Achray, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Achray is an unincorporated place and former railway point in geographic Stratton Township in the Unorganized South Part of Nipissing District in northeastern
Ontario
, Canada
. It lies in northern Algonquin Provincial Park
on the northern shore of Grand Lake
, part of the Barron River
system, and functions today as a campground site.
It was originally a station with a passing track
on the main line of the Canadian Northern Railway
, between Hydro
to the west and Kathmore
to the east, later taken over by Canadian National Railway
as the CNR Beachburg Subdivision and now abandoned in the park. Once a major center for park administration, only a small complement of backcountry rangers still operates out of Achray. The old park operations centre is now a cinema/interpretive centre and the bunk house is now a tourist lodge at the canoe rental place on the Achray Road.
Tom Thomson
's painting, The Jack Pine
, was inspired by the scenery in this area. Thomson worked as a fire ranger at Achray in 1916. The cabin in which Thomson is reputed to have lived in now has some exhibits on the park history and Tom Thomson.
The campground has 45 campsites without electricity. Facilities are considered to be primitive compared to other campgrounds located in the park. The central park store is part of a railway depot complex that was built in the 1930s, made with stone quarried on the opposite shore of Grand Lake.
Hiking trails are available including the small interpretive Berm Lake Trail, and the longer Eastern Pines backpacking Trail that leads to a beautiful waterfall on the Barron River as it exits Stratton Lake. Camping is available at several designated spots, but they are very popular and should be reserved in advance.
The campground is a popular starting point for multiday canoe trips into the Barron Canyon (the highway).
Northeastern Ontario
Northeastern Ontario is the region within the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north and east of Lakes Superior and Huron.Northeastern Ontario consists of the districts of Algoma, Sudbury, Cochrane, Timiskaming, Nipissing and Manitoulin; and the single-tier municipality of Greater...
Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It lies in northern Algonquin Provincial Park
Algonquin Provincial Park
Algonquin Provincial Park is a provincial park located between Georgian Bay and the Ottawa River in Central Ontario, Canada, mostly within the Unorganized South Part of Nipissing District. Established in 1893, it is the oldest provincial park in Canada. Additions since its creation have increased...
on the northern shore of Grand Lake
Grand Lake (Nipissing)
Grand Lake is a lake in the Ottawa River drainage basin in the geographic townships of Barron and Stratton in the Unorganized South Part of Nipissing District in Northeastern Ontario, Canada....
, part of the Barron River
Barron River (Ontario)
The Barron River is a river in the Saint Lawrence River drainage basin in Nipissing District and Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada...
system, and functions today as a campground site.
It was originally a station with a passing track
Passing loop
A passing loop is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at a station, where trains or trams in opposing directions can pass each other. Trains/trams in the same direction can also overtake, providing that the signalling arrangement allows it...
on the main line of the Canadian Northern Railway
Canadian Northern Railway
The Canadian Northern Railway is a historic Canadian transcontinental railway. At its demise in 1923, when it was merged into the Canadian National Railway , the CNoR owned a main line between Quebec City and Vancouver via Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Edmonton.-Manitoba beginnings:CNoR had its start in...
, between Hydro
Hydro, Ontario
Hydro is an unincorporated place and former railway point in geographic Barron Township in the Unorganized South Part of Nipissing District in northeastern Ontario, Canada...
to the west and Kathmore
Kathmore, Ontario
Kathmore is an unincorporated place and former railway point in geographic Master Township in the Unorganized South Part of Nipissing District in northeastern Ontario, Canada...
to the east, later taken over by Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
as the CNR Beachburg Subdivision and now abandoned in the park. Once a major center for park administration, only a small complement of backcountry rangers still operates out of Achray. The old park operations centre is now a cinema/interpretive centre and the bunk house is now a tourist lodge at the canoe rental place on the Achray Road.
Tom Thomson
Tom Thomson
Thomas John Thomson , also known as Tom Thomson, was an influential Canadian artist of the early 20th century. He directly influenced a group of Canadian painters that would come to be known as the Group of Seven, and though he died before they formally formed, he is sometimes incorrectly credited...
's painting, The Jack Pine
Jack Pine (painting)
The Jack Pine is a well-known oil painting by Canadian artist Tom Thomson. A representation of the most broadly distributed pine species in Canada, it is considered an iconic image of the country's landscape, and is one of the country's most widely recognized and reproduced artworks.The painting...
, was inspired by the scenery in this area. Thomson worked as a fire ranger at Achray in 1916. The cabin in which Thomson is reputed to have lived in now has some exhibits on the park history and Tom Thomson.
The campground has 45 campsites without electricity. Facilities are considered to be primitive compared to other campgrounds located in the park. The central park store is part of a railway depot complex that was built in the 1930s, made with stone quarried on the opposite shore of Grand Lake.
Hiking trails are available including the small interpretive Berm Lake Trail, and the longer Eastern Pines backpacking Trail that leads to a beautiful waterfall on the Barron River as it exits Stratton Lake. Camping is available at several designated spots, but they are very popular and should be reserved in advance.
The campground is a popular starting point for multiday canoe trips into the Barron Canyon (the highway).