August is such a beautiful month to explore in Ontario. The black flies and mosquitoes are not quite as bad as the early summer. Wild flowers adorn the road sides and sweeten the air and hundreds of bird species take flight.

It’s been 11 years since I have canoed in Ontario. My last trip was in 2015 to Killarney Provincial Park. I recently returned, years later and with 3 children in tow. They have been eager to dip their paddles in Canadian waters. A summer trip to Kingston and Gananoque, Ontario brought us to the front doorsteps of Frontenac Provincial Park. Located just 40 minutes away from Kingston, Ontario, this beautiful 5,350 ha (13,200-acre) provincial park is perfect place to escape the city life.

Frontenac is quieter than your most well known provincial parks (Algonquin and Killarney) and I appreciated it for this reason. We were outfitted by Frontenac Outfitters Canoe and Kayak Centre, located just 10 minutes before the park. Their team was very helpful and brought our canoes to the put in at South Otter Lake boat launch off of Salmon Lake Road.

The conditions were perfect. A sunny day with minimal wind. The clean and cool waters were exhilirating to the children. They remarked at the clarity of the lake and the visibility. Lily pads filled sections of the lake and they loved to run their fingers under the slippery undersides of the lily pads. We paddled into the welcome center to check in and explore their exhibits. These were very well done.

We took on the short Arab Gorge Hiking Trail (0.8miles) which toook us through valley-bottom marshes, granite rock faces adn wooden boardwalk areas through the low gorge. The highlight of this trail was finally finding some silver birch bark for the children.

After eating some lunch under the canopy of large jack pines, we launched the canoes again to explore more of South Otter Lake. The park was vacant that day apart from some canoe campers and swimmers. We stopped to chat with a nice couple in their mid to late 70s. They both appeared strong and filled with vigor as they loaded up their canoes with traditional canoe packs, and gear. They were heading out for a 5 night trip. This was a team that knew what they were doing. I asked them how long they have been canoe camping, to which the man grinned “ever since we started dating in our 20s”. He remarked that as the decades have passed, he had to make some modifications to this canoe setup, swapping out his old canoe for a new kevlar light weight canoe to portage. We wished them luck on their trip and good weather.

Spending time in Frontenac Provincial Park made me remember just how much Canadians appreciate and love their outdoor environment. May we continue to conserve and protect the lands and waterways for future generations.

Thank you to all the staff at Frontenac Provincial Park.