
Getting outdoors is one of the most fundamental aspects of human life. We simply need nature, from our very beginning! But in this day and age, with out busy, stressful lives, it can be difficult to find places to go! I've compiled a list below of some excellent resources for planning your outdoor adventures here in Ontario, whether they be big multi-day canoe and hiking trips, or just a day trip, hiking or exploring a new trail or crown land spot!
ALGONQUIN PARK
Algonquin Park is one of the most practical and accessible places for people in Ontario to visit because of it's central location and various trails and canoe routes for al skill levels! But because of the unending options for trails and routes, it can be hard to know where to start planning your adventure. Here are some great places to start when plannigny our next Algonquin Park visit!
Maps by Jeff: https://mapsbyjeff.com/pages/algonquin
Formerly called Jeff's Maps, these waterproof maps are the absolute best friend of anyone heading to the park for a trip! The trails and routes are marked meticulously with every bit of information you could ever want to know, from the distances and average time it takes to accomplish each route, to the vast variety of points of interest marked out, these maps are the best resource for your trip planning to Algonquin!
CROWN LAND
Crown land is owned by the Ontario gouverneent and is available for the public to use for hunting, fishing, and recreation - like camping! As an Ontario resident you can camp for free in the same campsite or location for up to 21 days, then you must move to a different site. The greatest resource for finding crown land is the CLUPA (Crown Land Use Policy Atlas) found here: https://www.ontario.ca/page/crown-land-use-policy-atlas
While the CLUPA is an amazing resource, it can be very daunting to navigate until you know how to use it, so rather than explain every detail in this article, I will leave you with the 2 best youtube videos that aptley explain every aspect of how to navigate the CLUPA and find the best crown land spots to explore! The number 1 best part of using crown land is that you can find your own special spots that no one else knows about if you're willing to put in the time and energy! Please be mindful of the impact you have on the land though and practice the "leave no trace" principles in order to protect our beautiful landscapes.
Pine Martyn YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/snbMdL0ZK1M?si=WspKWAycgvkB9Mk4
Martin goes into great detail on how to use the CLUPA and navigate crown land to plan your next adventure!
Lost Lakes Youtube Video: https://youtu.be/5_s8dvtZo6A?si=PMk0rEsuU2lKs3S_
Though Jon from Lost Lakes YouTube channel is referring to finding fishing spots, he provides incredible instruction on how to use the crown land map as well as a few other resources that compliments the CLUPA.
DESTINATION ONTARIO
Ontario has their very own toursim board that works hard to provide locals with excellent things to do, including the very best of outdoor adventure! Their website is a great resource for getting ideas on where to go and what to do in the outdoors!
VOYAGEUR TRIPPER
Mikaela is an avid outdoor adventurer and canoe tripper and has taken the initiative to create a whole website full of resources that help people of all skill levels to plan trips, camping meals, and view trip reports from various popular and unpopular routes all around Ontario! There is a LOT to unpack on her website, but the information is very well organized by each type of adventure you're looking for.
PADDLE LIKE A GIRL WORKSHOPS
Ladies, this one's for you! If you're more of a hands-on, in-person learner, or you'd feel more confident getting outdoors after learning some more skills first, I highly recommend joining one of Tori Baird's Paddle Like a Girl workshops, hosted right here in Ontario, where she teaches a variety of canoeing and camping skills!
YOUTUBE VIDEOS
The good ole YouTube "academy" is a great place to learn skills, find resources and pick up tips and tricks for outdoor adventure! There's no possible way I could list absolutely EVERY channel that is great for this, but here's a few fellow Ontarians that specifically help in teaching outdoor skills and provide information on local outdoor exploring! You may have to look through their repertoire of videos to find the helpful ones, but it's worth the look!
Careena Alexis: https://www.youtube.com/@careenaalexis (psst, I hear her videos are not too shabby ;)
The Bear Essentials (DJ): https://www.youtube.com/@TheBearEssentials
PineMartyn: https://www.youtube.com/@PineMartyn
Camper Christina: https://www.youtube.com/@CamperChristina
Joe Robinet: https://www.youtube.com/@josephallen19
Ted Baird: https://www.youtube.com/@TheRealTedBaird
Jim Baird: https://www.youtube.com/@JimBairdAdventurer
Tori Goes Outside: https://www.youtube.com/@ToriGoesOutside
Shawn James (MySelfReliance): https://www.youtube.com/@MySelfReliance
Lost Lakes: https://www.youtube.com/@LostLakes
Doug Linker (his older videos specifically): https://www.youtube.com/@dougLinker
There are so many more but these channels are all a great place to start for Ontario-specific creators that teach outdoor adventure, skills or provide information on specific trips in one way or another at some point in their YouTube careers!
LEAVE NO TRACE
I feel it's part of my duty to educate new adventurers on the etiquette that should be considered when getting outdoors in any way - sharing knowledge about how to keep our wild spaces wild, special and beautiful is so important to keep them that way! This website properly goes through the various principles on leave no trace: https://lnt.org/why/7-principles/
If this article was helpful for you, please share it with anyone else you think could benefit from these different resources!
Happy Adventuring!!
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