One Tank Trip: Escape to Beausoleil Island

“It’s another world over there,” said Mike Lavin, an interpreter and guide at Georgian Bay Islands National Park, hinting at the mystery and adventure we were about to encounter.

We weren’t going very far, just a 15-minute water taxi ride from Muskoka’s Honey Habour to Beausoleil Island, the biggest island within Canada’s smallest national park. The 14-square-kilometre protected space is situated in the world’s largest freshwater archipelago, the 30,000 islands on the east side of Georgian Bay. Park Canada stewards just a fraction of them, 63 to be exact, with most of the activities taking place on the 8km-long Beausoliel Island, where my daughter and I were heading for an overnight camping trip.

On this early September Sunday afternoon, there were few campers and we snagged what had to be the best campsite at the Cedar Spring Campground (#45). Though a little way from the comfort station (with the indoor washrooms and showers), it made up for it with its panoramic views of the deep, blue waters of Georgian Bay and the pink granite rocks of the Canadian shield. Before we even put up the tent, we explored its shores and were surprised when we encountered a massive stone chair.

“It’s like a giant’s chair,” my daughter said as we scrambled into the high seat to take a couple of selfies. She may have been right.

“The chair is a mystery,” Mike told us later. “No one is sure where it came from.”

Most likely, it was a former caretaker, but giant legends are part of the lore in these parts. One story described an angry giant who scooped up some earth and threw it into the water, creating the thirty thousand islands. If this behemoth needed a place to admire his handiwork, this would be the place to do it. We enjoyed the view, too, and returned to the giant’s chair a few times during our visit. The best moment was early in the morning with the sun rising and the mesmerising call of the loons.

Hiking and biking

There were a dozen trails that criss-crossed Beausoleil from easy strolls to longer treks that traversed the length of the island. Our first evening, we hiked the short Christian Trail that took us through the forest to the west of the island, where we were surprised at the waves and the wind compared to the calm waters of the east, where our campsite was.

The next morning, we joined Mike for an interpretive bike/hike to further explore the island (bike rentals and guided excursions were available from the visitor’s office).

“You just biked 2000 years,” Mike told us 10 minutes into our ride to Fairy Lake and Goblin’s Bay lookout.

He was referring to the geology of the island that changed from wooded, typically southern Ontario terrain to the bare rocks and outcrops of northern Ontario. Sudbury-born, I always get a thrill when the farmlands turn to rocks on my drives up north, so it was fascinating to see this transformation in such a small geographical area.

At one point we stopped at a clearing to search for one of the, island’s most elusive and endangered residents –the eastern massasauga rattler. We listened carefully for the tell-tale rattle, but there was no sign of Ontario’s only venomous snake.

But later as we hiked up to the look out, Mike spotted one very close to the trail we were hiking on. The small serpent was so well camouflaged, I was sure I would have missed it had I been on my own. Mike said this encounter was typical in that despite our proximity, this non-aggressive snake tended to remain still rather than attack. In fact, he continued, there were only one or two bites a year, often on people’s hands, suggesting that they might have been trying to pick them up.

Did I mention the entire island had a dragon-like shape? And we were heading up past its wing to the top of its head to Fairy Lake and Goblin Bay lookout.  With names like that, I knew I was in for a good story and I wasn’t disappointed. An Anishinaabe tale told the story of a beautiful woman and a mortal battle between her protector and a beast who wanted to capture her. The shape of the island was said to be that of the beast, and the island’s rocks were pink because of the bloodshed.

The true magic for me though was the view of Goblin’s Bay on top of the rocks framed by the windswept pines. Another world for sure.

If you go: Book one of their over 100 campsites, including roofed accommodations online. Transportation on the Park Canada Daytripper boat needs to be booked in advance. [Covid note: The campsites and visitor centre are open; however, there is no transportation, so visitors need to make private arrangements with water taxis or their own boats. The oTENTiks are also not available for the duration of the 2020 season, which finishes October 12th] https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/on/georg