Algonquin Trip Reports, Campsites & More The Thunderbox Volume 2: Issue 6 - July 2023 Welcome to the July 2023 issue of The Thunderbox. The Thunderbox is a monthly roundup of anything Algonquin related that’s caught my eye. This month includes a spotlight on Booth Lake, a mixed review of my sleeping pad and my first campsite reviews of the 2023 season (and other stuff too!). A quick note for anyone receiving this through an email subscription. First of all, thank you for subscribing! Secondly, this post looks bett ..read more

Map Courtesy of Jeff’s Maps There’s a string on lakes in north Algonquin that I’ve been looking at for a long time. On the map, they’re about a day’s travel south of Kiosk (access #29). This string includes Nadine Lake, Osler Lake and, because Nadine and Osler were the only names to come out of the Algonquin Park Lake Naming Hat of Mystery that day, Little Nadine and Little Osler (but also Skuce!). Just to the west of that string is a second series of small to mid-sized lakes that cuts away to the southwest. This is a low maintenance route that includes lakes like Birchcliffe, Lawren Harris ..read more

All of Algonquin Trip Reports, Campsite Reviews & More All of Algonquin Trip Reports, Campsites & More The Thunderbox Volume 2: Issue 4 - May 2023 Welcome to the May 2023 issue of The Thunderbox. The Thunderbox is a monthly roundup of anything Algonquin related that’s caught my eye. This month includes a spotlight on Tonakela Lake, wilderness first aid, a new but old outfitting option in the Park and more. A quick note for anyone receiving this through an email subscription. First of all, thank you for subscribing! Secondly, this post looks better when viewed through the web ..read more

All of Algonquin Trip Reports, Campsite Reviews & More All of Algonquin Trip Reports, Campsites & More The Thunderbox Volume 2: Issue 2 - March 2023 Welcome to the March 2023 issue of The Thunderbox (a few days late this month, but that’s February’s fault. 28 days just isn’t enough time to adequately fill up this Thunderbox (eww)). The Thunderbox is a monthly roundup of anything Algonquin related that’s caught my eye. This month’s issue includes a spotlight on a lake that maybe shouldn’t be its own lake, paddles I’ve loved and lost, campsite reviews and more. A quick note fo ..read more