I'll always yearn for the ocean, but if salt water just isn't possible, Georgian Bay in northern Ontario, is the next best thing. A landscape which inspired Group of Seven paintings, crystal-clear Georgian Bay is surrounded by misshapen evergreens and ancient quartzite hills. Killarney Provincial Park lies on the northern coast of the Bay, about one hour south of Sudbury. A large body of water, Georgian Bay mimics the ocean with its cold temperatures, choppy water, and crashing waves. A desire to be near water and test our limited camping skills led to combining a few days of kayaking on the bay with a few days of hiking in the park.
Sea kayaks are steady and the chance of tipping is low.
With the fibreglass kayaks provided by Killarney Outfitters, paddling the kayaks full of gear was not strenuous. The hardest part is when high winds and choppy open water join together to make paddling a bit nerve-racking. The benefit of kayaking along shorelines is that the boat can glide through anything-tall water grass, in between rocks and through hidden bays. We never met up with a speed boat and once we realized Georgian Bay was full of narrow waterways, paddling in between islands became our preferred route. Killarney Outfitters supplies clients with equipment from dehydrated food to camping stoves to dry bags.