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A beautiful area to cruise, the Georgian Bay Islands National Park consists of a scattering of about sixty islands spread between Honey Harbour and Twelve Mile Bay, about 50km to the north. The park's two distinct landscapes - the glacier-scraped rock of the Canadian Shield and the hardwood forests and thicker soils of the south - meet at the northern end of the largest and most scenic island, Beausoleil , a forty-minute boat ride west of Honey Harbour. Beausoleil has eleven short hiking trails , including two that start at the Cedar Spring landing stage , on the southeastern shore. These are the Treasure Trail, which heads north behind the marshes along the edge of the island, and the Christian Trail, which cuts through beech and maple stands to the balsam and hemlock groves overlooking the rocky beaches of the western shoreline. At the northern end of Beausoleil, within comfortable walking distance of several other jetties , there are the Cambrian and Fairy trails, two delightful routes through the harsher Canadian Shield scenery, while, just to the west, the Dossyonshing Trail tracks through a mixed area of wetland, forest and bare granite that covers the transitional zone between the two main landscapes. The national park office in Honey Harbour (late June to Aug Mon-Thurs 8am-4.30pm, Fri 8am-8pm, Sat & Sun 8am-4pm; Sept to late June Mon-Fri 8am-4.30pm; tel 705/756-2415) provides a full range of information on walking trails and flora and fauna. In winter, a visit to the park office is essential as the wardens will advise on where it's safe to ski across the ice to the islands; they maintain a marked ski trail out to Beausoleil. The park has thirteen campsites , eleven on Beausoleil and one each on Island 95B and Centennial Island. The charge is $11 a night and all operate on a self-registration, first-come, first-served basis, with the exception of Cedar Spring ($15), where the visitor centre (tel 705/756-5909) takes reservations on half the 87 sites for an additional $10 fee. For everywhere else, ask about availability at the park office before you set out - and don't forget the insect repellent. Three Honey Harbour operators run a water taxi service over to three of the park's islands - Beausoleil ($30-35 one-way), Centennial Island ($35-40) and Island 95 ($35-40). Honey Harbour Boat Club (tel 705/756-2411), about 700m from the park office at the marina at the end of Route 5, is as good as any. Water taxi prices are fixed - the park office has the list - but times are negotiable; be sure to arrange an agreed pick-up time before you get dropped off. If you want to head southwest, a one-way water-taxi trip to Midland costs around $90. In addition - and much more economical - are day-trips to Beausoleil , giving four hours on the island, with the park's own Georgian Bay Islands Day Tripper (July to early Sept Thurs to Mon 3 daily; $15 return; reservations on tel 705/756-2415).
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