A postcard for the rugged beauty of the Algonquin Highlands, Camp Kandalore provides one with daydreams of an ideal natural setting… the scent of pine, the sparkle of clear water and the dip of the canoe paddle. Close to the town of Minden and 230 km north of Toronto, Camp Kandalore offers a camping experience like no other. It stretches over 80 acres of boreal forest, secluded on its own private bay on Lake Kabakwa with a long and picturesque shoreline.
The finest traditional camp in Canada, Camp Kandalore experience has been changing the lives of young people for more than 75 years! Offering the very best of both canoe-tripping and camp activities, campers build life skills and fill their days with friends, laughter, campfires, songs, sunsets, and stars. In this pristine environment, the campers can truly challenge themselves and discover everything they can become.
About Camp Kandalore
Over the many years since becoming an all-gender camp in 1992, campers from around the world have enjoyed the first-class program of summer camp activities at Camp Kandalore. Often former campers themselves, the camp’s helpful staff and counsellors support the campers in their personal development.
Whether it’s on the water, in the forest or in camp, every camper can excel at Camp Kandalore and find a special place to explore their talents. Throughout the summer, campers develop their skills and independence with more than 30 different camp activities. From high ropes and pottery to water skiing, the choices seem endless!
However, Camp Kandalore is most known for its excellent canoe-tripping program where campers of all ages get the chance to participate in an overnight trip, leading up to a 22-day white water river expedition.
Activities at Camp Kandalore
With so many different activities available at Camp Kandalore, every camper can keep busy and even discover a new lifelong hobby or sport! The daily schedule at Camp Kandalore is divided into six activity periods, each filled with adventure and creativity. Organizers, staff and counsellors emphasize core camp skills and support the campers as they take part in major activities, plus whatever extra pursuits they would like to try. Soon enough, the campers feel the glow of accomplishment and exploration, with help from the exceptional staff and their peers.
Activities include:
- Land Sports — Archery, Basketball, Crossbow, Field Sports, Mountain Biking
- Water Sports — Canoe, Canoe-tripping, K2 Waterslide, Kayaking, Plunja (Waterslide & Diving Platform), Sailing, Snorkelling, Stand-Up Paddleboard, Swimming, Tubing, Wakeboarding & Knee Boarding, Water Trampoline, Waterskiing
- Arts — Arts & Crafts, Cooking, Dance, Drama, Leatherwork, Pottery, Woodworking, Ukelele
- Outdoor Pursuits — Fishing, Frisbee Golf, Gaga Ball, High Ropes Course, Log Roll, Nature & Ecology, Rock Climbing, 65-foot Team Swing, Yoga
Tripping at Camp Kandalore
One of the quintessential Canadian activities campers can experience at Camp Kandalore is to explore the beautiful nearby lakes and heritage rivers by canoe for an adventure they will never forget! These trips offer the campers the chance to learn new skills, overcome challenges and connect with nature in new ways. Canoe trips also build a camper’s confidence, teamwork and leadership skills, and the camp groups also develop into lifelong friendships.
The Kandalore canoe-tripping experience is unmatched, gradually introducing new skills and challenges as campers get older. Trips range from a single overnight for the youngest campers, up to a 12-day whitewater trip for Senior campers. Each canoe trip is carefully planned and led by trained and experienced staff members.
Canoe Tripping Groups include:
- Preps (ages 6-9) — Overnight trip to a nearby island on Lake Kabakwa
- Juniors (ages 10-11) — Two-day local canoe trip through the lakes around Kandalore or in Algonquin Park
- Intermediates (ages 12-13) —Three-night trip on local rivers, such as the Madawaska and the French
- Seniors (ages 14-16) — Participation and planning of 5-12 day trips on rivers such as the Spanish, Magnetawan, French, Coulonge, Noire and Petawawa. In their 16th year, campers can choose to do the Explorer program, an extensive wilderness canoe trip.
A Day in the Life at Camp Kandalore
The daily life of Camp Kandalore is active, busy and tons of fun! The camp’s excellent facilities include more than 60 camper cabins, with groups of 4-10 sleeping in bunk beds. Everyone has access to indoor showers and flush toilets. While younger campers have counsellors in their cabins, living in separate quarters, the cabins for older campers have counsellors staying next door or across the path.
Campers always eat with their cabin group and counsellors at the dining hall, the hub of Kandalore camp culture. There are various delicious meal options for campers to choose from. Furthermore, there are many camp buildings to support the daily lives of the campers, including a fully-equipped health centre and administration buildings. For activities, campers spend time in the many activity areas and facilities, such as the recreation hall with stage, arts & crafts and ecology buildings, and a tripping centre.
Both the morning and afternoon activities and adventures take place at Centre Camp. The kids find so many options that they have trouble doing it all! After completing the afternoon activities, cabin groups reassemble for a fun free-time activity. Then, after dinner, the busy day ends with an Evening Program. Groups do different activities together, such as a giant game of Capture the Flag, a build-your-own raft challenge, a section tubing night or a giant photo scavenger hunt.
Camp Kandalore Sample Daily Schedule:
- 7:15-7:30am: Wake up
- 8:00-8:45am: Breakfast
- 8:45-9:15am: Cabin clean-up
- 9:15-10:10am: Activity period 1
- 10:10-11:05am: Activity period 2
- 11:05am-12:00pm: Activity period 3
- 12:00-12:30pm: Free time
- 12:30-1:15pm: Lunch
- 1:15-2:15pm: Rest hour
- 2:15-3:10pm: Activity period 4
- 3:10-4:05pm: Activity period 5
- 4:05-5:00pm: Activity period 6
- 5:00-5:45pm: Free activity/swim
- 5:45-6:30pm: Dinner
- 6:30-7:15pm: Free Time
- 7:15-8:30pm: Evening Program
- 8:30-10:00pm: Lights Out (Cabin lights-out time depending on age group)
Don’t wait to start your child on their own Kandalore experience… Register here!
Camp Kandalore
When: Session Lengths in 1, 2 & 4-Week Options
Where: 1143 Camp Kandalore Drive, Algonquin Highlands, Haliburton
Phone: 705-489 2419 (Summer), 416-322 9735 (Winter)
E-mail: camp@kandalore.com
Website: www.kandalore.com
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