Bon Echo Provincial Park

Bon Echo Provincial Park is a Provincial Park in South Central Ontario north of Kaladar, Ontario.

Bon Echo features several lakes, including Mazinaw Lake, one of the deepest lakes in Ontario. The northeast shore of Mazinaw Lake features the massive 100 m high Mazinaw Rock, an escarpment rising out of the water with many native pictographs.

The park was donated to the province by Merrill Denison. His mother, Flora MacDonald Denison, had bought the property as the site for a wilderness resort.

Bon Echo's Mazinaw and Hardwood Hills campsites are typical of those in the Ontario Parks system. Grassy, or lightly wooded lots are set back from unpaved access roads and are backed by natural, untended land-- generally conifer-deciduous forest in this park. Both campsites host a small number of RV accessable lots, with electricity available. Electricity is also available to some non-RV accessable lots, but this is generally not the case. All lots on these site are located close to a source of running water, as well as a latrine or flush toilet. Both digging and the collecting of firewood are discouraged on these sites, for fear of disturbing the environment. Firewood can be purchased at camp offices.

Bon Echo is known for its "backwoods camping" experience, almost unique in this part of Ontario. The "Abes and Essens" trail in the northern reaches of the site hosts several campsites, each equipped with nothing more than a picnic table, and a roughly deliniated campfire area. Unlike other areas of the park, none of these sites have access to running water, electricity, or any other park service. Disturbing these sites is also discouraged, although the collecting of deadwood and digging of pits to properly dispose of waste is recognized as essential in these isolated areas, and is tolerated if done carefully.

Augmenting the ruggedness of the experience, Abes and Essens is regarded as a strenuous trail. The terrain is, in places, very rough and uneven, often with shield rock jutting up as on the Bruce Trail. Depending on the loops and paths one takes, the hike will take between 2 and 7 hours. The trail features three loops of four, nine and 17 km, which intersect at various points, allowing one to navigate the trail in many different ways. The paths are not bold, preserving the ecology of the trail, and can be confusing at times, although the way is marked by flags on particularly difficult sections. Due to the length and difficulty of the trail, it is not recommended for the ill-prepared (or overpacked) camper, nor the unfit or inexperienced day-hiker.

Several of the lakes on the Abes and Essens trail are stone-bottomed, hewn by glacial procession. They are relatively free of detritus and sand, and as such, the water is clear and cold. Consequently, these lakes are relatively devoid of fish and plant species found elsewhere throughout the park. Where leeches are present, small fish can be observed, but generally only closer to the shores of these lakes, or clustered around the islands found therein.

In most lakes, lake trout, yellow pickerel, small and large mouth bass, lake whitefish and northern pike can all be found. Additionally, in the more secluded areas one may see deer, moose, black bear, red fox and beaver, as well as more common animals, such as rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels and voles.

It is possible to rent boats and boating paraphenalia at camp offices to explore the lakes and waterways.

Conditions in Bon Echo are very similar to those in the much larger and much more popular Algonquin Park, to the north. Algonquin, being a significantly vaster and better known park, features many more services for casual campers, and affords those preferring to "rough it" a greater selection of trails and waterways to explore.

External links

• Bon Echo Provincial Park

• Virtual Kingston - Zoomable view of Bon Echo