Algonquin is a near-North paradise of 3,500 square miles of forests, lakes and rivers atop the rugged Canadian Shield. This idyllic haven from urban life is easily accessible from dozens of major U.S. and Canadian population centers.

Michael Runtz has spent decades observing and photographing the wildlife of Algonquin Park; the 4th edition of The Explorer's Guide to Algonquin Park is the updated and expanded culmination of that work.

Informative but also highly evocative, Michael's prose demonstrates a love of the natural world and a genuine desire to share it with others. Elevated by Michael's award-winning wildlife photography, this work is one part guidebook, one part celebration of one of Canada's most treasured Parks.

This new edition features:

• Access routes, hiking trails and canoe routes indicated on easy-to-read full-color maps
• Where, when and how to see moose, wolves, birds and other wildlife, including 3 new chapters (Butterflies, Odonates, and Wildflowers)
• Points of historical interest, such as ranger cabins and aboriginal rock paintings
• A feature on climate change and how it has and will affect Algonquin wildlife
• New photography from the last 10 years of Michael's career
• Updated maps and lists of Park facilities and services.

Michael skillfully guides first-time visitors and seasoned explorers alike in this new, expanded color edition of The Explorer's Guide to Algonquin Park.

Michael Runtz
has been an avid birdwatcher since the age of five and has worked as an interpretive naturalist in Algonquin Provincial and Point Pelee National parks, hosted an international television series Wild by Nature, authored 10 natural history books, and written more than 1,000 newspaper and magazine natural history articles.

Michael teaches Natural History and Ornithology courses at Carleton University where his highly visual teaching style continues to attract record enrolments (to date more than 41,000 students have taken Natural History). Michael has received numerous awards including the Council of Canadian University Biology Chairs Distinguished Public Science Education Award and the Carleton University Lifetime Achievement Award.

A popular keynote speaker and a regular guest on radio and television, Michael was the only Canadian featured in the TVO/NHK Japan 2001 Superteachers series that profiled such notables as Jane Goodall and Nelson Mandella.

Michael Runtz's profile page

[Review of previous edition:] You name it, this book has it. A must if you plan to camp in Algonquin!

Home and School News

If you are looking for more information about Algonquin Park you will want to read The Explorer's Guide to Algonquin Park... The book is divided into sections on habitats, wildlife, access points and camping tips with the section on access points complemented with numerous maps... Reading this guide by Michael Runtz will not only provide you with more information about this world famous park, you will also enjoy the numerous stunning photos that are displayed throughout the book.

Simcoe.com

[Review of previous edition:] A comprehensive introduction to all of the features of the park: the routes to take, where to camp, there to hike and what to see there.... An added bonus is the very fine photographs taken by the author. [The book is] highly readable and contains a wealth of information for the beginner or seasoned adventurer.

Grand Magazine

[Review of previous edition:] Looking forward to a weekend away, camping with the family? The Explorer's Guide to Algonquin Park is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to explore one of Ontario's greatest natural treasures. This guide is the only Algonquin Park guide written by a naturalist who is fully familiar with the area... This book is as indispensable as insect repellent and good hiking boots.

Frontenac This Week/Kingston This Week

[Review of previous edition:] Lavishly illustrated, the third edition of naturalist and photographer Michael Runtz's guide to Algonquin Park, 15 years after the release of the first edition, offers readers a general guide to what they'll find.

The Ottawa Citizen

[Review of previous edition:] This very useful book first appeared in 1993, the 100th anniversary of Ontario's original provincial park... This revised and expanded edition is loaded with great pictures, maps and park info. This is not a canoe book or a route guide but rather an overall appreciation of this great park... Runtz takes the readers across the breadth of it, detailing hiking trails, points of interest, historical remnants, some excellent maps of each access point and all kinds of ideas on how to see the often abundant wildlife.

CHE-MUN (Journal of Canadfian Wilderness Canoeing)

[Review of previous edition:] If you want to explore Algonquin's 3,500-square-mille wilderness paradise of forests, lakes, rivers and rugged Canadian Shield, this is the book to take along.

The Toronto Star