# Killarney and Georgian Bay - Ontario (my slice of heaven)



## algonquin (Sep 24, 2004)

Here are some photos of a favourite canoeing spot of mine: Killarney Provincial Park. The pictures you see below are of two different trips highlighting two distinctive areas of the park; it's interior and the northern coast of Georgian Bay.

A backgrounder: Georgian Bay is a large body of water that is part of Lake Huron, the second largest of the Great Lakes. Georgian Bay itself is so large that no one really thinks of it as a bay, but rather a whole different lake (similar in size to Lake Ontario). The rocky shore's of Georgian Bay make it entirely unique to the rest of the Great Lakes, and in my opinion elevate it above the rest in terms of natural beauty. The bay is famous for an area called the 'Thirty-Thousand Islands', which is the largest freshwater archipelago in the world, and is recognized by UNESCO as a world biosphere site.

On the northern shore of Georgian Bay lies an area called Killarney, ie: the town of Killarney and Killarney Provincial Park. Killarney P.P. is considered the 'jewel' of the Ontario park system because of it's remarkable topography. The interior of the park is part of the La Cloche mountain range, a series of quartzite hills, billions of years old (former mountains). They are a brilliant white year-round. The coastal portion of the park is comprised of thousands of islands made of a rock called gniess (I beleive) which has a beautiful windswept sculptural quality.

My last visit to Killarney was this summer, when a group of lads canoed about 2 hours southwest of the park and claimed an island all to ourselves. The water was crystal clear and turquoise, and if it wasn't for it's temperature I could have pretended I was in the south pacific somewhere. But why bother? This water is fresh 

Travel Info: Killarney can only be reached by car... it is about a 5 hour drive north of Toronto. Limited car camping is available in the Provincial Park itself (make a reservation), and there are a few lodges and outfitters in the town. Gasoline and groceries are few and far between, so stock up before you go. 

Camping in Killarney Provincial Park will cost, but camping and canoeing in Georgian Bay is free, as it is all Crown Land (Crown Land is publicly owned land in Canada). Just go and find a good spot. However, emergency services are not available, and weather conditions on the Great Lakes can turn severe. I'd recommend strong canoeing, swimming, and basic outdoor skills for this trip.

Links:

Killarney Mountain Lodge and Outfitters
Killarney Kanoes (outfitter)

Killarney Provincial Park

Where?


















Our island on Georgian Bay - civilization is nowhere near









the beer fridge









the site









surreal landscape




























the view









my personal favourite shot









typical canoe shot









the Killarney Interior































































yours truly,


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