Camping?

[SL3VIN]

any body know a good place for camping, that aint too far away... max 3hr drive?

[wtom]

http://www.camis.com/OP/camping/maps.asp?loc=74

:)

[Wild Weasel]

Also... http://www.grandriver.ca/index/document.cfm?Sec=27&Sub1=124

[Xerox]

The link Warren posted is good. Ontario parks has a decent website for all of its parks.
Somewhere on the website it lists the top 20 parks that are the most popular (based on reservations).

Not sure if they are in any particular order but I've put my top 5 faves at start of the list. I also added the distance, travel time (both one-way), and general direction (I'm pretty sure they are fairly accurate, you might want to double check yourself).

Camping spots book fast. The popular spots are probably alreay booked for weekends and especially long weekends so you better act fast.


1. Bon Echo (260km, 3h, NEE)
2. Algonquin (263km, 3h11m, NE)
3. Killbear (255km, 2h48m, N)
4. Grundy Lake (305km, 3h21m, N)
5. MacGregor Point (232km, 3h25m NWW)
6. Arrowhead
7. Awenda (147km, 1h54m, NW)
8. Balsam Lake
9. Blue Lake (1,762km, 21h, NNWW)
10. Charleston Lake (299km, 3h, E)
11. Killarney (402km, 4h36m, NW)
12. Long Point (201km, 2h40m, SW)
13. Pinery (239km, 3h, SWW)
14. Point Farms (231km, 3h, W)
15. Port Burwell (213km, 2h34m, SSW)
16. Presqu’ile (140km, 1h38m, E)
17. Sandbanks (203km, 2h28m, E)
18. Sauble Falls (230km, 3h25m, NW)
19. Sleeping Giant (1,330km, 15h43m, NNW)
20. Rushing River (1,832km, 21h52m, NNW)

[ZeroChalk]

Silent lake is also good too!

[FoXy]

good luck with booking. By now they are ALL almost booked up for the summer. At least all the good camping spots. YOu gotta book really early in the year. I just booked 2 weeks ago for camping at Point Farms Provincial Park in Goderich for August and they were almost completely booked for August and July was already full. Its hectic out there.

Google Ontario provincial parks

[ZeroChalk]

yah you gotta book when the roll out windows start. You can also try private campgrounds as well.

What I've learned from a long time of camping, everything pretty much look's the same in Ontario. It's all about finding a good beach and a campsite with good privacy.

[condor888000]

Sandbanks is AWESOME! Nicest beach I've seen in On.

Bet it's full by now though.

[SL3VIN]

thanks for all the input, yeah we're trying to book something for early-mid july. I'll keep on searching...

[bigwood29]

Bruce Peninsula National Park - near Tobermory. The Cypress Lake spot is one of my favorite places to camp, hike, swim, sight-see, canoe, etc. The caves and grotto are pretty cool too. It's a pretty easy drive and totally worth the ride. A bunch of us go up there annually for 4 days and we always find something new to do. If you do any scuba-diving, there are plenty of dive shops and outfitters. Some nice wrecks up there. Provincial Parks are great but can be overcrowded in summer - Bruce isn't too bad during week days. Anyways, check it out...

http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/on/bruce/index_e.asp

[bhrm]

Bruce Peninsula National Park - near Tobermory. The Cypress Lake spot is one of my favorite places to camp, hike, swim, sight-see, canoe, etc. The caves and grotto are pretty cool too. It's a pretty easy drive and totally worth the ride. A bunch of us go up there annually for 4 days and we always find something new to do. If you do any scuba-diving, there are plenty of dive shops and outfitters. Some nice wrecks up there. Provincial Parks are great but can be overcrowded in summer - Bruce isn't too bad during week days. Anyways, check it out...

http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/on/bruce/index_e.asp

Tobermory is one of the greatest spots in Ontario.

I had a great time, beautiful place. Not insanely packed. Cleanest water ever to swim in.

[Slade]

I just stayed on Georgian Bay for a week , 40mins south of Tobermory..we drove there and it was deadsville, im sure its more happening in the summer though. It is peacefull and quiet, which is exactly what we were looking for.

We just booked The Pinery for May 15-18, this will be our 2nd time there, its beautiful. We stay in the dunes.

Killbear is nice, sucks for fishing though but have the best water I have evenr seen, and we actually had a bear at our site during the night.

Selkirk is ok, it was super hot while we were there, but it was a decent park.

Long Point is really nice as well, just becarefull where you park or you will end up like me..
http://i40.tinypic.com/2vimc0o.jpg

Presquile is nice, its in my hometown so its nothing special to me.. there are a lot of beachs to choose from however,

Oastler Lake is pretty decent, not top of the list though.

I have oodles of pictures, ill put some up tomorrow to hopefully give you some idea of what they are like, we have been to a lot of Ontario Parks. I would do it now, but im off to bed :)

[dentinger]

ive been to Killbear, sandbanks, bon echo, grundy lake, the pinery, and i think killarney.

killbear: nice park, nice scenery. poison ive near the beach, and lots of it. also, lost of boats and motorcraft on the lake (houseboats, skidoos). kinda annoying if you like it peaceful.

sandbanks: from what i can remember, HUGE sand dunes, and, if im not mistaken (i may be confused with another park) the one beach we were at was all rocky. not that much fun to lay on.

bon echo: GREAT park. century old herigliphics (sp?) all over the rock faces, neat stories about the park. very good camping too. i dont think it had THAT nice of a beach tho.

grundy lake: i didnt like so much. dark sanded beach, kinda icky/muddy like. not the nice feel like normal sand. some nice rock faces tho (to sit on). good for canoeing. lots of places to padle out to.

killarney and pinery: i dont really remember much of it. i've been to so many places all over northern ontario, its hard to remember. but halfway park up past sudbury is still my favourite.

[alhope34]

I'm camping at Ferris park in Campbellford this week end. Should be awesome.

[condor888000]

sandbanks: from what i can remember, HUGE sand dunes, and, if im not mistaken (i may be confused with another park) the one beach we were at was all rocky. not that much fun to lay on.


I was there last summer, huge dunes for sure, but all the beaches we saw were really fine, soft sand. No rocks.

[SL3VIN]

For the ppl who went to Bruce b4, which campsite do u recommend? Birches, Tamarack, etc?

[dentinger]

I was there last summer, huge dunes for sure, but all the beaches we saw were really fine, soft sand. No rocks.

i think i may have that confused with the pinery.
like i said, ive been to soo many places, its hard to remember all of them

[jaimie08mazda3]

ROCKWOOD CONSERVATION AREA. i live right by there and i love it. go camping alot haha

[bigwood29]

For ourselves, we prefer the Birches - central location, easy path to Cypress Lake and the boardwalk and walking trails, clean sites, usually close to the "facilities". I usually book the 130 lots (i.e. 130+). Because we travel with a group, we try to cluster our lots so we're all in the same vicinity. I'm smiling just thinking about getting back up there.
It's also cool to take the Chicheemaun ferry to Manitoulin Island and tour Northern Ontario.



For the ppl who went to Bruce b4, which campsite do u recommend? Birches, Tamarack, etc?

[Capt Paul]

sand banks is packed, but there's tons of stuff to do, if you bore easily :D

I like Killbear and Bon Echo, too - however, I haven't been in 15-20yrs, so I could have a distorted memory :S

[angkor101]

algonquins or muskokas alright!

[thanu31]

anyone been to MacGregor Point ? we booked in april, and thats the best we could find, in those yurts

[tweak_s]

Hey Guys...
Was gonna post a new thread and remembered there was this one, LOL

Is it too late to find a camping ground (preferably with a cabin? (I'm not the one who wants the cabin..) for August?

[FoXy]

Hey Guys...
Was gonna post a new thread and remembered there was this one, LOL

Is it too late to find a camping ground (preferably with a cabin? (I'm not the one who wants the cabin..) for August?


I dont want to say for sure, but I highly doubt it. I have always had to book MONTHS in advance to get a site. BUt jsut try looking on the net and phoning around.

[SL3VIN]

maybe if your lucky and someone canceled but usually places are fully booked starting in march!!! good luck yo

[bubba1983]

Tea lake, algonquin park, thats all you need, :D hee hee

[tweak_s]

I dont want to say for sure, but I highly doubt it. I have always had to book MONTHS in advance to get a site. BUt jsut try looking on the net and phoning around.


maybe if your lucky and someone canceled but usually places are fully booked starting in march!!! good luck yo



Yeah I figured. It isn't my idea to go I'm more realistic, LOL.

Apparently they found a place that isn't so mainstream but these people have a thing against tents.


Tea lake, algonquin park, thats all you need, :D hee hee


Was that directed at me? lol. If so.... they still have? lol.

[alhope34]

Lol, a cabin isn't camping but have fun none the less!

It's like buying an R/V...Unless you retire to an R/V and use it as your permanent home, I don't get why people buy/use them. If you want to travel and have all the comforts of home, use hotels. If you want to camp, use a tent.

[tweak_s]

lol al, I made it clear its totally not my idea for that.