Before you unpack your bags at the base camp—a rustic log cabin on the northwest margin of Algonquin Park—you’ll have taken part in a hike through four kilometres of hardwood and evergreen forest, eaten lunch and canoed two kilometres. And that’s only the first four hours of the three-day Pathways of the Algonquin tour. Other activities: an evening stargazing paddle (weather permitting); a walk in search of wild edibles; a sunset outing in the 26-foot voyageur canoe, ending in a cookout; and a pre-dawn paddle in search of moose. Less ambitious souls may opt for the Log Cabin package, with fewer excursions and more time to just hang around the lodge or borrow a canoe to explore Surprise Lake. The lodge has six rooms, each with two single beds. There’s no electricity, but there are plenty of candles and propane lights for evening reading, and a hot shower in the sauna building. Hearty meals are shared at a communal table (guests may bring their own wine), and a great stone fireplace and two wood stoves ensure comfort on cold nights.