July 10, 2026 @ 11:00 am - July 12, 2026 @ 9:00 pm
Boreal is a one-of-a-kind, all-inclusive weekend adventure that begins in Toronto and takes you by bus and canoe to a breathtaking wilderness waterfall for an intimate music gathering. Join us each July in Muskoka, Ontario, for an unforgettable weekend of music, waterfalls, and connection. Your ticket includes transport, canoe rentals, meals, exceptional music and sound, and more.
This listing is a placeholder. The dates and details may change due to canoe scheduling.
Boreal, a canoe camping trip, departs from Toronto every July. We travel north as a group in school buses to a beautiful river in Muskoka. Upon arrival, we paddle canoes upstream to a secluded campsite, where we build the weekend around a Saturday night dance party 🕺 like no other.
Our destination is part of the Canadian Shield, the oldest rock on the face of Earth. It is an undeveloped hardwood forest with rocky shores on the river’s edge, waterfalls, and rapids.
We’ll enter a wilderness where you may spot wildlife, including cranes, birds of prey, deer, beavers, turtles, foxes, the endangered Five-Lined Skink (Ontario’s only native lizard species), and the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake.
This is the perfect destination for magnificent swimming and camping, and a place we will all honour for its wild, majestic beauty. Boreal brings open-minded, diverse, and inclusive people together to share unforgettable outdoor experiences and forge lasting bonds.
A task group sign-up form will open once we announce the trip.
These groups help the trip run smoothly and offer a great way to connect with others. To join the trip, everyone must register and sign up for a task group using their Boreal ticket code. We’ll email the details about the trip and your role before departure.
🚣 “Crew” Group
You’re the support team. Please be ready to help as needed throughout the trip.
When we arrive at the boat launch:
– Help unload the trailer into the boats.
– Once we reach camp, help unload and set up the kitchen.
– Ride in the large supply boat with the gear.
– Walkie-talkie supplied. New batteries are available in the kitchen.
– Please keep your radio on and respond when called.
🚛 Friday Pack Supply Motor Boat Group
– When we arrive, head straight to the main boat dock before unpacking any personal gear.
– Help move supplies from the trailer into the supply boat so it can reach camp and begin dinner preparation.
🍽️ Friday Kitchen Set-Up Group
– Meet the supply boat at Kitchen Rock as soon as it arrives.
– Help carry food and kitchen gear up to the kitchen area.
– Set up tarps, tables and cooking equipment so the Friday Dinner crew can get started.
– Set up your camp after the kitchen is ready, or ask a partner to help.
🚽 Friday Build Outhouse Group
– Meet the supply boat at Kitchen Rock when it arrives.
– Work with Roman and Loclan to gather:
– Two bins of toilet paper
– Privacy fabric
– A string and a bike light to mark the trail
– Set up the outhouses a reasonable distance from the leading site.
🔥 Friday/Saturday Collect Firewood for Two Campfires
– Collect firewood and bring it to Kitchen Rock. Saturday, dance floor fire.
– Build a fire that we can light at sundown.
– Good firewood is often found downstream near the narrows.
– Only collect wood that’s already dead and fallen. Do not damage the living.
🛶 Friday Canoe Tidy-Up Group
– Once everyone has arrived, tidy the shoreline:
– Store canoes upside down in small clusters
– Place three life vests and two paddles under each group.
– Stack any stray items into one or two tidy piles.
– A clean shoreline shows respect for the land and makes it easier for everyone to find what they need.
🍝 Friday Dinner Group
– Set up your tent quickly, then take over from the kitchen set-up crew.
– Cook and serve a pasta dinner for the group.
– Clean the kitchen after the meal.
– MENU (pasta, salad, salami)
– Pasta & Sauce (canned tomatoes, minced garlic, dried basil, mushrooms, lemon juice, onions)
– Option: Rice Pasta
– Kale Salad
– Sliced Bread
– Salami (side dish)
🍳 Saturday Brunch – 9:30 a.m.
– Cook scrambled eggs, maple-baked beans, and smoked salmon.
– Clean the kitchen after the meal.
– MENU (egg, bean, salmon)
– Scrambled Eggs (green onions)
– Smoked Salmon
– Smoked Tofu (option)
– Maple-Style Baked Beans (vegetarian)
– Sliced Bread
🔊 Saturday Sound Setup Group – 2:00 p.m.
– Saturday: Meet the sound boat at the dancefloor landing area (around 2:00 p.m.)
– Help carry gear up the hill and set up the sound system.
– Note: This is a different system from the one used at Kitchen Rock or the falls.
– Sunday: Take down the sound system and return it to the boat (around 2:00 p.m.).
🍛 Saturday Dinner Group – 4:00 p.m.
– Meet in the kitchen before 4:00 p.m.
– Cook a sweet Thai coconut pineapple curry stir-fry with rice.
– Clean the kitchen afterward.
– MENU (coconut, pineapple, curry) * Peanut allergy alert *
– Rice + Stirfry (coconut milk, pineapple, peanut butter, tofu, raisins, curry powder, red peppers, baby carrots, zucchini)
– Kale Salad
– Sliced Bread
🥞 Sunday Brunch Group – 10:00 a.m.
– Meet in the kitchen at 10:00 a.m.
– Cook brunch.
– Clean the kitchen when done.
– MENU (granola, yogurt, fruit salad)
– Granola
– Yogurt
– Fruit Salad (bananas, clementine, apples, pineapples, grapes)
– Hard Boiled Eggs
Trip Itinerary
Friday
11:00 AM: Keele Subway Station parking lot (520 Indian Rd). Check in, sign the waiver, and throw your bag in the truck. The key to Boreal is leaving and arriving together. Pace drinks. We break at the Waubaushene Truck Stop outside Muskoka.
3:00 PM: Arrive at the river and unload the truck. Grab your bag from the pile, find two others or a third, and grab a canoe, paddle and lifejacket. Put the canoe entirely in the water so it doesn’t tip when getting in. Take off your shoes and pack the canoe. Paddle upstream with your life vests on.
4:30 PM: Set up your tent anywhere around the kitchen rock woods (practical), behind the dance floor forest midway (Sat night fever), to nooks towards the waterfalls (scenic).
8:00 PM: Dinner, campfire, meeting new friends, exploring camps, and stargazing.
Saturday
Noon: Brunch
You can swim, float, canoe, and hike up the river to see more waterfalls. Dreamy music begins in the afternoon beside a basin where the water gently swirls from a waterfall.
7:00 PM: Dinner
9:00 PM – 4:30 AM: Dance by the fire and under the stars.
Sunday
Noon: Brunch, pack, and swim.
3:00 PM: Everyone in their canoes.
4:00 PM: Picnic break by tuck shop.
9:00 PM: Back at Keele Subway at sleepy sunset. Double-check for bags and gear before you go!
For assistance, you can Email Justin, or join our Facebook Group to ask questions and connect with fellow campers. Thanks to everyone who shares helpful vibes, pics, and stories there. Supporting one another ensures a smooth and enjoyable trip for all. Don’t forget to check the #borealcanoetrip tag on Instagram for highlights.
