If you’re looking for a pure wilderness experience there are certain animals that have a way of confirming that you’ve arrived. One of those creatures is the Bald Eagle.

This impressive bird of prey is found across North America, yet many people have never seen one in person. On my recent adventure into Algonquin Park, it was a great surprise to learn that some Bald Eagles had taken up residence and started nesting on part of Opeongo Lake in recent years.

As we rode our Algonquin Outfitters water taxi ride out to our canoe put-in, we passed by an island that had one of the Bald Eagles minding it’s nest. As we watched the bird for some time, it took off and flew around the island, before perching atop one of the highest tree branches it could find.

It flew with such grace, it looked quite effortless. While I went to Algonquin Park mostly in search of Moose, this was one of many wildlife surprises that helped over deliver on excitement during my time in the park.

Editorial note: While I am always looking for great outdoor adventures, especially at our provincial parks in Ontario, this particular experience was compliments of the great people at Explorer’s Edge, who sent me on a 3-day “Quintessentially Canadian” tour in Ontario as part of the TBEX Toronto conference.