Arrowhead Provincial Park Stole Our Hearts

Today’s post comes from Mary, the mom behind the Flying Couponer. Mary and her family were the first of five bloggers invited to document and share their Ontario Parks RV experience in a custom wrapped RV as part of this year’s OP125 celebrations. 

Last month we had the amazing opportunity to travel Ontario by RV in a custom-wrapped RV on a pre-determined route. It was an unforgettable experience to discover Ontario Parks the way we did. I couldn’t think of a better way to explore these treasures and to take in our province's beautiful landscapes.

Appropriately, we started our adventure in Ontario's first provincial park, Algonquin Provincial Park. There we attended the OP125 time capsule ceremony at the park's Visitor Centre. The next day we spent the afternoon at Oxtongue River-Ragged Falls Provincial Park and at Arrowhead Provincial Park. On the third day we enjoyed Restoule Provincial Park, and on the last day, we stayed at Six Mile Lake Provincial Park. 

The beach at Arrowhead Lake

Each of these parks had their distinctive features with spectacular views showcasing the beautiful wilderness of Ontario. We loved all of them but one, in particular, stole our heart—Arrowhead Provincial Park. Arrowhead was everything we were looking for and more. 

There was a beautiful view at every turn in Arrowhead Provincial Park

We were amazed at the beauty of Arrowhead Lake and Mayflower Lake. Canoeing on Arrowhead Lake, we spent a lot of our time spotting wildlife—lots of fish and even an elegant Great Blue Heron. Passing under a beautiful bridge and then circling back, we enjoyed the challenge of paddling as fast as we could to try and beat the current. It was our daughters’ first canoe ride and they absolutely loved it. 

Canoeing at Arrowhead was a real treat

After canoeing, we went on a short hike to see the Big Bend Lookout. This is the most famous lookout in the park and we understood why. What a view! A platform allowed us to see miles of forest and a rounded sandy beach.

The view from the Big Bend Lookout

We had planned on hiking the Stubb’s Falls Trail but unfortunately, we ran out of time. It’s a 3.9-kilometre walk through the woods and along the lake to see the Little East River rushing down a rock chute. We’ll be going back this fall to see the waterfall and all the beautiful colours.

The new facility at Arrowhead was 20 years in the making and well worth the wait

The newly minted Arrowhead Provincial Park Visitor Centre is really beautiful and offers canoes, kayaks, paddle boards, and mountain bikes for rent. During the colder months, they rent skis, snowshoes, and ice skates—and it's a great spot for snow tubing. Our family decided we'd have to try that out this winter.

Just like all the parks we visited, the staff at Arrowhead Provincial Park were super welcoming and made sure we were having a good time.

We had so much fun at Arrowhead Provincial Park that we didn't want to leave. We could have easily stayed a few more days. There were still so many things we didn’t have time to do and to explore. Good thing we are going back soon! 

Follow the RV’s journey through parks across the province on social media, and share your own RV experiences using #OPescape and #OP125.

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