Highway 4 and the Wild Pacific Trail
Day 6 shines bright as I walk parts of the Pacific Wild Trail catching spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean. After lunch I head back towards the east side of the island visitng provincial parks along the way.
Algonquin Highlands
Our annual trip to Algonquin was changed a bit this year. With no organizer for the trip this year I changed the itinerary to a new venue and smaller group. Nigel, Paul and myself booked a cabin in Bobcaygeon for two nights.
Autumn at the Marsh
This morning we pack up and made our way to the cabin with the occasional pit stop as we explored the Algonquin highlands and surrounding areas. Our first day there we decided to drive up to the east gate of Algonquin Provincial Park and hike up to the lookout to catch the sunset.
Having Fun
It turned out that sunset was a bust and the valley below was more green than in previous years. So we had a little fun with some self portraits as we waited and hoped for something more spectacular to happen.
Autumn Colours
I decided that macro was my only option to capture some of the glory of autumn at this lookout. As the sun slowly sank from the cloudless sky it was time to grab some local eats before settling in for the evening.
A Visit to Prince Edward
Prince Edward County is a headland found just south of Belleville on the waters of Lake Ontario. Within this small headland lies three provincial parks: Lake on the Mountain, Sandbanks and North Beach. I decided to take a drive around the edge of the headland ensuring that I would be able to get to all three parks. My first stop was Lake on the Mountain located on the east side.
View from Lake on the Mountain
Unfortunately I did not like any of the photos of the lake itself but the view back down to Lake Ontario was beautiful. On the southeastern tip of the headland in Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area was a lighthouse I wanted to take a peek at. Here I found many photographic opportunities and I may have spent a little more time here than anticipated.
A Place to Rest
The next stop was Sandbanks Provincial Park where beautiful white sand dunes are predominant. It is one to the most popular provincial parks in this area and one can see why when they step out onto the dunes.
Dunes at Sandbanks PP’
Even in late September there are more people than expected lounging on the shores the dunes, soaking up the last of the summer sun. The final stop of the day was North Beach Provincial Park, found just north of Sandbanks, it is a day use park whose long, narrow beach faces the west. A perfect spot to watch the setting sun before heading home.
Three Against One
These three large rocks became my photo models for a lovely pale orange backdrop the setting sun left behind. Prince Edward County is a lovely place to visit no matter which park you go to and since it’s a short 2 hour drive from Toronto its a great day trip but I recommend through a weekend.
Provincial Parks of Lake Huron
After touring the parks of Lake Erie it was time to explore the ones along Lake Huron. My first and I have to say my favourite park of the day was MacGregor Provincial Park.
Alone
I headed straight for sunset point to get the shot above. Playing with long exposure I didn’t realize that a seagull was sitting out on one of the rocks way in the distance. Needless to say I didn’t want to leave this area, it was full of photographic possibilities and the peacefulness here was enough to make me stay longer than anticipated. Ripping myself away, but vowing to come back and camp here soon, I got back into my car to head to Inverhuron Provincial Park.
The Gate to Inverhuron
Inverhuron is situated in the oddest of places – right next to the Hydro station. It seems a weird place to put a campground nonetheless it held some of the prettiest spots. My final stop of the day was Point Farms Provincial Park. I didn’t get to see much of this park as a rain storm decided to hit as I arrived.
Raindrops on Bloom
I ended up not venturing down the long stairwell to the beach below. I will save that for another time when weather cooperates.
More Provincial Parks of Lake Erie
I decided I would go a little further out today to reach the rest of the four parks along the Lake Erie shoreline. I started out at the furtherest point in order to make the drive home shorter. My first stop was John E. Pearce Provincial Park, a day use park with it high sand cliffs inhabited by cliff swallows.
John E Pearce Provincial Park
Below the cliffs lies a narrow beach where many like to spend their summers. After some exploring and deciding not to climb down the sand dune with my gear, it was off to another day use park – Port Bruce. This stretch of sandy beach has shallow waters for those looking to get their feet (and the rest of themselves) wet. Many sunbathers were out enjoying the park on this hot summer day.
Port Bruce Provincial Park
As you can tell from the photo above – most were out in the water to keep themselves cool. Across the road from the beach is the main parking lot which hosts a yummy little takeout place where I stopped to have a bite. Then it was off to Port Burwell with it’s 2.5 kilometre long beach.
Port Burwell Provincial Park
If this had been my last stop for the day I would have enjoyed plopping myself down on its sandy shore and maybe even got myself to explore the water a little more but I had one last stop – Long Point Provincial Park.
Long Point Provincial Park
The fourth oldest park in Ontario, established in 1921 its long sandy beach is one of the largest bird migration sites in North America. This is where I decided to settle down for an hour and enjoy the sun and sand – and yes a little water before the long drive home.