Snowshoe Hiking Mashkinonje Park’s Samoset Loop to Lapin Beach

A bay of Lake Nipissing seen from Lapin Beach.

Mashkinonje Provincial Park is one of my favourite places to hike, no matter the season. Most appealingly, there are over 30 kilometres of natural trails, accessible for free and usually not crowded. On our last trip snowshoe hiking Mashkinonje Park, we tackled the Samoset loop to Lapin Beach. The Samoset loop to Lapin Beach is approximately five kilometres […]

Barely Beaver Sighting

Close-up of a beaver poking it's head out of the water.

During our latest Mashkinonje day hike, we came upon a flooded dry meadow which we had to circumvent. Once back on the right track, we looked behind us to take pictures. As we were standing there, I heard a splash but didn’t see anything. I mentioned it to Marc and was surprised when he told me he hadn’t […]

Mashkinonje Day Hike: Racing the Spring Snow Melt

Atakas Trail during a Mashkinonje day hike..

Our first day hike of the season at Mashkinonje Provincial Park surprised us a little. We weren’t expecting so much snow in the forest! We had planned our route knowing the bush would be wet. So, we’d chosen to start our Mashkinonje day hike on higher ground and to return through the lowlands, which would hopefully give the […]

Hiking and Paddling Bucket List 2014

Bad River, French River Waterway Provincial Park

We put a lot of thought into our hiking and paddling bucket list this year. It’s been tough making decisions because we’ve been torn between seeing new trails and returning to parks we really love. So we decided to compromise. The 2014 hiking and paddling bucket list includes a lot of places we’ve been to before, though we’re […]

Snowshoe Hike on the Loudon Peatland Trail in Mashkinonje Provincial Park

Lovely view of the Loudon Peatland from the top of the tower.

Mashkinonje Provincial Park’s got some great snowshoeing trails, so we were surprised that the Blandings Access Point wasn’t ploughed the few times we drove passed there this winter, and it looked like it hadn’t been done all season. But on our snowshoeing trip, it wasn’t a big deal — we just drove a little further on for a […]

Snowshoeing Hit List 2014: Overcoming Cabin Fever

Photo of snowshoe tracks in a field, taken just in time for this snowshoeing hit list!

Winter’s not exactly my favourite season, but as much as I resist it, it always catches up to me. At the first sign of winter, I hole up indoors, and with so much to do before the holidays, I’m content for a short while. But between Christmas and New Year’s, cabin fever starts to set in. That’s when […]

50+ Things To Do in French River and Lake Nipissing Areas

A small gushing waterfall with historical significance in French River Provincial Park

Whether you’ve been coming here for years or whether you’re visiting for the first time, chances are there’s something you didn’t know about. In no particular order, and by no means an exhaustive list, here are some ideas for your next French River and Lake Nipissing vacation. Take your pick from these 50+ ideas for things to do […]

Outdoor Recreation in the French River and Lake Nipissing Area

Rocky shoreline of winding waters at Grundy Lake Provincial Park.

There really is quite a lot to do around here, but it’s not always evident. Sure, there are the usual tourist attractions, like the lodges that offer boat rentals and access to fishing to their guests. But there are also inexpensive adventures for the independent explorer. By no means an exhaustive list, here are a few of my […]

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