Route

George Lake access is the most popular in the park, and OSA Lake is pretty much always booked. Which is why Norway Lake is such a great alternative. Killarney Lake is another good option, however finding a campsite can take a while, due to the number of sites, and the size of the lake. With in the first 15 minutes of paddling on George Lake, you will see pink granite and white quartzite ridges on both sides of the Lake. It’s a super nice feeling to go from the campground to the wilderness of Killarney in such a short period of time. If you arrive late in the day, camping on George Lake is a great option. After George Lake, you will paddle through the swampy Freeland Lake. It is very difficult to travel to Norway via Kakakise when the water level is low in Freeland Lake. Killarney Lake is for sure the best way to access Norway Lake.

Campsites

There are a ton of campsites on Killarney Lake. The best sites are located near the middle of the lake, but if they are all taken, there is a good site at the far end of the lake. You don’t get to look at a wide-open lake, but the site is elevated enough that you can still get a nice view of the lake and the La Cloche range. The site has lots of room for tents and all the other amenities you would expect. The view down the lake is facing West, which should help with the sunset. Once you get to Norway, you will want the north east campsite on Norway. This campsite is elevated and has a super cool 30-foot cliff right beside the fire pit. Its safe to jump if you are feeling brave. The best part about this site is you can do all sorts of super fun day trips right from your campsite.

    Silver Peak & WhiskyJack Lake

Canoeing in Killarney Provincial Park might not be for you if climbing one of the highest peaks in Ontario doesn’t sound like fun. Hiking to Silver Peak is around 3.5km one way straight through the bush. You will get an awesome 360 vista of the park and a great view of the La Cloche range. WhickyJack Lake is much closer and only takes 30 minutes to hike through the bush. The lake is the clearest and maybe the coldest lake in the park. It is a bit frightening to swim above what looks like the abyss. Before disembarking, download the Avenza App and upload Jeff’s Killarney map! It will be a huge help. The app will give you an offline map of the park, plus it will provide your GPS location without a cell phone signal. I noticed Jeff’s Killarney map is no longer online, but hopefully you can still download them via the app when you read this. AllTrails is another offline map option but you have to be running the map in the app before you loose cell phone signal. The Pro version will let you download maps.

Route

The trail starts out by passing under some power lines, and witches to double track as you enter the trailhead. The green trail connectors are great for warming up the legs. All the trails here have some nice distance and link up well, so you don't have to check the map at every turn. Ridgeline is the most popular trail in this network, with its super fast valleys. The system is setup so that is possible to do two giant loops and ride different trails most of the time. 

Route

After paying the $4 park entry fee, the park attendant will offer you a free trail map. The trails are marked well, but you will need a map to make your way around. There are some great loops once you get a handle on all the junctions and side trails. Roller Coaster is a nice trail for getting the legs going. The North Creek Trail is a more picturesque part of the trail system, as it wanders through a bunch of small swamps. The more challenging trails offer some rocky and rooty bits, with tiny back to back climbs that will get the heart rate up.

Gators, Wooden Berms and a Bike Shop

This is gator country, and it did not disappoint. Right at the end of the ride, I ran into a gator sun bathing on a corner. Good thing another rider had kindly blocked off the trail. The wood work in Florida is fantastic. All their stuff is high quality, built right, and blends in with the flow of the trail. Finally, it is such a treat to have a bike shop at the trail head. This trail system has everything you need for a great ride.

Nearby Trails

Less than a 10 minute drive from Alafia State Park is the Balm Boyette Scrub Preserve trail system. Certainly, worth visiting before or after your visit. This spot is another trail system with some of the best MTB trails in Florida. 

Route

You might want to see the Bamboo Forest first, since it is the most popular.  On the way there, I took a cab because we were short on time. There are lots of trains, including an express to downtown Kyoto. The Bamboo Forest is over pretty quick. After exiting the forest I headed towards the river. The river walk and crossing the Togetsu-Kyo Bridge was very enjoyable. After that, the 20 minute hike up to the Arashiyama Monkey Park was next. No need for a map once you get past the entrance.

Route

The trail is a bit tough to navigate as some of the markers have fallen over, or they are just really hard to locate. Strongly recommend bringing an offline map of Grasslands to stay on course. The trails are only about a foot wide, which seem to quickly disappear under the tall grass. Give yourself 3 to 4 hours to navigate and stop for photos/wildlife. The trail is blazed by 3 feet high wooden posts spaced about about every 300 meters. 

Herds, Antelope and Colours

It only took 10 minutes to find a bison hoofing its way down the Eagle Butte trail. Even better, just over the next hill was a giant herd 100 strong. Truly awesome, to see them running through the fields. Spotting antelope was a little tougher, as they prefer to keep their distance. Two prairie dogs provided a wonderful wake up call, when they came to inspect my tent at sunrise. Don't let the wide open spaces fool you, there is wildlife everywhere you turn in Grasslands National Park. The wide variety of colours were the complete opposite of what I expected from Saskatchewan, and was the main reason why this park is such a nice surprise. 

Tee-Pees, Signal and Nearby Dinosaurs

The park offers a few accommodation options for those who want to stay a while. The Tee-Pee sounds pretty interesting or there is your standard front camping options. Cellular signals were absent on my into the park, so make sure your GPS/directions are on point. If you are heading west after your visit, the drive through the Canadian Badlands in Drumheller is something worth considering.