Bon Echo Provincial Park
Encyclopedia
Bon Echo Provincial Park is a provincial park in South Central Ontario
north of Kaladar, Ontario
, approximately 6 km north of Cloyne
.
Bon Echo features several lakes, including part of Mazinaw Lake
, the second-deepest lake in Ontario. The southeastern shore of Mazinaw Lake features the massive 100 m high Mazinaw Rock, an escarpment
rising out of the water with many native pictographs. The unofficial mascot of Bon Echo Park is the Ojibwe trickster
figure and culture hero
, Nanabush, who is among the pictographs found in the area. Pictographs are often confused with petroglyphs, which are rock carvings rather than the over 260 rock paintings found on Mazinaw.
The site of the Mazinaw pictographs was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1982.
After a number of successful years at the Inn, a personal tragedy compelled Dr. Price to sell his holdings at Bon Echo. He found a buyer in Howard and Flora MacDonald Denison. Flora was both a successful business operator in Toronto
and a vocal proponent of women's rights, starting, along with other feminists, the Canadian Suffrage
Association. Years earlier the Denisons had attempted to purchase a cottage from Price, but instead had settled for a lot south of the Inn when Price was reluctant to sell to them. After obtaining the property for $15,000, they sent away the pastors and turned Bon Echo Inn into a haven for artists, poets and writers, most notably James Thurber
.
Although Walt Whitman
had never visited Bon Echo, Flora admired Whitman's work so much that she commissioned a piece of his poetry to be chiseled into the face of the Rock in foot-tall lettering, where it can still be seen today. The work was performed by two Aberdeen, Scotland stonemasons and took all of the summer of 1919 to complete.
After her death in 1921, the land and Inn was inherited by Merrill Denison
, her son and a very successful entrepreneur. He continued to operate the Inn until the beginning of the Great Depression
in 1929. After that, the Inn was leased to the Leavens Brothers who operated it as a summer hotel, and other portions of the property were rented out for use as a boys' camp and other recreational purposes. In 1936, the Inn and many outbuildings were destroyed in a fire started by lightning striking the bakehouse. The loss was not fully covered by insurance, and the Inn was never rebuilt.
Merrill Denison continued to spend summers at Bon Echo, using it as a quiet location to write. Some of the cottages, including Dollywood and Greystones, remained in use as summer getaways for years to come, but financially the property was often a burden on the Denisons. In 1955 the province of Ontario passed legislation allowing them to accept donations of land to form provincial parks. Although he could have made a substantial profit dividing and selling sections of the property as building lots, Denison's interests in conservation led him to donate the land to the province for the purpose of forming a park in 1959.
In 1965, Bon Echo Provincial Park officially opened. A plaque was placed at the Narrows dedicating the park to Flora MacDonald Denison and Muriel Denison
, who was Merrill Denison's first wife and an author whose works include the 'Susannah' series (Susannah of the Mounties
, et al.), made famous by the Shirley Temple
film adaptions.
maintains a hut
on the lake, and Bon Echo rock climbing remains core to the ACC's Toronto Section to this day.
In addition, accommodation in heated yurt
s is available in the Sawmill Bay camping area. The yurts are an alternative to tenting or RVs, accommodating up to 6 and providing a more protected environment for less hardy visitors.
Cutting and collecting firewood is prohibited on these sites to prevent environmental disturbances or damage. Firewood must be purchased at camp offices. Due to the Emerald Ash Borer
firewood may not be brought to the Park.
Bon Echo is known for its "backwoods camping" experience, almost unique in this part of Ontario. The "Abes and Essens" trail in the northern reaches of the site hosts several campsites, each equipped with nothing more than a picnic table, and a roughly delineated campfire area. Unlike other areas of the park, none of these sites have access to running water, electricity, or any other park service. Disturbing these sites is also discouraged, although the collecting of deadwood and digging of pits to properly dispose of waste is recognized as essential in these isolated areas, and is tolerated if done carefully.
Augmenting the ruggedness of the experience, Abes and Essens is regarded as a strenuous trail. The terrain is, in places, very rough and uneven, often with shield rock jutting up as on the Bruce Trail
. Depending on the loops and paths one takes, the hike will take between 2 and 7 hours. The trail features three loops of four, nine and 17 km, which intersect at various points, allowing one to navigate the trail in many different ways. The paths are not bold, preserving the ecology of the trail, and can be confusing at times, although the way is marked by flags on particularly difficult sections. Due to the length and difficulty of the trail, it is not recommended for the ill-prepared (or overpacked) camper, nor the unfit or inexperienced day-hiker.
Other, less strenuous hiking trails include the Shield Trail and the High Pines Trail, as well as the path that leads up along the top of Bon Echo Rock, which provides a stunning view from its designated viewing areas above the narrows of Mazinaw Lake.
It is possible to rent boats and boating paraphernalia at camp offices to explore the lakes and waterways.
Bon Echo Park has beaches along Mazinaw Lake, including North Beach (at the southern end of North Mazinaw), South Beach and New Beach (both at the northern end of South Mazinaw). The beach waters are generally at their warmest in August, and swimmer's itch
is not uncommon.
es are present, small fish can be observed, but generally only closer to the shores of these lakes, or clustered around the islands found therein.
In most lakes, lake trout
, yellow pickerel
, smallmouth
and largemouth bass
, lake whitefish
, and northern pike
can all be found. Additionally, in the more secluded areas one may see white-tailed deer
, moose
, black bear
, red fox, beaver
, and raccoon
s. Commonly seen mammals include eastern cottontail rabbits, eastern chipmunk
s, red squirrel
s, gray squirrels, and vole
s. It also hosts Ontario's only lizard, the Five-lined Skink.
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....
north of Kaladar, Ontario
Kaladar, Ontario
Kaladar is a community in the municipality of Addington Highlands in Lennox and Addington County Ontario, Canada. It is located at the junction of Highway 7 and Highway 41.To the north is Bon Echo Provincial Park...
, approximately 6 km north of Cloyne
Cloyne, Ontario
Cloyne is a small village in the township of Addington Highlands, Lennox and Addington County, Ontario, Canada. It is located on Ontario Highway 41 about by road north of Kaladar at the crossroads of Highway 41 with Ontario Highway 7, with the settlements of Bishop Corners and Northbrook in...
.
Bon Echo features several lakes, including part of Mazinaw Lake
Mazinaw Lake
Mazinaw Lake is a lake in the Addington Highlands north of Kaladar in Eastern Ontario. The lake is situated on the upper Mississippi River. It has a perimeter of and averages in depth with a maximum depth of , making it the second deepest lake in Southern Ontario besides the Great Lakes. There...
, the second-deepest lake in Ontario. The southeastern shore of Mazinaw Lake features the massive 100 m high Mazinaw Rock, an escarpment
Escarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:...
rising out of the water with many native pictographs. The unofficial mascot of Bon Echo Park is the Ojibwe trickster
Trickster
In mythology, and in the study of folklore and religion, a trickster is a god, goddess, spirit, man, woman, or anthropomorphic animal who plays tricks or otherwise disobeys normal rules and conventional behavior. It is suggested by Hansen that the term "Trickster" was probably first used in this...
figure and culture hero
Culture hero
A culture hero is a mythological hero specific to some group who changes the world through invention or discovery...
, Nanabush, who is among the pictographs found in the area. Pictographs are often confused with petroglyphs, which are rock carvings rather than the over 260 rock paintings found on Mazinaw.
The site of the Mazinaw pictographs was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1982.
History
The Bon Echo region - after enterprising lumbering companies came and went, along with the farming communities that accompanied them - was purchased in 1889 by Dr. Weston A. Price and his wife, who were inspired by the majesty of Mazinaw Rock and the surrounding area. They named the area 'Bon Echo' because of the acoustical properties of the Rock, bouncing sound across Mazinaw Lake. There on the narrows, the Prices built a large, handsome hotel, the Bon Echo Inn, which catered to the wealthy who were looking for a healthful retreat. Price banned alcohol on the premises due to strong religious beliefs and the Inn attracted primarily people who shared the Price's beliefs. The hotel was also populated by a contingent of Methodist pastors, and attendance at Sunday church was required by those who stayed there.After a number of successful years at the Inn, a personal tragedy compelled Dr. Price to sell his holdings at Bon Echo. He found a buyer in Howard and Flora MacDonald Denison. Flora was both a successful business operator in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and a vocal proponent of women's rights, starting, along with other feminists, the Canadian Suffrage
Suffrage
Suffrage, political franchise, or simply the franchise, distinct from mere voting rights, is the civil right to vote gained through the democratic process...
Association. Years earlier the Denisons had attempted to purchase a cottage from Price, but instead had settled for a lot south of the Inn when Price was reluctant to sell to them. After obtaining the property for $15,000, they sent away the pastors and turned Bon Echo Inn into a haven for artists, poets and writers, most notably James Thurber
James Thurber
James Grover Thurber was an American author, cartoonist and celebrated wit. Thurber was best known for his cartoons and short stories published in The New Yorker magazine.-Life:...
.
Walt Whitman
Walter "Walt" Whitman was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse...
had never visited Bon Echo, Flora admired Whitman's work so much that she commissioned a piece of his poetry to be chiseled into the face of the Rock in foot-tall lettering, where it can still be seen today. The work was performed by two Aberdeen, Scotland stonemasons and took all of the summer of 1919 to complete.
After her death in 1921, the land and Inn was inherited by Merrill Denison
Merrill Denison
Merrill Denison was a Canadian playwright.Born in Detroit and raised in Ontario, Denison's mother was American , and his father was of American Revolutionary stock....
, her son and a very successful entrepreneur. He continued to operate the Inn until the beginning of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
in 1929. After that, the Inn was leased to the Leavens Brothers who operated it as a summer hotel, and other portions of the property were rented out for use as a boys' camp and other recreational purposes. In 1936, the Inn and many outbuildings were destroyed in a fire started by lightning striking the bakehouse. The loss was not fully covered by insurance, and the Inn was never rebuilt.
Merrill Denison continued to spend summers at Bon Echo, using it as a quiet location to write. Some of the cottages, including Dollywood and Greystones, remained in use as summer getaways for years to come, but financially the property was often a burden on the Denisons. In 1955 the province of Ontario passed legislation allowing them to accept donations of land to form provincial parks. Although he could have made a substantial profit dividing and selling sections of the property as building lots, Denison's interests in conservation led him to donate the land to the province for the purpose of forming a park in 1959.
In 1965, Bon Echo Provincial Park officially opened. A plaque was placed at the Narrows dedicating the park to Flora MacDonald Denison and Muriel Denison
Muriel Denison
Muriel Denison, née Jessie Muriel Goggin , was a Canadian writer.Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, she was educated at Havergal College, Edgehill School, and the Royal Conservatory of Music...
, who was Merrill Denison's first wife and an author whose works include the 'Susannah' series (Susannah of the Mounties
Susannah of the Mounties
Susannah of the Mounties is a novel written by Muriel Denison in 1936. In the book Susannah is sent to Regina, Saskatchewan to spend the summer with her uncle who is a Mountie...
, et al.), made famous by the Shirley Temple
Shirley Temple
Shirley Temple Black , born Shirley Jane Temple, is an American film and television actress, singer, dancer, autobiographer, and former U.S. Ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia...
film adaptions.
Rock climbing
In 1956, Kay McCormick, Marnie Gilmour, David Fisher and Alan Bruce-Robertson paddled across Mazinaw Lake in a canoe on the Saturday of the Labour Day weekend, and climbed a rock outcropping subsequently named Birthday Ridge. On Sunday (Marnie's birthday), they climbed Front of the Pinnacle. This marked the first rock climbing on Mazinaw Rock. The Alpine Club of CanadaAlpine Club of Canada
The Alpine Club of Canada is a mountain club with a National Office in Canmore, Alberta that has been a focal point for Canadian mountaineering since its founding in 1906. The club was co-founded by Arthur Oliver Wheeler, who served as its first president, and Elizabeth Parker, a journalist for...
maintains a hut
Bon Echo hut
Coordinates: The Bon Echo hut is an alpine hut located in Bon Echo Provincial Park on Mazinaw Lake in Ontario. The hut is maintained by the Toronto Section of the Alpine Club of Canada....
on the lake, and Bon Echo rock climbing remains core to the ACC's Toronto Section to this day.
Camping, hiking, boating and swimming
Bon Echo's Mazinaw and Hardwood Hills 500+ campsites are typical of those in the Ontario Parks system. Grassy or lightly wooded lots are set back from unpaved access roads and are backed by natural, untended land—generally conifer-deciduous forest in this park. Both campsites host a large number of RV accessible lots. Electricity is also available to 130 campsites. All sites are located close to a source of running water, as well as a latrine or flush toilet. Comfort stations with washrooms, showers, and laundry facilities are available at major campgrounds. There is also a radio-free area, a Visitor Center, Gift Shop, and the Mugwump Ferryboat for crossing the river to hike the Cliff-Top Trail to Bon Echo Rock.In addition, accommodation in heated yurt
Yurt
A yurt is a portable, bent wood-framed dwelling structure traditionally used by Turkic nomads in the steppes of Central Asia. The structure comprises a crown or compression wheel usually steam bent, supported by roof ribs which are bent down at the end where they meet the lattice wall...
s is available in the Sawmill Bay camping area. The yurts are an alternative to tenting or RVs, accommodating up to 6 and providing a more protected environment for less hardy visitors.
Cutting and collecting firewood is prohibited on these sites to prevent environmental disturbances or damage. Firewood must be purchased at camp offices. Due to the Emerald Ash Borer
Emerald ash borer
The emerald ash borer is a green beetle native to Asia.In North America the borer is an invasive species, highly destructive to ash trees in its introduced range. The potential damage of this insect rivals that of Chestnut blight and Dutch Elm Disease...
firewood may not be brought to the Park.
Bon Echo is known for its "backwoods camping" experience, almost unique in this part of Ontario. The "Abes and Essens" trail in the northern reaches of the site hosts several campsites, each equipped with nothing more than a picnic table, and a roughly delineated campfire area. Unlike other areas of the park, none of these sites have access to running water, electricity, or any other park service. Disturbing these sites is also discouraged, although the collecting of deadwood and digging of pits to properly dispose of waste is recognized as essential in these isolated areas, and is tolerated if done carefully.
Augmenting the ruggedness of the experience, Abes and Essens is regarded as a strenuous trail. The terrain is, in places, very rough and uneven, often with shield rock jutting up as on the Bruce Trail
Bruce Trail
The Bruce Trail is a hiking trail in southern and central Ontario, Canada.-General:The trail follows the edge of the Niagara Escarpment, one of the thirteen UNESCO World Biosphere Reserves in Canada, for almost...
. Depending on the loops and paths one takes, the hike will take between 2 and 7 hours. The trail features three loops of four, nine and 17 km, which intersect at various points, allowing one to navigate the trail in many different ways. The paths are not bold, preserving the ecology of the trail, and can be confusing at times, although the way is marked by flags on particularly difficult sections. Due to the length and difficulty of the trail, it is not recommended for the ill-prepared (or overpacked) camper, nor the unfit or inexperienced day-hiker.
Other, less strenuous hiking trails include the Shield Trail and the High Pines Trail, as well as the path that leads up along the top of Bon Echo Rock, which provides a stunning view from its designated viewing areas above the narrows of Mazinaw Lake.
It is possible to rent boats and boating paraphernalia at camp offices to explore the lakes and waterways.
Bon Echo Park has beaches along Mazinaw Lake, including North Beach (at the southern end of North Mazinaw), South Beach and New Beach (both at the northern end of South Mazinaw). The beach waters are generally at their warmest in August, and swimmer's itch
Swimmer's itch
Swimmer’s itch, also known as lake itch, duck itch, cercarial dermatitis, and Schistosome cercarial dermatitis, is a short-term, immune reaction occurring in the skin of humans that have been infected by water-borne schistosomatidae...
is not uncommon.
Natural history
Several of the lakes on the Abes and Essens trail are stone-bottomed, hewn by glacial procession. They are relatively free of detritus and sand, and as such, the water is clear and cold. Consequently, these lakes are relatively devoid of fish and plant species found elsewhere throughout the park. Where leechLeech
Leeches are segmented worms that belong to the phylum Annelida and comprise the subclass Hirudinea. Like other oligochaetes such as earthworms, leeches share a clitellum and are hermaphrodites. Nevertheless, they differ from other oligochaetes in significant ways...
es are present, small fish can be observed, but generally only closer to the shores of these lakes, or clustered around the islands found therein.
In most lakes, lake trout
Lake trout
Lake trout is a freshwater char living mainly in lakes in northern North America. Other names for it include mackinaw, lake char , touladi, togue, and grey trout. In Lake Superior, they can also be variously known as siscowet, paperbellies and leans...
, yellow pickerel
American pickerel
The American pickerels are two subspecies of Esox americanus, a species of freshwater fish in the pike family of order Esociformes: the redfin pickerel, E. americanus americanus Gmelin, 1789, and the grass pickerel, E. americanus vermiculatus Lesueur, 1846.Both subspecies are native to North America...
, smallmouth
Smallmouth bass
The smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...
and largemouth bass
Largemouth bass
The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
, lake whitefish
Lake whitefish
The lake whitefish , also called the Sault whitefish or gizzard fish, is a species of freshwater whitefish from North America. Lake whitefish are found throughout much of Canada and parts of the northern United States, including all of the Great Lakes. A valuable commercial fish, they are also...
, and northern pike
Northern Pike
The northern pike , is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox...
can all be found. Additionally, in the more secluded areas one may see white-tailed deer
White-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
, moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
, black bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
, red fox, beaver
American Beaver
The North American Beaver is the only species of beaver in the Americas, native to North America and introduced to South America. In the United States and Canada, where no other species of beaver occurs, it is usually simply referred to as "beaver"...
, and raccoon
Raccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
s. Commonly seen mammals include eastern cottontail rabbits, eastern chipmunk
Eastern Chipmunk
The eastern chipmunk is a small squirrel-like rodent found in eastern North America, the sole living member of the chipmunk genus and subgenus Tamias....
s, red squirrel
American Red Squirrel
The American Red Squirrel is one of three species of tree squirrel currently classified in the genus Tamiasciurus and known as pine squirrels...
s, gray squirrels, and vole
Vole
A vole is a small rodent resembling a mouse but with a stouter body, a shorter hairy tail, a slightly rounder head, smaller ears and eyes, and differently formed molars . There are approximately 155 species of voles. They are sometimes known as meadow mice or field mice in North America...
s. It also hosts Ontario's only lizard, the Five-lined Skink.