How To Elope In Algonquin Park
From the time I began walking, Algonquin Park has always been an incredibly important location to me. The haunting call of a loon echoing over the many different lakes on a summer’s eve is only something you can experience in person to understand the true nostalgic feeling of Ontario’s great provincial park. Many species call Algonquin Park home from eastern timber wolves, to moose, to red foxes, and more. Above all else, Algonquin Park offers some of the most scenic backdrops in Ontario, creating the wonderful opportunity to have an extremely affordable yet stunning setting for your very own elopement.
I have had the privilege of documenting many elopements in Algonquin Park over the span of my career. Having great knowledge on the Park’s interior hiking trails as well as some surrounding lodging opportunities, I can promise you that there won’t be a struggle finding the location that works best for you.
One option for probably one of the most picturesque locations in the park is on the north eastern side of Algonquin, located in the Ottawa Valley. With it’s tall cliffs and pine covered rocks, the Barron Canyon is an outstandingly beautiful spot to elope. The only fee needed for your visit is a day pass charged per person which can be purchased at the Sand Lake Gate entrance or on the Ontario Parks website. The Barron Canyon road is gravel, so ensure your vehicle can handle a gravel road. From spring to fall the road can at times be very rough with large pot holes so drive slow! As October approaches, logging trucks begin to run the road until March so be cautious of their driving if you plan to visit in the off season. PLEASE know, Barron Canyon is not near highway 60. It is at least a 2.5 hour drive from the East Gate on highway 60 (Whitney ON). Barron Canyon Trail itself is a fairly easy one to hike. In total it is only a 1.5km loop, with a decent incline at the beginning. Once you are at the top, enjoy the incredible views and watch as paddlers canoe along the Barron River. If you’re lucky during your visit, you may catch the Peregrine Falcons that call the canyon home during the summer. If you plan to elope, there is lots of options in the surrounding areas. There is hotel options in both Petawawa and Pembroke located about 1 hour from the Barron Canyon Trail. If you are looking for more of a cabin experience, there is the cutest cabin resort Anupaya in Deep River, located about 1.5-2 hours from the Barron Canyon Trail. Calabogie is 2 hours east of Barron Canyon, but provides an incredible amount of Airbnb options. Check out Wilder Waters for their list of accomodations. Pembroke also provides some wonderful restaurants for a post celebration dinner such as The Courtyard Bistro, Anthony’s, and The Nook.
Another great option for wanting to elope in Algonquin is to just simply find a cool camp spot whether it be interior (highway 60) or backcountry. This provides a guarantee of having a private ceremony and the land to camp afterwards. For backcountry you would want to consider portages that would be endured and what vendors such as your officiant could make the trip out. That said a lot of interior campsites have great spots for an elopement site. Grand Lake, Lake of Two Rivers, Rock Lake, Tea Lake, Mew Lake, and Canisbay Lake are some of the many campgrounds that can still provide privacy which is perfect for your intimate elopement. A couple locations that are considered backcountry but provide some beautiful waterfront starting points are Sec Lake, Lake McMannus, Cedar Lake, Canoe Lake, and Opeongo Lake. If you’re keen on backcountry, Openogo Lake has an on lake taxi boat service that can take you to your booked campsite to avoid the intense paddle across the notoriously windy lake. Algonquin Outfitters also provides complete camp outfittings for Canoe, Opeongo and Oxtongue Lake, so if you dont have the proper gear to handle backcountry camping, you can get set up for what you need before heading out on your camp elopement. The fees for interior camp sites are different from backcountry sites so you’ll have to check the Ontario Parks website to see what fees work better into your budget. You can start to book your interior campsite as far out as 5 months before your date but keep in mind, booking a campsite for interior camping can be quite intense as you’re up against hundreds of other people on the site trying to book. Backcountry camp sites do not open typically until early May. You need to keep in mind that you don’t get to reserve the exact location on a lake for backcountry. Those sites come on a first come first serve basis when you access the lake. You can however reserve your dates for that lake — just not the actual campsite.
Highway 60 also provides an awesome amount of scenic interior trails with beautiful lookouts — perfect for that adventure themed elopement. Some of my personal favourites are Booth’s Rock, Beaver Pond, Hemlock Bluff, Lake of Two Rivers (trail), Track and Tower, Oxtongue Rapids, Ragged Falls, The Lookout, and Centennial Ridges. These all provide a unique lookout, but please know some of these trails are more strenuous than others, and proper research on the difficulty of each trail should be taken seriously before committing. An awesome website/app to find these exact details is All Trails. It is important to note too that during fall, Algonquin Park becomes extremely busy. You will also need to purchase a day pass ahead of time in order to have access to Algonquin during the fall peak colours. Each year is different, but the fall colours typically peak around the first or second week of October. You can purchase the pass as early as 5 days before your expected visit. To avoid the crowds for your elopement, it is strongly encourage to visit at sunrise or during the middle of the week! Another beautiful spot in Algonquin for a hike in elopement is near Bonnechere Provincial Park. The hike is a steep hike in, but the lookout of Egg Rock is stunning.
No matter what, there is a location just about anywhere in Algonquin Park and with the many years of experience I’ve personally had with the park, I can be a great guide in helping you plan your dream Algonquin Elopement.
For lodging and venues that are within or surrounding the park, they will be listed below —
For vendors you may need to assist with making your elopement incredible
Hudson Hair Salon - Huntsville, ON
Makeup By Chelsea B - Muskoka, ON
Jordan Ashley MUA - Muskoka, ON
Flower Child - Muskoka, ON
Blooming Muksoka - Muskoka, ON
All Seasons Weddings - Ontario Officiants
Valley Roots Hair - Pembroke, ON
Mack & Lily Hair - Pembroke, ON
Modern Mane - Pemboke, ON
Astrid’s Florals - Pembroke, ON
Wandering Ivy Co - Petawawa, ON
Fleurish Floral Designs - Petawawa, ON
Lisa Agnew - Ottawa Valley Officiant
Algonquin Portage Outfitters - Canoe Rental - Pembroke, ON
Canvas Bell Tent Rentals - Pembroke, ON
This blog is simply here to a be guide for anyone curious about what planning an elopement into Ontario’s largest provincial park is like. You definitely need to keep in mind that if you plan to have guests be a part of your elopement you need to ensure there is room for everyone. Campsites in Algonquin Park do not allow more than 3 tents per site and 6 people per site. If you plan to have an officiant present at your elopement, you will need two witnesses to sign the legal documentation. Lucky for you, your trustee photographer can count as a witness! Most venues have staff on site that can vouch to be your witness if you truly just want an intimate affair without any guests. Some couples choose to go to the courthouse route ahead of time to get the legal docs out of the way so that they can go full adventure mode on their elopement day without worrying about how their officiant will get to and from a location.
Once you have your elopement etched out and your dream vendors booked, there isn’t much to think about until closer to the date of your elopement. Consider good hiking attire depending on the hike or paddle. Think about how long it could take to get to the location, and consider the time of day you want to elope. If you want sunset, you’ll need headlamps to use on your hike back out as the forest will already be dark by the time sunset begins. I always recommend changing into your elopement outfits once you’re at the actual location to avoid things getting wrecked before the photos have even started. Pack lots of water and snacks to keep you going and I strongly encourage you to keep any furry friends on leashes as their is a wide range of wildlife within the park that we would like to keep happy… Which brings me to my next tip. Bring bear spray and wear a bear bell if you really worry about a potential bear encounter! I have been very lucky to have never run into a bear while out on a hike but who’s to say it wont happen? Being prepared and smart going into any kind of hike is so important. My final note is on the BUGS. By mid May black flies have hatched and can wreak havoc on your bodies until mid August — dependent on seasonal temps. To avoid getting eaten alive, definitely consider a sunrise elopement, avoiding thick forests, stagnant waters, or wait until September when most black and dear flies have died off and you then only need to compete with the mosquitoes. Having a Thermacel, bug spray, and avoiding perfumes is a very, very good idea.
Without a doubt, you're destined to have gorgeous photos no matter where you choose to elope in Algonquin. There is endless resources and opportunities to explore. Hiring a photographer that is well experienced with the general area is just an added bonus. If this feels like your ideal dream day of getting married, please reach out so we can start the fun process of planning :)
