Plan your summer vacation: Your 3-day stay at Four Corners

Angela Pollak, PhD
5 days ago
7 min read

Updated: 7 minutes ago

Spoiler: You don’t need to plan. You don’t need to organize. You barely need to pack. Welcome to your mental load off summer vacation!

You’re tired. You want nature, but not stress. Campfires, but not back pain. Forests, but not five hours of planning. Enter: Four Corners Algonquin, your fully set-up, no-haul glamping reset, tucked along the edge of Algonquin Provincial Park.

This isn’t camping. This is camping for people who still have groceries to buy, emails to answer, and a half-packed soccer bag in the trunk.

We’ve even made your itinerary for you! (But you don’t have to follow it. This is your vacation - you’re the boss!)

A gorgeous fall-coloured landscape overlooking many trees and a body of still blue water.

Plan your summer vacation near Algonquin Park

When I plan a vacation with my family, sometimes I have fun with making packing lists and to-do lists and grocery lists, checking everything off as I pack.

I like planning adventures away from home, anticipating the things we'll need for all the fun we'll have.

... That being said, there are also times I could really just use a mental break from having to plan the packing lists for everyone in my family - including the dog if you're planning to travel with pets!

Sometimes, I just really need a break from thinking about everything we need, imagining every possible scenario and trying to get ahead of it by packing more than we really need.

It can be hard to find a summer vacation destination that doesn't require a whole lot of forethought.

But that's why we've made it so easy for you here at Four Corners Algonquin!

Let us help you plan your summer vacation!

Four Corners Algonquin is a glamping destination that's considered Ready to Camp - otherwise known as a or turnkey Ontario glamping destination.

This means that you only need to pack the essentials, drive to our site, unpack, and start relaxing. There's zero tent setup or take-down, except unpacking and packing your own belongings!

If you want to just relax beside the campfire for three days straight - perfect! Many of our guests do just that.

If you want to get out and explore, then read our suggestions for a fun-filled and stress-free stay.

FREE Download: Get camping tips and sensory activity ideas to keep your children entertained on a budget during your summer vacation!

A woman walks alongside a woman in a wheelchair; both are heading down a gravel path between trees. The woman in the wheelchair looks down the length of two leashes at her pet dogs. — Did you know? Four Corners is an accessible campground

Day 1 of your summer vacation: Exhale - You've arrived!

The road trip actually counts

Even your drive up gets to be part of the reset. With the Four Corners Algonquin App, you can turn Highway 60 into a rolling Canadian heritage tour. Tom Thomson’s letters? Indigenous stories? A musical reading of The Song My Paddle Sings? It’s wildly wholesome, and you and your kids will actually learn things about the area on your way to your summer vacation adventure!

Pro tip: Download the app while you're connected to WiFi - either when you're still at home, or after you've arrived at our WiFi access sites!

Also Read: Take a look at our top recommendations for camping gear, clothes and equipment.

Relax, drop your bags, and start relaxing

When you arrive, there’s no “where’s the map?” moment. We check you in, hand you your orientation kit, and point you straight to your fully set-up tent. Beds? Made. Fire pit? Ready. You? Relaxed.

Hungry? You’ve got options:

Picnic on-site
Pop into KM 31’s Lake of Two Rivers Cafe and Grill
Or do what our repeat guests do: call ahead to the Lake of Two Rivers, pick it up on your way in, and skip dishes entirely!

Afternoon history that doesn't feel like homework

Spend your first afternoon wandering not rushing:

The panoramic deck at Algonquin Visitor Centre (KM 43)
Logging Museum Trail (the 1.5km kid-approved “walk through the past”)
Live webcams for moose-spotting, just because you can
The art gallery — because nature inspires good art (and vice versa)

Notes before you travel into Algonquin Park:

Reserve your Day Pass in advance before you travel
Check the itinerary on the Algonquin Visitor Centre website to get the latest updates (and so you don't miss out on the cool things they have going on year-round!)
Plan to tand on the deck to view the panorama of Algonquin Park, and check out the Algonquin Park Live Webcam in advance to see the changing colours - especially in the fall!

Looking for an evening hike?

Take a look at some of our fan-favourite trails and choose your own evening adventure! We recommend:

The Logging Museum & Trail along KM 54.5. The trail is a lovely and leisurely 1.5 kms and you’ll be able to stop by cabins to see how the loggers lived and worked. Check out the steam-powered “alligator” and locomotive! Note: this is a favourite trail for children and it is rated ‘easy’ so it’s great for people with mobility challenges!
The Lookout Trail in Algonquin Park. This trail is moderately difficult and not easily accessible due to some steep inclines along the way. Plan your route in advance, and make sure you're feeling up to it - and have enough daylight hours - before you hit the trails.

Looking for more? Take a look at these activities for every type of traveller.

A woman sits alone on a bench atop a rocky cliff, looking out at the gorgeous scenery of cotton candy sunset skies and greenery in every direction. — Lookout Trail in Algonquin Park - Photo by Steve Dunsford

At the end of your first day

At the end of the day, before you turn in to your glamping site for the night, explore the Highway 60 route through Whitney, Ontario to find things to do and places to eat for tomorrow!

Speaking of places to eat...

Visit the local Freshmart to stock up on supplies to grill by your own fireside -- or stop in for some dinner at one of our local restaurants (The Mad Musher is always a win!).

Whether you're cooking for yourself, or you've ordered a meal fresh made and ready to go, we recommend having dinner beside a crackling fire to help you settle into your first night in nature.

If you need anything from the Quartermaster Shack to make yourselves more comfortable, by all means - stop by or give us a call and we’ll see what we can do to help you out!

Bonus tip: Discover the many charms of the Lake of Two Rivers.

A woman sits in a canoe looking out over the sparking lake, trees and clouds everywhere.

Day 2 of your summer vacation: Water therapy

Morning = coffee (or tea), canoeing, and sanity

You've made it to your first morning at Four Corners! Keep an eye out for wildlife in the early hours if you're up and at 'em on the trails in the dawn light!

If you're looking for relaxing vibes at the campsite, boil up some water at the site and load up some snacks for the day.

If you're looking for a hardier breakfast, you can order meals through Algonquin Lunchbar's menu - we recommend the breakfast sandwiches or wraps, but really anything is good!

An elderly couple traverse across rocks in shallow waters, hand-in-hand and backpacks on.

Day trip to the water!

There are so many ways to have water fun around Four Corners.

Stop off at Rock Lake Dam for a splash in the waterfall
Take a swim in the warm, shallow waters of Farm Bay
Watch for moose along the shorelines - especially where the water is grassy!

Don't forget to pack a lunch, snacks, and lots of water to stay hydrated during your adventure.

Also Read: Canoe safety tips - read before you head out on the water.

An old tree has tipped over, its roots exposed to the camera, the trunk resting in the still waters reflecting the clouds and sunset. — East Beach - photo by Steve Dunsford, owner of the Mad Musher Restaurant and Inn

Evening: sand, sunsets and stargazing

Once you've packed up your paddles and dried off, it's time to let your arms rest!

Stop in for dinner at the Mad Musher! You can eat at the Musher’s picnic tables along the Madawaska River, or take it back to Four Corners for dinner at your tent!
Or, if you haven't had enough of the water yet, you could take your meal with you as you head to Galeairy Lake Beach. Eat, swim, or just relax in the sand as you watch the cotton candy skies as the sun sets over the water.

Then it’s back to camp for marshmallows, wolf howls (in the distance, if you're lucky!), and a fire under more stars than your city brain can compute.

A starry sky framed by the canopy of trees

Looking for more beaches in South Algonquin? Here's the list:

Day 3 of your summer vacation: Pedal, play, repeat

Your last day of fun (until next time!)

The only choice you have to make today is how exciting you want your last day to be.

Pro camping tip: Pack up your campsite early and head out for the day so that you can explore as many trails as you’d like before you hit the road for home, without needing to make a stop back in at camp to load up.

Looking for hard adventure

After you’ve enjoyed breakfast and a nice stretch, take highway 60 into the park at KM 31 and head over to Algonquin Outfitters at their Lake of Two Rivers location. You could rent bikes from Algonquin Outfitters and take a tour of the Old Rail Trail or the Minnesing Mountain Bike trail (check website for price details).

Two people bike side-by-side along a forest path surrounded by trees.

Looking for soft adventure

You've spent the last couple days hiking, biking, and paddling - so today, you want to take it easy before you head back home. We've got ideas for that, too!

Wild Company is your go-to spot for crafts and activities in the heart of nature. Take a look at the full program calendar for upcoming workshops, guided tours of trails or the night sky, nature-watching, forest crafts, and more!

One of our recurring workshops will include exploring marshland locations near Four Corners Algonquin!

Also Read: What are workshops, and why should I definitely sign up for one?

A cotton candy sky above a fall-coloured wet marshland.

Come back soon!

Goodbye for now, but we just know you'll come back again soon. Who wouldn't want to spend all their time in a place that looks like this?

Thank you so much for visiting, and we hope you had a wonderful time!

Did you know that we frequently offer camping discounts, FREE vacation giveaways, and discounts on our Wild Company workshops? It's true!

You can follow us on social media for all the promotions we have running throughout the year, but your best chance to get the best deals is to sign up for our email newsletter. Your email subscribers are the first to know when we have something going on!

an owl resting on a branch overlooking a large yellow rectangle: download your guide — FREE kid-friendly camping tips and a special discount code when you book your site

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