Frontenac park: A Gem in our own backyard

Jun 24, 2010

Students and staff of Maplecrest Sempar School in Kingston are greeted by FPP staff as they prepare for an overnight back country camping excursion

Just in case you happen to be looking for a true Canadian outdoor wilderness experience, you need not travel far. It’s right here - just minutes north of Sydenham and half an hour north of Kingston - right on your very doorstep.

Established in 1974, Frontenac Provincial Park is one of the gems of Eastern Ontario and since it is open all year long, it offers visitors a chance to explore nature during all four seasons of the year.

Lying on a narrow ridge of Precambrian rock that joins the southern most edge of the Canadian Shield with the Adirondack Mountains of New York, the park is the most southern extension of Precambrian rock in Canada. Located in a geographical region known as the Frontenac Axis, it is also the southern most provincial park in Ontario that offers back country camping.

So for those looking for the typical features of the more rugged north, this park has it all. Classified as a Natural Environment Park, its 52 square kilometres (roughly 12,900 acres) boasts 28 lakes, granite cliffs and ridges, numerous beaver ponds, swamps and bogs. It not only contains 120km of interconnected hiking loops and trails but also numerous paddling routes showcasing a wide variety of diverse landscapes where the northern boreal forest meets the Canadian Shield and the Great Lakes.

The diverse landscapes harbour an incredible variety of flora and fauna: deer, black bear, coyotes, foxes, beaver, otter, fishers, porcupines and a wide array of snake, turtle and bird species.

Not a destination for car camping crews, the park instead offers 48 back country campsites accessible only by foot and boat; paddlers can rent canoes or kayaks from Frontenac Outfitters or the Snug Harbour Resort, both located nearby. Overnight visitors can take extended trips into the park’s interior and those wishing to visit just for the day can enjoy a short day hike or paddle.

Fishing is permitted in the park and licenses can also be purchased at nearby locations.

The vine-covered park office located at the park’s south west corner was built in 1982 and functions as the park’s central hub. It includes an indoor amphitheatre built around a central fireplace, a small resource library, various educational displays, plus an aerial map of the entire park where campers can spend time planning their trips and where the staff can offer suggestions and advice for those in need.

The permanent staff at the park number just four and are joined by a host of summer students who help with regular maintenance during the busy summer season.

Another integral group at the park, and whose volunteer hours added together go a long way in keeping the park in top notch condition throughout the year, are the Friends of Frontenac Park, a 130-member not-for-profit organization whose purpose is to develop programs and materials that enhance the public’s awareness, education and appreciation of the natural environment and human history of the park.

In partnership with Ontario Parks, The Friends offer a number of wilderness skills training programs at the park year round which include trip planning, snow shoeing, first aid, navigation, fishing, canoe and kayaking. They also offer a historical walking tour of the park, highlighting its past as a mining, timber, and farming centre in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Every year the Friends also host their annual Frontenac Challenge where participants can complete the full hiking circuit in the park between September 1 and Oct 31, receive a certificate, and mingle with members at their annual Challenge BBQ.

During my visit a group of grade eight students from Maplecrest Sempar School in Kingston gathered in the amphitheatre. Assistant Park Superintendent (for 24 years) Bert Korporaal welcomed them and prepared them for their two-day camping excursion, something their school has been doing annually for the last nine years.

Every year the park averages 29,000 visitors, many of whom are international travelers. Park Superintendent Peter Dawson said, “It sometimes feels like the UN here in the summer months. We have a very strong European following and have been written up in a number of European guide books so we get a lot of German, Spanish, British, French and Dutch visitors coming out to enjoy what the park has to offer. These travelers are in Canada, coming to see the major attractions in Toronto and Ottawa, and our location just north of the 401 makes us very accessible. They can experience the rugged Canadian back country, see our wildlife and hike and paddle to their heart’s content.”

Dawson pointed out the couple on the cover of the Parks 2010 Information Guide, a young German couple who spent a number of days camping in the park after visiting several major centres in Ontario; they said it was definitely a highlight of their trip.

I asked Peter what his favorite part of the park is. “It’s such a diverse park, it’s fascinating no matter where you go. The southern portion is very rugged and rocky relief with a lot of very rewarding scenic vistas such as the Mink Lake Lookout and the northern part is generally more forested and offers long views down the lakes which are equally as beautiful and rewarding,” he replied.

For many of us, it’s easy to forget the beauty that lies so close to home as we make plans for summer excursions. If you are in the process of planning yours, don’t forget the hidden gem that sits at your own back door.

To make reservations, visit www.frontenacpark.ca or call the park office at 613-376-3489. The park is located at 1090 Salmon Road off the Bedford Road, just north of Sydenham.