MacGregor Point Provincial Park

Visited: 19 - 23 September 2024

Nights Stayed: 4

MacGregor Point Provincial Park is part of the Ontario parks system located on beautiful Lake Huron near Port Elgin. Covering over 1204 hectors, it was established in 1975. The park is open year round for a multitude of activities from camping to cross country skiing. There are over 360 camping opportunities including rustic to sites with power to roofed accommodations.

An Ontario R-Pod Rally was happening this weekend that is why we chose this park, more on that later. 

Entrance to MacGregor Point

Our Site # 240 Foxway Campground

The park offers over 20 km of very well marked hiking and biking trails. The park is huge so bringing a bike makes getting around so much easier. The Old Shore Trail follows the lakeshore for approximately 6 km. It was a roadway at one time and provides a hard packed surface for walking and biking.

Susan walking Old Shore Road Trail

Black Capped Chickadee

Pair of Mute Swans

Knapweed

This marl wetland has very poor soil due to the low level of essential nutrients like nitrogen. The plants that grow here in the marl have adapted to these poor infertile conditions. This marl is one of the most fragile spots in MacGregor with its frost heaved boulders and clumps of vegetation. Several of the plants are carnivorous with specialized leaves enabling the plant to capture and digest its prey like the pitcher plant.

Pitcher-plant Marl

The Tower Trail is a 3.5 km circular trail providing views of the Ducks Unlimited wetland. Some members of the rally decided on a morning hike, so I couldn't pass up this opportunity. This trail is considered to be an easy one and is also very popular with birders.

Invasive species - Autumn Olive

Another beautiful sunset on Lake Huron

Enjoying early morning campfire

The 4km Lake Ridge Trail winds through an area of woods, wetlands, and abandoned farm fields. Evidence of Lake Nipissing, a glacier lake that occupied much of the Great Lakes basin 5,000 years ago can be seen along this trail. Evidence of historic homesteads can be seen with stone fences, stone wells, and apple orchards.

Old homestead fence

Old homestead stone well

Lake Nipissing Bluffs

The trail was steeped with so many beautiful plants, fungi, and trees. Here are just a few.

Glacial erratics is a term given to a boulder which has been transported from its source by a glacier. Many can not be traced back to their source. However, this one is a large piece of quartzite, a rock that outcrops in Killarney Provincial Park area about 160 km to the north. Originating in the Precambrian Period, this quartzite is believed to be 2000 million years old.

As a glacier advanced across the area it carried stones and pebbles in a mixture of clay and sand. These materials got laid down in the form of till and remain on top of the limestone bedrock in various thicknesses. Over time the waves of glacial Lake Nipissing washed away the smaller particles leaving behind boulders of various sizes.

As another wonderful hike comes to an end, Macgregor Point Provincial Park did not disappoint. Around every corner there was beauty and a wanting for more. After 4 days I still did not get to explore all of the park. It just makes me want to come back.

Jerusalem Artichoke

Komoka Provincial Park

Length of Stay: 1 morning

Visited: August 2024

Komoka Provincial Park is a day-use park located near the town of Komoka along the scenic Thames River. The Thames River served as a major transportation route for early forestry and the fur trade. The park now is open year round for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and snowshoeing. Much of the land is former agricultural land but now it's beautiful meadows and mature forest. There is a large parking lot with LED lighting, garbage bins, picnic tables,  and a privy. A DVP(day vehicle permit) is required to hike in the park which can be purchased online. 

The park provides a map at the trailhead of all the trails which are well marked. We chose to hike part of the white trail which I have marked in orange in the picture below. It started as a very easy hike but as we got closer to the river it got rougher and hillier.  

All in all a wonderful hike on a beautiful day. We passed only one person with a dog (on lead) while hiking for over an hour. It was so nice and peaceful all while listening to the birds and cicadas. 

Day 29, 30, & 31 - Homeward Bound

Day 29 - Camping Domaine du Lac Louise

Visited - 9 September 2023

Nights Stayed - 1 night

Knowing we had a long drive, we were up early and on the road by 8 am. Leaving Matane is bittersweet since it was our last stop in the Gaspésie Peninsula. It was still pretty foggy when we pulled out but got better as the day progress. As we left highway 132 and got on the A20 near Mont Joli, we have now official completed the Gaspésie Peninsula circle and are homeward bound.

The day was pretty unremarkable. Stopped for doggy and human pee breaks, lunch, and diesel. We reach the campground around 3:30 pm, I took the dogs for a quick walk then relaxed for the rest of the evening. Know pictures since this is just a quick overnight stay. 

Day 30 - Rideau River Provincial Park

Visited - 10 September 2023

Nights Stayed - 1 Night

Not having as long a drive, we left Lac Louise around 9ish. Got diesel just down the road and back on A20 by 9:15. It's great driving on a Sunday since there is little traffic and no transport trucks...or very few.

We pull into the campsite and get set up. I take the dogs for a walk, give them supper, then have supper ourselves. We were planning on staying here for 3 nights but I changed our reservation to only one. We will catch up with family another time. Got to get Brownie home to the vet appt.

I have blogged on Rideau River PP before so not going to do it again. I will say it is a favourite of mine. See previous blog for pics.

Day 31 - Home

11 September 2023

This will be our longest drive of the trip so we are out of the park at 7:30 and on the road. Traffic is good so far but the closer we get to Toronto I'm sure the uglier it will get.

Nothing remarkable about the trip...traffic, road construction, and slow downs which is the normal when driving on highway 401. People have often asked if driving through Toronto towing a 5th wheel scares me. My answer is never...what does scare me are those crazy people who think they are on a race track. 

  

After a month on the road we are home, filled with wonderful memories and excitement of wanting to do it again. People have asked about the cost factor involved towing the 5th wheel. My answer is simple...if you worry about cost then you shouldn't go. Anyway here is the breakdown for the trip. Hope you enjoyed the trip with me through my blog. Feel free to leave a comment if you want. Thank-you

Travel Distance: 4,550 km or 2,827 miles

Number of Campgrounds: 13

Campground Fee Total: $1,829.93

Diesel Cost: $1,887.26

Tolls: $20.80

Parks Canada Discovery Pass: $123.50

Seqec Quebec NP Pass: $172.00

Unexpected Vet Visit: $587.51

Number of Days on the Road: 31

Memories - Priceless  

Day 7 - A Hike With Calusa

Well, I've  decided I'm taking my little girl Calusa for a hike on Le Pic Champlain. This is the only trail dogs are allowed on in all of Bic National Park. The route is depicted in green on the map below. The trail is a 229 metre climb to the top, 6 kms in length and should take us just over 2 hours. I asked Calusa if she was all in...she started wagging her tail so I guess away we go. To get to the trailhead we drove out of the park, went west about 5kms on the 132, then back in the park at a different entrance. It's early so know one was at the gate. Only two vehicles in the parking lot...excellent. This is one of the most popular trails because it allows dogs.

With 2 large jugs of water, my phone(just to be safe), camera, and truck keys away we go. We cross the road and hit the trail which is already a challenge. It's wet and rocky. And Calusa had a poop. I pick it up, go back down the trail a short distance, deposit it in the garbage, then start again.

The trail is tough but we are having fun. New smells for Calusa and new sights for me. 

We reach the top and the view of the Appalachian countryside and the St Lawrence estuary is incredible. After a short rest and taking in the sights we started back down. I am soooo proud of my little girl she did amazing. This trail is a loop, so you can choose which way you want to go. On the way back we are taking a little easier route. It's a service road for park 4x4 vehicles only. It doesn't make it much easier because going down is always harder on my knees. It is very steep not sure how a vehicle can do it.

During the hike up and down Calusa and I only pass 5 people. However, the parking lot is now full and people are parking on the road. After the two of us devour a bag of cheezies and empty our water bottles we head home for lunch.

The rest of the day is spent relaxing and getting things ready to move on tomorrow to new adventures.

Day 5 - Parc National du Bic

Another day at Parc National du Bic. The weather is not quite as nice as yesterday but it's not pouring rain so I will take it. With a couple of trails in mind we head out. The trail we did is depicted in the picture below and colour coded in yellow.

The first trail is at Cap Caribou a very short hike of 1.5 km but it's down then back up a rather steep hill. I found going down more difficult than coming up. The first picture is just before we head down at least it was paved.

This second picture is at the bottom looking back up the hill. Yes it looks different, there is a switchback half way down or up depending on which way you are going. 

Seal watching at Bic is a major attraction. Low tide at Cap Caribou is where grey seals and harbour seals can be seen by the dozen hauling themselves out of the water and lounging on the rocks. These seals are resting and moulting. Moulting is the annual shedding and replacing of the seals fur coat which is essential to withstand the hardships of the winter. I have no idea if these are grey or harbour seals. It wasn't a great day for picture taking. We had fun watching them.

We spent some time watching the crazy seals launching themselves from the water to the rock and back in the water. Fun time over now it's time for the climb back up the hill. Made it.

Our next trail is Le parcours l'ile-aux-amours which is considered to be easy.  The trail starts at the parking lot and leads out to a sandbar then around an isolated island. This hike has to be done at low tide since the sandbar is underwater at high tide. We walked about 2.5 km of this trail. Home for some much needed lunch.

After lunch I figured the day was still young so I decided to ride one of the bike trails. Susan wanted to stay back in the trailer and that's okay. My plan was to start at the campsite climb the huge hill to the Le Portage bike trail then continue on to the Discovery Center and back home. A total of 8kms considered an easy trail. The map below shows the route in red I took. 

I've made it to the Le Portage trailhead on my street bike. The trail is flat so I figured a mountain bike is not needed. So I thought. Joke is on me, I should have stuck to the game plan.

This guy popped out of the forest right in front of me almost knocking me off my bike. I think he wanted to have a race. It was short lived since he met up with friends in a beautiful open meadow.

I was having such a great time riding my bike with not a care in the world. When I got to the turn off to go towards the Discovery Center(a place I have already been), I hummed and hawed and decided to go straight on the La Coulee-a-Blanchette trail. Big mistake. This trail is not easy, a mountain bike with more than 7 gears(mine) is required. It is 10 kms from start to finish with mostly uphills on the way out with very few downhills. A few times I almost turned around but I don't do that. So the reward at the end is a lookout called Ilet-au-Flacon that faces the St Lawrence estuary. This is my reward. It was so fogged in I could see nothing.

After a much needed rest I got back on the bike and road home. A little easier on the way back but not much. I was sure glad to see the trailer. I AM SPENT/EXHAUSTED. A total of 20 hard kms. But my reward at the end of the day was this beautiful rainbow.

Another fantastic day at Parc National du Bic. Tomorrow will be another.