Outdoor season is here, and hikers have a new way to enjoy Voyageur Provincial Park.
The Wàwàshkeshi (Algonquin for White-Tailed Deer) Trail is a 3.6-kilometre loop which begins at the parking area near the entrance to the Portage and Iroquois campgrounds. As the name suggests, the trail offers the opportunity to see some of the park’s White-Tailed Deer and discover a mixed forest ranging from thick stands of white cedar to sugar maples, white and red pines, and meadows of crabapples. The trail also offers a look at the park’s human history. The Algonquin name recalls the Indigenous inhabitants of the area and old stone and rail fences as a reminder of more recent settlers who once farmed the land.
The trail difficulty is moderate with a couple of steep but short hills. The trail surface is grass and soil.
Other trails in the park are the Outaouais Trail and Coureur de Bois Trail.
The entrance to Voyageur Provincial Park is located on County Road 4, beside Exit 5 from Highway 417 near Chute-à-Blondeau. Day use or camping fees are required for park entry.
Photos: James Morgan
