South Algonquin Equestrian Trails

Updated:

May 14, 2024

By Shawn Hamilton

Autumn in Ontario is my favourite time of year, when Mother Nature paints the trees spectacular arrays of reds, yellows, and oranges, and rural roadsides are bordered with the brightly coloured seasonal decor. Algonquin Provincial Park, in Ontario’s southeastern region, is a popular spot to take it all in. Located approximately 250 km north of Toronto and 260 km west of Ottawa, the natural area spans 7,630 km² — larger than Prince Edward Island at approximately 5,684 km². Accessible from the large urban centres of Toronto and Ottawa, every year nearly one million visitors come to hike, bike, bird watch, canoe, camp, and if lucky spot a deer or a moose.

In 1999, the South Algonquin Equestrian Trails horse facility opened its gates in a newly accessible part of the park’s southern tip, allowing visitors to explore from the saddle the vast array of fresh trails leading to lookouts, lakes, rivers, and waterfalls.

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One of South Algonquin Equestrian Trails’ 13 equine-friendly campsites in Algonquin Provincial Park. Photo: Clix Photography

Tammy Donaldson, owner of South Algonquin Trails, saw an opportunity to add horse owners to their visitor roster and built the first equine-friendly campsite on the property in 2018. Thanks to a growing demand they have now expanded to 13 horse-friendly camping areas, one with an electrical hookup, and three cabins available for rent. These sites, which are easy to manoeuvre horse trailers in and out of, come equipped with a fire pit, picnic table, and covered stalls, as well as shovel and wheelbarrel. Horse owners can enjoy the trails on their own mounts at their desired pace or hire a guide to show them around. Riders who find themselves horseless can join their friends on one of the facility’s 45 horses, accompanied by a guide. The campsites also provide a comfortable location for participants of the many clinics hosted on the property. From first-time rider to advanced trail enthusiast on their own horse, South Algonquin Equestrian Trails has covered all the bases.

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One of many spectacular fall views on the way up to South Algonquin Equestrian Trails. Photo: Clix Photography

My friends Anne and Adam were heading up to the park in the fall of 2023 and invited me to join them. Having experienced a wonderful ride the year before on a gentle and willing buckskin gelding named Milo, and lunching alongside a lake, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. A quick call to South Algonquin Equestrian Trails confirmed they could spare a horse and guide for the afternoon.

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Four riders share a memorable experience in beautiful Algonquin Provincial Park. Photo: Photo: South Algonquin Equestrian Trails

It was the peak of the season. The drive to the farm, north of Harcourt and west of Maynooth, passed through brightly coloured forests reflected in the small lakes next to the road. Pulling into the driveway of South Algonquin Equestrian Trails, I spotted a paddock of various-sized horses munching on a large pile of hay. Tammy greeted me and invited me to join a group of clinic participants enjoying a morning coffee with Jason Irwin, who was conducting a Working at Liberty clinic. With time to spare before my friends arrived with their trailer, I followed the group to the large outdoor arena to watch Jason introduce the art of liberty work to clinic participants. A beautiful draft-cross gelding named Rory came along the rail to introduce himself to me.

Next, I headed to the office to sign my waiver before meeting my mount for the afternoon. Perusing the brochure, I was amazed to see the long list of riding opportunities offered, from full- and part-day rides to family picnics. Riders under age five are accompanied by two staff, one to lead the pony and the other to walk alongside. Families can enjoy a ride to a small waterfall for a picnic, others having the option of joining on foot.

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A pony, groomed and tacked up, waits patiently for the day’s work to begin. Photo: Clix Photography

“We call it the Family Picnic Ride,” explained Donna, a staff member. “We have had anniversaries, engagements, and even a wedding at that little waterfall.”

family pony picnic ride serenity falls, south algonquin equestrian

The Family Pony Picnic Ride is a guided scenic ride to Serenity Falls where families enjoy a picnic lunch. Photo: South Algonquin Equestrian Trails

Half-day summer camps are also available with up to a dozen students per week. Ages range from six to 74, allowing older siblings, parents, and/or grandparents to join in the learning experience.

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A young boy rides a pony for the very first time at South Algonquin Equestrian Trails. Photo: Clix Photography

In their extremely well-organized tack room, I spotted one of their many helpers tacking up a pony. Others were busy grooming and picking out feet. A young boy, led by his father, headed to the mounting block to get on a pony for the first time, grinning in his cute blue rubber boots and Tipperary helmet. An abundance of ponies and horses groomed, tacked, and ready for the day’s work stood quietly. In the high season of July and August close to a dozen staff take out up to 50 riders per day.

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A staff member prepares a pony for a trail ride. Photo: Clix Photography

Jocelyn, Tammy’s daughter, introduced me to my mount, Avery, a cute 15.1 HH Appaloosa mare. Jocelyn has ridden since she was two years old and has competed in various disciplines including Mounted Games, where she represented Canada at the Open Worlds Team Championships in Ireland. She is a full-time financial planner but does her fair share of grooming, tacking-up, running camps, teaching lessons, and leading rides. After stashing my lunch in the saddle bags, Jocelyn and I mount up.

On our way to the trailer parking area to meet our trail mates, we passed some of the campsite areas. These feature beautiful covered stalls, pull-in areas for horse trailers, flat spots for tents, and a fire pit and picnic table. When I buy my next horse, I will most definitely come here to camp.

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Anne and Ghost at Lookout Ridge. Photo: Clix Photography

We arrived at the parking area to find Anne and Adam just finished tacking-up, and we all hit the trails. A beautiful day, with the blue sky a perfect backdrop for the bright autumn colours, we headed for Lookout Ridge, one of Anne’s favourites. It’s been some time since Adam rode but Anne’s 13-year-old registered Paint gelding, Baloo, took great care of him, with no hesitations on the various water crossings. Avery knows her job well and carried me smoothly across the bridge, through the creeks, and up the hills. On a flat spot we tried a little trot, then a nice long canter through the forest. It was heaven! Arriving at Lookout Ridge, we tied the horses and found a spot overlooking the vast valley to enjoy our lunches while we took in one of Mother Nature’s masterpieces of seasonal colours. Anne and Ghost, her off-the-track Thoroughbred gelding, posed for a picture before we wound back to the farm on an alternate but equally beautiful route. I reluctantly handed Avery’s reins back to a staff member and went to find Tammy to learn some history of the property.

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Adam stops to let Baloo take a drink along the trail. Photo: Clix Photography

Tammy had been running a trail riding business in the nearby Town of Harcourt when she heard from her municipal council and her neighbour, Tom Coghlan, that Algonquin Provincial Park was going to allow horseback riding in the south end. He and Tammy both knew that she was the one for the job.

“We started with 80 acres of bush. There wasn’t even a driveway, no hydro and no water, no fencing, just trees,” she said.

Their initial herd was small, just 12 horses, but hauling water in buckets twice a day from a neighbour’s property did not seem so insignificant at the time. As they grew, they built more fencing for paddocks, a storage barn for hay, an office, and campsites with stalls. Having accommodations for horses-and-owners clinics became more popular. They’ve hosted an emergency first aid clinic as well as various other clinicians including Lindsay Partridge. More clinics are in the works for 2024, including Jason Irwin returning, and Tammy is organizing a fun Poker Run throughout the season that anyone who arrives with their own horse can participate in.

trail riding south algonquin equestrian trails

More than 50 km of beautiful trails await you and your horse at South Algonquin Equestrian Trails. This is the view from the saddle of Milo, a buckskin gelding, in late fall. Photo: Clix Photography

“We are always expanding,” said Tammy. “There is constantly so much to do, and I am very thankful for my awesome support team that turns ideas into reality.”

The nearby Algonquin Eco Lodge has hosted many of South Algonquin Equestrian Trails’ guests, and now with the luxury Nomi Resort and Spa just down the road, the possibilities are endless. Tammy is hoping to host more international guests who can come to the Spa for a holiday and add horseback riding to their daily activities.

Not long after my trip to South Algonquin Equestrian Trails, I found Tammy and her helpers at Toronto’s Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in November, 2023. They had a booth featuring their horse-riding simulators, which Tammy imported from England.

horse-riding simulators at royal winter fair

Photo: Clix Photography

Named Argento, from the Gladiator movie, and Magneto, from the X-men movie, I had to give them a try, and was very surprised at how realistic they felt.

“They are great for training and camps. If you pull on the reins they will stop or slow down, helping to teach riders to not balance on the horse’s mouth,” explained Tammy.

The more I squeezed with my legs, the faster Argento and Magneto went. I tried to keep my post in tune during the trot, and the canter was very realistic. What a fun and safe way to learn to ride, and much less stressful for the horse.

Tammy has come a long way since her days of delivering newspapers on her pony. Her love of, and devotion to, both the horses and the business have given countless people the opportunity to see a piece of Canada’s precious wilderness from the back of a horse. The campground will continue to grow along with the expansion of the trail system. I urge you to reserve a ride on your own horse or on one of the many safe and sure-footed horses at South Algonquin Equestrian Trails, to experience for yourself Mother Nature’s art in all seasons in Algonquin Provincial Park. Happy Trails!

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Algonquin Provincial Park

The name “Algonquin” refers to the area’s indigenous inhabitants, the Algonquin peoples. Small, scattered family groups of Indigenous peoples had for centuries used the area now known as Algonquin Provincial Park to hunt, fish, and pick berries.

In the 1800s, loggers came from the Ottawa Valley to fell the giant white pine and red pine, used to produce lumber for the domestic market, and for export. The logs were floated down swollen rivers in the spring to the Ottawa River and beyond. A small number of homesteaders and farmers followed.

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Winter 1914-15 in Algonquin Park, painting by Tom Thomson. (Public domain in Canada and USA)

Algonquin National Park was originally established in 1893 to create a wildlife sanctuary and protect the headwaters of five major rivers which flow from the park. The park soon earned a reputation with sports fishermen, inspired artists such as the renowned Tom Thomson and The Group of Seven, and over the years gained a worldwide reputation among its many visitors who came to appreciate its natural, recreational, and cultural values.

The park’s name was changed to Algonquin Provincial Park in 1913 when it became Ontario’s first provincial park. The oldest provincial park in Canada, it has since expanded to twice its original size and is highly regarded as a cornerstone of our cultural and national heritage. Within the park there are more than 2,400 lakes and 1,200 km of streams and rivers. Lying in an area of transition between northern coniferous forest and southern deciduous forest, a unique mixture of forest types and a diverse range of plant and animal species are found within it due to its wide variety of environments. The park is home to 53 species of mammals including moose, black bear, beaver, and the Eastern wolf; 272 species of birds; 31 species of reptiles and amphibians; 54 species of fish; about 7000 species of insects; more than 1,000 species of plants; and more than 1,000 species of fungi. Hundreds of studies done on its protected flora and fauna have established Algonquin as the most important place in Canada for biological and environmental research.

Algonquin Provincial Park was named a National Historic Site in 1992, to recognize its role in the development of park management; pioneering visitor interpretation programs, which were later adopted by national and provincial parks across Canada; and many historic structures including lodges, hotels, a railway station, among others.

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Main Photo: Clix Photography