Ontario Park Insider Report on Bonnechere

Belted kingfishers swoop across the river and the pileated woodpecker's hysterical call echoes throughout the backwoods. American bitterns sing out from patches of sedge where the river widens, and an assortment of warblers flutter through the trees. Wildlife abounds along the shores of the Bonnechere River, part of Bonnechere Provincial Park.

Winding its way through the northern portion of the Madawaska Highlands, between the southeast border of Algonquin Park and Round Lake, The Bonnechere is rich in human history too. Aboriginal peoples hunted, fished and trapped, lumbermen felled trees, and immigrant settlers cleared farms. Over time, each group left its mark on the landscape.

Thanks to extensive archeology research performed by members of the Ontario Archaeological Society, the park has been able to bring its rich human history to life. So rich in fact, that research has uncovered human activity in the region that dates as far back as 3000 B.C. There are several events you can be a part of throughout the year, simply log on to the Friends of Bonnechere website to find out more.

Nearby and Natural

Bonnechere is a great base camp for exploring the natural and historical wealth of the region. Once you are finished discovering the wonders of the park, hop in your car, grab your hiking boots or paddle and discover some of these hidden gems.

Basin Depot, a historical site located a few kilometres north of the main campground inside the boundary of Algonquin Park, contains the ruins of an old shantytown loggers inhabited between 1850 and 1913. A well-constructed log home built by the McLachlin Lumber Company in 1892 is still intact, making it the oldest standing building in the Algonquin region. The house served as a hospital during a diphtheria epidemic in 1911, and at least seven gravesites hidden in a nearby poplar grove remain as signs of the outbreak. There are ten self-guided hikes to various historic and scenic sites along the upper Bonnechere River at Basin Depot.

Heading in the opposite direction, take a driving tour of the Bonnechere River Watershed to Eganville. Once there, you can visit the Bonnechere Museum, which features the natural and cultural landscapes of the Bonnechere River watershed. After lunch, follow the Fourth Chute Road to Ontario's Natural Underground Wonder - the Bonnechere Caves where award-winning guides lead you underground through a series of eerie and entrancing passages.

Copyright Queen's Printer for Ontario, 2008

For more information, go to the Bonnechere listing on CampSource.