A dreamy one-night escape from Toronto is taking travellers under Ontario’s darkest skies just in time for one of the biggest celestial events of the year.
Four Corners Algonquin, located in Whitney just outside Algonquin Provincial Park, is hosting an overnight glamping experience from Aug. 12 to 13 during the peak of the Perseid meteor shower (just one of three Ontario sky shows taking place this month), and you don’t even need a car to get there!
Parkbus is running a special direct round-trip coach from Toronto to Four Corners Algonquin for $65 per person, with pickup at around 3 p.m. on Wednesday and the return trip departing at about 10:30 a.m. Thursday.
Once you arrive, you’ll settle into a four-person safari tent complete with one king bed, two twin floor mattresses, solar-powered lighting and a phone charging station. Each campsite also comes with Muskoka chairs, a picnic table, fire pit and propane barbecue, as well as free firewood delivered to your site!
You’ll have to bring your own bedding, but food is taken care of, with dinner on Wednesday evening and breakfast the following morning included.
Now, for what happens after dark. Four Corners sits beneath Bortle 2 skies (to get a little geeky: that’s the second-darkest category on the Bortle scale, meaning very little light pollution and conditions that are dark enough for the Milky Way to appear much brighter than anything you’d typically see from Toronto!).
From 9 to 11 p.m. on Aug. 12, University of Toronto-trained astronomer Caroline El-Khoury of Night Sky Adventures will lead guests through a guided stargazing session as the Perseid meteor shower lights up the sky.
She’ll point out constellations and planets, explain the science behind those glowing meteor trails and even share astrophotography tips for anyone hoping to capture the show on their phone for Insta.
And since the getaway takes place during the Perseids’ peak, you’ll likely spot dozens of meteors streaking overhead per hour!
Of course, if you miss this celestial experience, there are others to look forward to in August, as well as other amazing spots in Southern Ontario to watch celestial events.
