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Hello everyone! Today, I’m going to share our first-time experience of canoeing in Algonquin Park. This past weekend, we visited the park to do some fishing at Oxtongue Lake. However, we were sidetracked when the guides mentioned a waterfall further down a river. My dad immediately decided to explore the river, promising that we could fish along the way. Initially, I was skeptical because rivers are not ideal for fishing, especially a small one like this, but I ultimately enjoyed the experience.

Contrary to our plans, we didn’t catch any fish on our trip, but we certainly had a blast. The adventure began with collecting our equipment and canoe, then launching into the lake. I thought we were simply heading towards the center of the lake for some fishing, but my dad said he’d heard the sound of a waterfall and suggested we paddle in that direction.

The river was beautifully adorned with flowers on its surface and flanked by many houses with docks. Each house had a wooden dock designed to provide a nice waterfront where you can fish or launch a boat. These boats could be purchased or rented from Algonquin Outfitters, along with respective equipment and life jackets.

As for amenities, the Algonquin Outfitters group had set up wooden poles in an artistic fashion to display their mini canoes. These were conveniently placed near the store, so if the need arose, you could walk a short distance to take one down to the lake. The parking lot was only about 5 meters from the lake. Unfortunately, the only restroom facilities available were five porta-potties at the edge of the property.

The surrounding area of the lake featured numerous hiking trails and other nature-focused attractions. In addition to canoes and other equipment, the store also had a wide selection of souvenirs, clothing, fishing gear, flutes, binoculars, and various other nature-related trinkets.

Now, back to the flora. The floating flowers had fallen from nearby trees and were primarily lilies. Occasionally, they resembled white, blooming tulips. The lilies displayed colors of red, yellow, and green, which was fitting as it was the beginning of September—neither too hot nor too cold, making it just right, like a Goldilocks situation.

Besides the reeds and lilies, there were also plenty of trees, mostly pine, maple, and oak. Additionally, there was a fair amount of algae beneath the water, which seemed to thwart our fishing attempts almost every time.

After our excursion, we departed from the lake after returning our rental equipment and headed home. Once we arrived at home, we figured out that the waterfall that we had visited was known as Ragged Falls.