By admin Monday, April 13, 2015

For all of you die-hard campers, now is the time to start thinking about spring and summer camping. You can be one step ahead of the game and book your campsite or yurt for your summer excursion now as reservations are accepted up to 5 months in advance of your arrival date. Here is just a highlight of some of the amazing places you can explore this year.

Eastern Ontario:

Eastern Ontario has some beautiful parks to explore this summer.  There’s the Upper Canada Migratory Bird Sanctuary where you can camp, enjoy the self-guided trails & check out the awareness programs.  At Bon Echo Provincial Park, you can enjoy all different types of camping (RV, car, interior & roofed accommodations) and see the amazing Mazinaw Rock which is 100 m high & features incredible Aboriginal pictographs

Central Ontario:

In Central Ontario, there are so many incredible parks, it’s hard to pick just a few. Algonquin Park is one of my personal favourites, with its majestic beauty, incredible canoe trip opportunities & lots of different camping options. Killbear Provincial Park has lots of sandy beaches, hiking & biking trails & 7 campgrounds, most of which are very close to the shoreline.  The Haliburton Highlands Water Trails also offer opportunities for camping, fishing, hiking & more

Greater Toronto Area:

If you live in Toronto and don’t want to drive too far, there are plenty of parks to visit for a camping trip. Bronte Creek Provincial Park in Oakville has lots to see & do including a swimming pool, a children’s playbarn, fishing & more. Glen Rouge Campground is the only campground located within the city of Toronto (it’s in the northeast part of Scarborough.)  You can be in nature, while being close to major Toronto attractions.

Northern Ontario:

Northern Ontario has some very famous & majestic national parks – perfect for camping & canoe trips.  French River Provincial Park is well suited to a more experienced camper as it only has backcountry camping available. A paddle on the French River is a unique experience as it takes you on the route of the First Nations, French explorers & fur traders.  Killarney Provincial Park is so magnificent that it inspired many famous Canadian artists including: The Group of Seven’s A.Y. Jackson, Franklin Carmichael & A.J. Casson

Ottawa Region:

In beautiful Gatineau Park in the Ottawa region, there are 3 different campgrounds to stay at on 3 separate lakes.  You can choose from traditional camping or book a “ready to camp unit”  (a cabin, yurt or 4 season tent). Rideau River Provincial Park  is a unique spot to camp as it’s located on the historic Rideau Waterway, a UNESCO world heritage site. It’s also conveniently located only 40 minutes away from Ottawa.

Southwestern Ontario:

The Long Point Region Conservation Authority has 5 parks in the region where you can camp, swim, fish, hike & more!  Also, check out Port Burwell Provincial Park in the beautiful Municipality of Bayham. This park has sandy beaches, bird watching & almost exclusively private & secluded campsites. Sherkston Shores has 15 Ontario sites for fun RV camping (7 in this region), many near lakes & attractions.

Thoughts of camping are keeping me warm!  I can’t wait to pack up my sleeping bag, graham crackers, & marshmallows and get outside into the beauty of the Ontario wilderness this summer