I am planning on going to Algonquin this coming week to see if I can catch some of the moose, and I was wondering if anyone could suggest some particularly good spots.
Back in 1983 I did some work on moose ticks in Algonquin Park under Dr. Ed Addison. While I'm sure you'd find the procedures of measuring ticks under a microscope fascinating, the short version of the story is that Algonquin has an unnaturally high moose population - up to four or five moose per square mile.
You won't exactly be tripping over them, but they're certainly around. Moose tend to feed on aquatic plants during the summer, so marshes and other wetlands can be good locations to find them, especially during crepuscular periods (toward dawn and dusk). If you go there again in winter, because of their size one can find them out even during the most severe winter storms.
BTW, the period around late September/ early October is not a good time to go looking for them because rutting moose have been known to charge freight trains, log skidders, and other (smaller) things. It's amazing to contemplate, but something weighing nearly a ton with antlers weighing up to 60 lb can also be VERY quiet and be right on top of you before you hear it. If you REALLY want to see moose, try Newfoundland. They were imported to the island but have no natural predators.
As far as Algonquin Park goes, hwy 60 runs east/west through the south end of the park and there are a number of trails of varying length and difficulty leading off from there. Campgrounds are available and there are also a number of canoe routes through the park.
You can drive through the park's boundaries on the highway w/o stopping for free, but if you're planning to get out and walk around (any day but Christmas), you'll need to purchase a day pass. In addition to moose, the park includes several disparate ecosystems, so just from driving from one end to the other you'll encounter a variety of different landscapes and a LOT of beautiful scenery.
For me, I find the southern areas of the park pretty crowded, especially during the summer, and so I prefer the road into the north end of the park, especially around Barron's Canyon. It's not as easy to find, and definitely less crowded.
One more thing... Moose look VERY black, so if you're driving the road west out of Whitney at 6:00 in the morning and it's really foggy, be extra careful or you won't see that 'absence of light' until the last second and when you swerve around him his butt will break off the passenger side mirror of your vehicle and push it through the window.
Mike.
P.S. If you run into Bill Reynolds (writer/ photographer), say hi to him for me. He spent (spends?) a lot of time in the park. He won't likely remember me but he might remember the night we sat up babysitting a wolf with a broken pelvis (hit by car) until a Conservation Officer showed up to dispatch her. Being a provincial park, no firearms were allowed at the research station.
