Adventures with Josie

25/08/2026

Relaxing river views!
📍 Location: Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park, Ontario.
Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park Ontario Parks Tourism North Bay Northeastern Ontario Tourism Destination Ontario

23/08/2026

I had to make a short trip to Sudbury a few weeks ago. When I'm going to visit a place that I'm not very familiar with, I like to do a little look around on Google Maps before I go, to see if I can find anything interesting to check out when I'm there. I came across a trail called the Blueberry Hill Trail that was located a short distance away from where I had to go, so that would be perfect. It ended up raining off and on through the day, but cleared up just enough for a while to be able to hike. It was a bit of a climb up to the top, where a gazebo sat on the rocky hilltop. I love rocky landscapes like this, and the Sudbury area has lots of them! It was overcast and a bit foggy because of the rain, but there was still quite a view! You could see some iconic Sudbury landmarks, like Ramsey Lake, Science North, I haven't been to Science North in a long time, but I'd like to visit again someday, and there was even a view of the Inco Superstack that is slowly getting shorter as they continue to demolish it from the top. And, true to the trail's name, there were lots of blueberry bushes, but only a few dried up blueberries left. I enjoyed the hike, it was a beautiful little trail!
📍 Location: Sudbury, Ontario.
Sudbury Tourism Rainbow Routes Association Northeastern Ontario Tourism Destination Ontario

23/08/2026

It's been so nice to be back in Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park this summer and get to watch the beautiful sunsets again along Moore Lake! It's my favourite place around the Mattawa area to watch sunsets as there is a nice wide open view west across the lake, and most evenings the water gets really calm and you can get some stunning sunset reflection shots. It's a little different this year though of course. The landscape around the lake has changed due to the many trees that fell during the storm last year. There used to be kind of a higher point of trees that stood on the island along the Wabashkiki Trail. Anywhere you looked from around the lake this, higher point of trees really stood out. Many of those trees on the island unfortunately fell, and all that's left that you can see from the distance now is two taller trees with a space between. You can see those two trees to the right side of the photo. The view has changed a little, but it's still beautiful!
📍 Location: Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park, Ontario.
Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park Ontario Parks Tourism North Bay Northeastern Ontario Tourism Destination Ontario Canadian Geographic

22/08/2026

Beautiful sunset reflections on Moore Lake!
📍 Location: Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park, Ontario.
Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park Ontario Parks Tourism North Bay Northeastern Ontario Tourism Destination Ontario

21/08/2026

A few of my photos are featured in this article on the Canadian Heritage Rivers / Rivières du patrimoine canadien website, about the storm at Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park last summer.

⛈️💨 When a devastating storm swept through Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park in June 2025, a landscape cherished by generations of visitors was forever changed.

Hardship and Hope: Recovering from the 2025 Storm at Samuel de Champlain tells a powerful story of loss, resilience, and renewal.

The park's landscape, shaped by centuries of natural and human history along the Mattawa River, was dramatically altered in a matter of minutes. Yet restoration efforts, replanting initiatives, and a shared commitment to the park's future are helping pave the way toward recovery. 🌲💚

👉 Read the full article: https://chrs.ca/en/news/hardship-and-hope-recovering-2025-storm-samuel-de-champlain

Image: Storm damage at Jingwakoki Campground.
📸 Credit: Josie Dismore



⛈️💨 Lorsqu'une violente tempête a frappé le parc provincial Samuel-de-Champlain en juin 2025, un paysage apprécié par des générations de visiteurs a été transformé à jamais.

Épreuves et espoir : le rétablissement du parc provincial Samuel-de-Champlain après la tempête de 2025 raconte une histoire marquante de perte, de résilience et de renouveau.

Le paysage du parc, façonné par des siècles d'histoire naturelle et humaine le long de la rivière Mattawa, a été profondément transformé en quelques minutes. Pourtant, les efforts de restauration, les initiatives de reboisement et un engagement collectif envers l'avenir du parc contribuent à son rétablissement. 🌲💚

👉 Lisez l'article complet : https://chrs.ca/fr/bulletins/difficultes-et-espoir-se-relever-de-la-tempete-de-2025-au-parc-provincial-samuel-de

Image : Dommages causés par la tempête au terrain de camping Jingwakoki.
📸 Crédit : Josie Dismore

21/08/2026

Beautiful Simpson Falls! Hidden away in the forest along the Mattawa River!
📍 Location: Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park, Ontario.
Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park Ontario Parks Tourism North Bay Northeastern Ontario Tourism Canadian Heritage Rivers / Rivières du patrimoine canadien

20/08/2026

Yesterday I went on a Big Canoe Tour at Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park! I've been going on the various canoe tours at the park, previously called the Voyageur Adventure Tours, since I was a little kid. It's always fun to paddle the 30 foot long, replica voyageur birch bark canoe, and learn some cool facts and history along the way! It had been quite a while though since I last did the tour along the Mattawa River. They've updated this three hour tour over the past couple years with some new things, and are offering the tours for free this season, so I thought it would be a great time to go! We started at the Mattawa River boat launch, paddled down river, stopping a few times along the way while staff told us some stories and history. Along the way we could see some sections of the forest high up on the ridges, that had been damaged by the big storm last year. Then we paddled around into 'The Gut' where we could take a break and have a little lunch. After that we began to paddle back up river. Ian, one of the park staff, sang a song for us, 'C’est l’aviron', a favourite of mine from the old 'The Voyageurs' National Film Board of Canada film. Before making our way back up to the boat launch, we stopped and got out of the canoe to walk up a very cold water creek to the beautiful Simpson Falls! It was such a nice day, I really enjoyed it! Thanks again to park staff, Ian and Dylan, for the great tour!

If you are interested in going on a Big Canoe Tour, more info can be found at the following link... https://blog.ontarioparks.ca/voyageur-tours/
📍 Location: Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park, Ontario.
Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park Ontario Parks Tourism North Bay Northeastern Ontario Tourism Destination Ontario Canadian Heritage Rivers / Rivières du patrimoine canadien Salus Marine Wear

20/08/2026

I went for a paddle in the big canoe yesterday! Always a fun time!

Back out in the big canoe! I enjoyed a beautiful paddle along the Mattawa River yesterday, during a Big Canoe Tour at Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park! It had been a while since I was last out on the river in the park, and it's always fun to paddle the huge, 30 foot long, replica voyageur birch bark canoe! These tours run until the end of September and are free this year! You just have to contact the park to register ahead of time. More info can be found at the following link... https://blog.ontarioparks.ca/voyageur-tours/
📍 Location: Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park, Ontario.
Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park Ontario Parks Tourism North Bay Northeastern Ontario Tourism Destination Ontario Canadian Heritage Rivers / Rivières du patrimoine canadien

17/08/2026

I recently had the chance to visit Peddler's Passage! I was working on a newspaper story about the farm business, located west of Mattawa in Calvin Township, and owners Peter and Morgan invited me to come for a tour! Peter showed me around the farm and gardens first. They grow all sorts of different vegetables and fruits, and even flowers, that they sell at their farm stand by the road. I brought some fresh vegetables home with me, which were delicious! The other part of their business, that Peter showed me next, was the farm stay. Across the field, hidden away in the forest, there is a unique shaped bunkie that is called 'The Diamond In The Rough'. People can rent out the bunkie on Airbnb. It's a cozy retreat, with views of the surrounding forest out large windows. Guests can cook inside or out on the BBQ, they can enjoy a campfire, play some darts or a game of pool outside in the trees, or they can also hike along the farm's 10km trail system! The couple have built beautiful trails that loop through the farm and forest, and around beaver ponds full of birds and wildlife! It's a lovely place and I hope to visit again sometime! Thanks again for the tour Peter and Morgan!
📍 Location: Peddler's Passage in Calvin Township, Ontario.
Peddler's Passage Municipality of Calvin Tourism North Bay Northeastern Ontario Tourism Destination Ontario

15/08/2026

Last week I rode my bike to Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park for the first time in almost two years! I never got to ride to the park last year at all, due the the park being closed after the big storm, so it was so nice to finally get out there again by bike! We ended up riding along Highway 17. Not always the most enjoyable ride, but it is the shortest route. After we arrived, we did a nice tour around all the open park roads, stopping to check out a lot of different spots along the way. Then we headed over to the Bagwa Day Use Area beach and had a really nice swim in Moore Lake. A family member came in later with pizza that we enjoyed with the lake views. And of course we ended the evening with a little walk around the campground and a stop to view the sunset at the dock. What a beautiful day!
📍 Location: Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park, Ontario.
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