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Created in 1893 at the behest of logging companies keen to keep the farmers out, Algonquin Provincial Park is Ontario's oldest and largest provincial park and for many is the quintessential Canadian landscape. Located on the southern edge of the Canadian Shield, the park straddles a transitional zone, with the hilly two-thirds to the west covered in a hardwood forest of sugar maple, beech and yellow birch, whilst in the drier eastern part jack pines, white pines and red pines dominate. Throughout the park, the lakes and rocky rounded hills are interspersed with black spruce bogs, a type of vegetation typical of areas far further north. Canoeing is very popular here and with an astounding 2400km of routes there's a good chance of avoiding all contact for days on end. Wildlife is as varied as the flora - any trip to Algonquin is characterized by the echo of birdsong, from the loons' ghostly call to the screech of ravens. Beavers, moose, black bears and raccoons are all resident, as are white-tailed deer, whose population thrives on the young shoots that replace the trees felled by the park's loggers. Public "howling parties" - which can attract up to 2000 people - set off into the wilderness during August in search of timber wolves , or rather their howls: many of the rangers are so good at howling that they can get the animals to reply. Access to the park is via either the West Gate , 45km from Huntsville on Hwy 60, or - if you are arriving from Ottawa and points east - the East Gate . A day-pass costs $10 per vehicle. The two gates are linked by the 56-kilometre-long Parkway Corridor - also known as the Frank McDougall Parkway - the park's only road. Away from the corridor, walking and canoeing are the only means of transport. The well-signposted main visitors' centre is 43km from the West Gate (late April to Oct daily 10am-5pm, July & Aug till 9pm; Nov to late April Sat & Sun 10am-5pm; tel 705/633-5572, www.algonquinpark.on.ca ), and, besides the usual gift shop, has a series of dioramas explaining the park's general and natural history. The visitors' centre also has a comprehensive range of literature describing every aspect of the park, from maps and detailed hiking trail and canoeing route guides through to booklets on native folklore. The park offices at both the West and East gates have trail descriptions and other park information, but there's not so wide a range. Furthermore, individual trail guides (37c) are available at most trailheads. If you're heading for the backcountry, pick up food and water before you get here as outlets in the park are few and far between. If you're reliant on public transport, the nearest you'll get by train or bus is Huntsville. However, Hammond Transportation (tel 705/645-5431 or 1-800/563-1885, hammonds@muskoka.com ) operates the Algonquin Park Shuttle from Huntsville to points along the Parkway Corridor in July and August (3 weekly; $18).
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