Group of Seven experience route: Algonquin Provincial Park and Huntsville

Huntsville and area

Bronze Statue Sculpture of Tom Thomson

Begin your tour with a selfie at the bronze statue of Tom Thomson outside the box office of the Algonquin Theatre in the Civic Square in Huntsville. Created by local sculptor Brenda Wainman-Goulet, it embodies the town’s motto "touch the past, embrace the future".
Location: 37 Main Street East, Huntsville

Connect to the canvas

Take in Moonlight, Algonquin Park, c. 1915 by Thomson on display at the Art Gallery of Ontario.

Group of Seven Outdoor Gallery

Just under 100 hand-painted murals on exterior walls of public building make up this unique outdoor mural trail that stretches from Huntsville to Lake of Bays and throughout the Algonquin Park region. 
Location: throughout Muskoka

Connect to the canvas

View Thomson’s Sunset Sky, c. 1915, in the National Gallery of Canada.

Algonquin Adventure Tours

Set out on a three hour VIP Algonquin Park motorized canoe trip following Tom Thomson’s route to historic Canoe Lake. The guided tour is perfect for photography or sketching along the way.
Location: 1023 Cooper Lake Road, Dwight and Algonquin Provincial Park

Group of Seven Outdoor Exhibit and Mural

Located at the western edge of the Oxtongue Lake bridge near Algonquin Outfitters Road, you’ll find a plaque that places you where A.J. Casson stood as he painted Early September, Oxtongue Lake in 1969.
Location: Oxtongue Lake

Ragged Falls

The river and falls inspired numerous works by Tom Thomson and A.J. Casson, captured from land and from water. Take in the falls, enjoy a picnic or day-trip by canoe or kayak with Algonquin Outfitters.
Location: 1050 Oxtongue Lake Road, Dwight, Oxtongue River Provincial Park

Algonquin Provincial Park

Algonquin Provincial Park

Explore the land and waterways that inspired backpacking adventures and breathtaking paintings by Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven.

The Algonquin Park Visitor Centre features exhibits, a bookstore, theatre and an impressive viewing deck with a breath-taking panorama of the wild Algonquin landscape.

Connect to the canvas

Experience A.Y. Jackson’s Autumn, Algonquin Park, c. 1914 at the Art Gallery of Ontario and J.E.H. MacDonald’s Snow, Algonquin Park, c. 1914 at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection.

After exploring the park by day, turn in for a night at Bartlett Lodge, located within the park at Cache Lake.

Connect to the canvas

The sunset over the dock would likely be similar to Harris’ Algonquin Park Sunburst, 1912, oil on board 203 x 23.5 cm McMichael Canadian Art Collection

Algonquin Island Retreat at Voyageur Quest

Once home to Algonquin Park Ranger Tom Wattie from 1900-1931, this private island cottage retreat was visited frequently by Wattie’s friend and companion Park Ranger Tom Thomson, who completed sketches and paintings while on this island. Book your stay and discover your inner artist.
Location: South River

Tips and resources

• Summer and fall are busy seasons in Algonquin Provincial Park with foliage colour tours, late August wolf howls and other events. Spring is less crowded, while winter opens a whole new view.
   
• Book Ontario Parks day use permits and camping reservations in advance.
   
• Unravel the mystery of Tom Thomson’s death on Canoe Lake with George A. Walkers’ The Mysterious Death of Tom Thomson or John Little’s Who Killed Tom Thomson?
   
• Watch The Explorers: Paddle the Painted Landscapes as Gary and Joanie McGuffin canoe through the Barron Canyon, to catch a glimpse of landscapes in the backcountry that inspired the work of the Group of Seven, Tom Thomson and contemporary artists.
   
• Parkbus provides day and overnight trips to and from Toronto and Ottawa, Algonquin Park, Killarney Park, Georgian Bay and Tobermory.
   
• Some of these stops are seasonal, book ahead and double check operating hours and dates to avoid disappointment.