Algonquin Provincial Park is a provincial park in Canada. It is the oldest provincial park in the province of Ontario, opened in 1893. It is very large at 7,653 square kilometres (2,955 square miles), and is the third largest provincial park in Ontario after Polar Bear and Wabakimi. The park contains many streams, lakes, rivers, and other water sources. Its forests are a mix of deciduous and coniferous. The variety of environments in the park makes it home to many species of plants and animals, and it is an important park for wildlife research. It is a very popular park with campers because of its size and how close it is to large cities such as Toronto and Ottawa.