Affordable non-camping options in or near Algonquin Park

June 5, 2017 9:34 AM

After five years in Toronto, I desperately need to get into the woods for a few days. I'm looking for Greyhound-accessible non-camping accommodation in or near Algonquin Park or a similar nature area near Toronto. At the same time, I have a few limitations:

1) My transport options are limited to Greyhound and walking

2) I don't have the gear necessary to camp

3) I can't pay too high a rate to stay in a lodge. For instance, $267/night to stay in the "Artists Studios" at Bartlett Lodge is too high.

I am looking for somewhere that will provide a dry place to sleep and ideally meals as well, ideally for under $150 per day.

Has anyone been to the Algonquin Eco-Lodge? They seem to have some reasonable package rates.

posted by sindark to Travel & Transportation around Ontario (7 answers total)

Based on your comments, you do t have the gear to camp..but if you did you might?

Have you seen this?

http://www.ontarioparks.com/learntocamp/upcoming
posted by Ftsqg at 9:54 AM on June 5, 2017 [1 favorite]

Just asking, since you didn't mention it in your question: Are you aware of the Parkbus from Toronto? It also goes to a few other Provincial Parks in Ontario.

It lists return trip to Alqonquin from Toronto as $88. On of the accommodation options listed on the Parkbus site is Wolf Den Hostel, with private rooms listed at $43-$84/night plus tax.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 12:13 PM on June 5, 2017 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: The Park Bus website doesn't seem to list trips before July 1st. Based on the Greyhound website, it doesn't seem like they run buses to towns near Algonquin every day either, though there is a bus to Maynooth on Friday and a return bus on Sunday.

Thanks for the Wolf Den suggestion. Has anyone been there?
posted by sindark at 1:03 PM on June 5, 2017

Some friends stayed a Wolf Den last year a few times and loved it. Closer, and not as large of a nature area is Rockwood - accessible by GO Bus (Georgetown/Guelph GO bus) that drop you at the gate. But you have to bring your own camping gear.

How much nature do you need? A lot of trailer parks are jusopening up but don't have a lot of residents yet. I know an amazing B&B for around $125 on the shores of Lake Simcoe with amazing food that is accessible via TTC transferred to YRT (so about $10, less if you have presto, and an hour and a glad from union) but it is quiet, not as isolated as Algonquin (but the forest within walking distance does have bears and coywolves). Lake Simcoe is not super busy right now.
posted by saucysault at 2:17 PM on June 5, 2017

I've been to Wolf Den twice and it is good for what it is. You'll have a clean room in a cabin, there are showers and a large communal kitchen where you can cook your meals. The main cabin/lodge is a very nice log cabin. There's also a firepit. At the end of the day it is a hostel so you'll need to be somewhat social, plus people like me will bring their small kids with them.

The first time I went they had a park pass that you could rent for something like $10 per day. They didn't have that the second time because some people never returned the passes. Maybe they've gone back to offering it, because it was a nice feature.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 4:18 PM on June 5, 2017

Response by poster: Was it a pain to walk from Wolf Den into the park?
posted by sindark at 8:37 PM on June 6, 2017

I had a car so I drove. If you wanted to go anywhere inside Algonquin Park it would be a long walk before you got to a trailhead, but if you had a bicycle or roller-blades then you'd be fine. There is a nearby park (Oxtongue River-Ragged Falls Provincial Park) that has a short hiking trail and a waterfall.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 1:00 PM on June 7, 2017