When does the ice go out? Canoe tripping season starts as soon as lakes are free of ice. Typically, large lakes like Opeongo and Cedar are impassable until the end of April. Smaller lakes and rivers may open earlier. The two or three weeks after ice-out are a wonderful time to go on a canoe trip. Water levels are high (but the water is very cold!), the park is relatively uncrowded, the weather is generally good, spring is in the air, trout fishing is at its peak and, best of all, the black flies are not out yet. Those pesky little critters do not usually emerge until the third week of May and, when they do, look out!

O the black fly... If you don't mind the bugs, late May and early June canoe trips offer warm days, cool nights, reasonable water levels and the chance to have Algonquin Park pretty much to yourself. Visitors from the U.S. should note that the third weekend in May is a holiday weekend in Canada.

Ahh, summer holidays! Summer starts with a bang in July, with Canadian and American holiday weekends back to back in the first week. Black flies are usually gone by the end of June, so the principal insect to deal with is the much more tolerable mosquito. Early July is a good time for smallmouth bass fishing, with the really hot weather not hitting until the middle of the month (in 1994, for example, we recorded a January low temperature of -40°C and a July high of +41°C - talk about extremes!). Water levels can be low in July. The first week of August is probably the busiest one of the season. The first weekend is a long one for Ontario residents, so many holidays are planned for that time. By this time of the summer, even the mosquitoes have died down, so August is considered a fairly bug free month. The weather is very changeable, evenings are pleasantly cool and spectacular thunderstorms are not uncommon. Night life is great in August, too, with meteor showers, wolf howls and northern lights all very likely events.

The glorious autumn. After the Labor Day weekend in early September, the number of park visitors drops dramatically. Anyone with time off in September should be planning an Algonquin Park canoe trip. You'll find spectacular fall colors (usually peaking around the third week), no bugs, higher water levels and, if you're lucky, glorious weather. Early October can still offer nice canoeing weather, then again, it could snow. Die-hard canoe trippers will go on trips right up until the lakes freeze in November. Remember that as fall progresses, the days get shorter and you have to put a considerable amount of effort into simply staying warm. Fall is probably the best time to enjoy Algonquin Park's fine day hiking and backpacking trails. The weather is ideal for hiking and the fall colors make every step a scenic view.

Winter in Algonquin. After "mud season," in November, winter arrives quickly. Small lakes are usually frozen by early December and snow is more frequent. By Christmas, there is generally enough snow to enjoy Algonquin Park's three excellent cross-country ski trail systems. Covered with a blanket of snow, the park is wide open to those on ski and snowshoe. Winter camping is possible at the Mew Lake campground or in the park interior and permits are still required. The Algonquin Visitor Centre is open on weekends. Skiing is usually possible through the middle of March. The "in-between" time in late March and April is a good time to head out on the hiking trails, try to spot signs of spring and think about another canoe season just ahead.
Algonquin Outfitters' main base in Oxtongue Lake and the Huntsville store are open year-round. Our Opeongo and Brent bases are open seasonally.