How many islands in Georgian Bay Islands National Park?

My friend Louise recently told me that she never researches her destination before travelling; this way everything is a surprise. I’m the total opposite. I always thoroughly research my destinations. My son Ben believes that I enjoy planning and researching more than I do travelling. That’s not true, but I have to admit I love planning a trip, even when it’s not my own. When my brothers or sisters tell me they plan on travelling, it takes a lot of willpower not to jump in take over the planning!

I’ve been researching my 2018 Summer Quest Road trip and found several interesting facts on the first park we’ll be visiting, Georgian Bay Islands:

1. Stretching for 50 kilometers along eastern Georgian Bay, Georgian Bay Islands National Park protects 63 islands within Earth’s largest freshwater archipelago.

2. More kinds of reptiles and amphibians live here than anywhere else in Canada, 33 species in total. The park has designated four of these, including the eastern massasauga rattlesnake, as priority species requiring special protection. Beausoleil Island, the park’s largest island is one of the last refuges for the seldom seen eastern massasauga; the only snake in Ontario whose venom is poisonous and potentially dangerous.

3. In case you are trying to picture the park in your mind, just think of a painting from Tom Thompson as the park’s landscape inspired the work of the iconic Group of Seven.

4. Georgian Bay will be particularly interesting as the park is a transition zone between Canada’s hardwood forests which extend into the United States and the boreal forests of the Canadian north, and in fact, when hiking Beausoleil Island, you can see both types of forests on either sides of the island.

On August 12th, Michel and I will be boarding the park’s boat shuttle Day Tripper for our two night stay in one of the park’s Otentik tents. I do hope to see a massassauga rattlesnake (but not too close)!