Wilderness canoe trip outfitting

Canoe and kayak rentals
Whether you’ve never been in a canoe before, are looking for the lightest Kevlar tripping canoe or want to try the latest in sea kayaks or whitewater playboats, Algonquin Outfitters has a rental craft to suit your needs. All four stores are on the water and offer day rentals for trips starting right from our dock.
Mountain bike rentals
You don’t have to be a hard core rider to enjoy a day outing on a mountain bike, but if you are, you won’t be disappointed with the Algonquin Outfitters fleet. We have top-quality bikes with different suspension options and a helmet is included in the rental price. Bike carriers are also available. There are a wide range of cycling destinations in the area - everything from flat and paved to steep and muddy. The Huntsville store is also a fully equipped bike sales and repair shop.
Guided trips
A knowledgable guide can make a wilderness trip a lot less intimidating to the first time adventurer. Algonquin Outfitters offers guided day trips and a variety of overnight trip packages. Trips are run from our Oxtongue Lake and Opeongo Lake stores and are by advance reservation only.
Winter outdoor adventures
When the lakes freeze and the snow flies, Algonquin Outfitters has the gear you need for winter fun. Cross-country skis, snowshoes, ice skates and winter camping equipment are available for sale or rent at both the Oxtongue Lake and Huntsville locations.

Frequently Asked Questions
What is partial outfitting?
This is the ideal plan for people who already have most of their own equipment, but may need to rent a canoe, an extra sleeping bag or other bits and pieces of equipment. Many of our regular canoe rental customers are very experienced trippers and possess every imaginable bit of camping gear, but continue to find it more convenient and cost effective to rent a canoe. Renting also allows you to try different types of canoes (more on that elsewhere) and leaves the problems of storage and maintenance to us. For a complete list of our rental equipment and rates, see the Canoe and Equipment Rentals page.
What is complete outfitting?
If you don't have your own camping equipment or, for various reasons, find it simpler to show up with a toothbrush and change of clothes and let us do the planning and packing, this is the option you need. People traveling by air or those on a tight schedule will find this a very convenient option. Complete outfitting is not available in the winter. For complete descriptions of our different packages and rates, see the Complete Outfitting page.
Do you offer guided trips?
Yes, with several options. We offer custom guided trips, scheduled 5-day guided canoe trips, guided weekend trips and a variety of guided day trips by reservation. While the majority of our customers travel without a guide, the experience and knowledge of a guide can be very helpful to those on their first canoe trip, to families or those seeking the extra insight that a guide can provide about canoe routes, perfect campsites, camping techniques or secret fishing spots. For complete descriptions of our different guided trip packages and rates, see the Guided Canoe Trips and Day Trip Packages pages.
Can we start right at your base?
Yes and no. Both our Brent and Opeongo bases are located within Algonquin Park, at canoe route access points 27 and 11, respectively. Many different canoe routes can be planned to start and finish at either base. Our main outfitting base is just outside the park, at Oxtongue Lake, near the village of Dwight. It is conveniently located for trips starting at popular access points along the Hwy. 60 "corridor," like Canoe Lake (#5), Smoke Lake (#6) and Rock lake (#9) as well as the popular Frost Centre area in Haliburton. Our Huntsville store has easy access to the Muskoka River for day trips and is very handy for anyone using western or northern access points, like Kawawaymog Lake (#1), Tim River (#2), Magnetewan Lake (#3) and Rain Lake (#4). Customers coming to Oxtongue Lake or Huntsville generally rent a car top carrier (we'll even tie the canoes on for you) and continue on to one of the many canoe route access points in Algonquin Park. The charge for the carrier is a minimal flat rate. We can even provide a high quality Yakima or Thule brand roof rack, so that you can carry two or even three canoes or kayaks on one vehicle.
What type of gear do you rent?
We rent a wide rage of up-to-date, high quality camping and paddling equipment. All of our four and six-person tents are versions of the popular Eureka Timberline. This free-standing tent is easy to set up and very roomy. For those seeking a lighter tent, we offer two and three person models by Marmot and Kelty. Since portaging is part of any Algonquin canoe trip, we have a wide variety of packs available. Our "AO" brand canoe pack has evolved over many years. Its huge capacity, padded shoulder straps, padded hip belt, tump line and compression straps have made this pack a favorite among staff and long time customers. Hikers can have internal frame packs. You can even rent a dog pack so that Fido can carry his own chow. For a complete list of our rental equipment and rates, see the Canoe and Equipment Rentals page.
What's in the store?
Long-time customers are always amazed at how much the retail operation at the main base has grown over the years. First-time customers are amazed at the selection of high quality outdoor clothing and equipment at extremely competitive prices, considering our somewhat out of the way location. The anglers in the group will be pleasantly surprised when they walk in the door. Our tackle selection covers just about any local fishing requirement, including beautiful locally tied flies. What else will the outdoor shopper find at Algonquin Outfitters? Outdoor books and magazines, topographic maps for Algonquin and other areas, park publications, unique souvenirs, freeze dried foods, an incredible t-shirt selection and a host of items you'd never expect to find - and won't find anywhere else.
When do the bugs come out?
This is one of the questions we are asked most often. The most notorious biting bug in Algonquin Park and first to emerge is the black fly. They usually hatch in mid to late May and stay until the third week of June. The slightly more tolerable mosquito starts to appear in late June (if you're really lucky you can enjoy both black flies and mosquitoes at the same time). The mosquito hangs in there for the month of July and is normally hard to find after the first week of August. August is not totally bug free though, with large, swattable insects like the deerfly (or horsefly or moosefly) arriving to pester canoeists. September is usually free of biting bugs, although on rare years there can be a short hatch of misguided black flies. Late fall and winter are guaranteed no-bug times, although every now and then someone reports seeing a lonely mosquito on a warm February day.
What kind of canoes and kayaks do you rent?
This is probably the most frequently asked question. The Swift Canoe & Kayak Company makes most of our rental canoes. We also have canoes by Chestnut, Scott and Dagger. Algonquin Outfitters has the largest fleet of lightweight Kevlar rental canoes in the area. Our Expedition Kevlar models are large capacity, stable canoes available in 15, 16 and 17-foot lengths. Superlight Kevlar canoes come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, with weights ranging from 40 to 50+ pounds. Most Swift models are available in this category. Our lightest rental category is called the Featherweight Carbon/Kevlar. These are carbon fibre/Kevlar versions of the popular Swift Kipawa, with wood or aluminum trim, padded carrying yoke and a sliding bow seat. For the canoeist on a tight budget, we offer aluminum canoes by Grumman and Marathon and fiberglass canoes from Swift and Scott.
We also have a good selection of canoes not usually found in rental fleets, including Kevlar solo tripping canoes and ABS (Royalex) whitewater boats. Solo canoes have one seat in the middle and are generally about 14 feet long. Our whitewater rental fleet is second to none, with ABS tandem canoes from Swift and Dagger. By advance reservation, whitewater canoes are available rigged with air bags and thigh straps. We also rent whitewater solo canoes by Dagger and kayaks from Perception, Dagger, Pyrhana and Wave Sport. Reservations are recommended for whitewater canoes and a damage deposit is required. Whitewater canoes and kayaks are only available at Oxtongue Lake and Huntsville.
Touring kayaks are a rapidly growing part of our rental fleet, especially at our Opeongo Store. Opeongo, Algonquin Park's largest lake, offers excellent kayak touring opportunities. We have composite kayaks made by Swift and polyethylene models by Dagger, Perception, Wilderness Systems and Necky. A paddle and sprayskirt are included in the rental price.
For a unique large group canoeing experience, Algonquin Outfitters now rents 6-12 paddler Voyageur canoes. These 25' fibreglass canoes are replicas of the North canoes used in the days of the fur trade. Reservations are essential and we can deliver if necessary (delivery charge applies).
All of these canoes are available at our main base in Oxtongue Lake. The Opeongo, Huntsville and Brent bases have more limited selections. Call or e-mail for details. For specifications of our most popular rental canoes, see the Our Rental Canoes page.
How much do your canoes weigh?
We offer several categories and price ranges in our canoe rental fleet. Aluminum canoes are the least expensive to rent and among the heaviest to carry. A 17' standard aluminum canoe weighs about 75 lbs. A padded carrying yoke will ease the burden but costs extra. For the small price difference, you will probably be happier with one of our Expedtion Kevlar models. These average about 55-60 lbs. and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. These canoes are the mini vans of the rental fleet: easy to paddle, reasonable to portage and able to carry a lot of gear. For the tripper seeking the lightest canoe, our Superlight and Featherweight Kevlar models are the way to go. They also come in a variety of shapes and sizes, except for the one-model Featherweight category. Weights range from 40 lbs. to mid 50s. All of our Kevlar canoes are equipped with contoured wooden carrying yokes. For specifications of our most popular rental canoes, see the Our Rental Canoes page.
Can I reserve a specific canoe?
With a rental reservation, you are guaranteed a canoe in the category requested (eg. Superlight Kevlar). If you request a particular canoe model, we will do our best to save it for you. If you request a specific model, please give a second choice as well. Unfortunately, we can't guarantee reservations for specific models. For example, we could guarantee a reservation for a Superlight Kevlar, but not for a Swift Kipawa. In our experience, customers with reservations almost always get their first choice of canoes, even on the busiest weekends. Complete outfitting parties always have first priority for reserved canoes.