Ontario provincial parks Ontario provincial parks

Top 10 Best Ontario Provincial Parks

If you’re planning and searching for an extraordinary and relaxing open-air escape this late spring, look no further than the top Ontario provincial parks! There is an excess of 300 Ontario provincial parks, so picking the best one for your next experience can be challenging. But this article shortlists the 10 best Ontario provincial parks for you to ease your trip planning.

1. Best Ontario Provincial Parks – #1 Killarney Provincial Park

Killarney Provincial Park, Ontario
Photo by Heberti Almeida on Unsplash Copyright 2019

Killarney Provincial Park, one of the top Ontario provincial parks, justifies being crafted by showing up. Killarney Provincial Park is located just outside the intriguing minimal neighborhood Killarney, approximately 4.5 hours from the city of Toronto or one hour south of Sudbury. Panache Bay Marina and Widgawa Lodge can help you reach Killarney Provincial Park from the north and west sides.

Killarney’s setting is unique among Ontario parks, stretching along the shorelines of Georgian Bay and including countless small lakes. Two or three wonderful features associated with Killarney Provincial Park are the striking green lakes, pink stone shakes, and white zeniths of the La Cloche Mountains.

You could take a short boat ride around George Island, one of the facilities provided. Car camping is available in over 100 provincial parks throughout Ontario.

George Lake Campground in Killarney Provincial Park has 11 large campsites for trailers ranging from 18 to 32 feet. Untamed life is normal here, with plenty of chances to watch bears, fox, deer, moose, and beaver. The entertainment area encompasses approximately 645 km2 of wilderness, which can be explored by kayak, or you can opt to walk around. Killarney Outfitters provide visitors with amenities like rentals, coordinates, and transportation arrangements.

If you don’t want to go on silly trips, plan for the Cranberry Bog Trail. The trail filled with amazing dragonflies can be suitable to your liking with a short distance of 4 km. There are also great star-gazing entryways and summer craftsmanship events. Killarney Provincial Park has one (non-electrical) vehicle camp set-up and backcountry pitches at George Lake for your outdoor enjoyment.

2. Best Ontario Provincial Parks – #2 Killbear Provincial Park

Killbear Provincial Park also enters the list of the top Ontario provincial parks. It is situated near Parry Sound on a spit of land jutting into Georgian Bay. This park is lively for family and friends with seashores and lovely rocky shorelines. Children frequently play in the shallow waters, while adults can either relax on the beach or go hiking and explore the biking trails. It has 7 campgrounds, and several visitors come to continue their visit to the camp at Killbear Provincial Park.

Don’t forget to capture the incredible and iconic windswept pine. This is arguably Canada’s most ‘popular’ tree. This is a white pine discovered on a rocky outcrop in the park. August is the best month for visiting this park because the water is warmer and there are fewer bugs. Make a reservation as soon as possible. The visiting hours are 8 am to 10 pm.

3. Best Ontario Provincial Parks – #3 Georgian Bay Islands National Park

Georgian Bay Islands National Park is among the best Ontario provincial parks, located 166 kilometers from Toronto, the Canadian province of Ontario. Visit the north and south of Beausoleil Island in this park via DayTripper ferry, water taxi, or private watercraft from Honey Harbour. The park has boat access only; DayTripper reservations are required.

Georgian Bay’s lovely islands are a part of the Canadian Shield and were shaped by the last Ice Age. This haven of 30,000 small islands has long drawn boaters, nature lovers, and artists like Tom Thomson and the “Group of Seven.

Fifty-nine of the archipelago’s islands are still largely unspoiled, and you can only visit them by boat. The park’s DayTripper boat helps visitors reach Beausoleil Island. The trip takes only 15 minutes each way. Boats leave Honey Harbour from late May to Thanksgiving (mid-October). Swim, hike, bike, or simply relax on the beach of this island.

4. Best Ontario Provincial Parks – #4 Bon Echo Provincial Park

Bon Echo Provincial Park, Ontario
Photo by Jeff Boadway on Unsplash Copyright 2020

Bon Echo Provincial Park is situated in Eastern Ontario’s Algonquin territory. It is a popular park for both family and friends, providing the ideal weekend getaway with hiking, camping, fishing, and boating opportunities.

The park’s most popular location is Mazinaw Rock, which rises 100 meters above Mazinaw Lake. You can explore Mazinaw Rock’s rock paintings using amenities like canoes or kayaks along the rock face or by taking services like a tour boat from the campsite.

Bon Echo Provincial Park is popular with facilities like a large campground, sand beach, and beautiful surroundings. A radiant day is precisely the thing you want to encounter Bon Echo in its actual excellence. Hardwood Hill campground is a good option for campers who want a quieter stay.

With various lakes, the Bon reverberation beach, and a lagoon, there are a lot of spots for you to chill. Assuming you lean toward a milder climate, you can visit Bon Echo Provincial park close to the fall.

5. Best Ontario Provincial Parks – #5 Lake Superior Provincial Park

The wilderness of Lake Superior Provincial Park is located along the TransCanada Highway (Highway 17) on the north shore of Lake Superior. This park is surrounded by enormous wilderness that appears to go on forever to the north and east, and it is far from any significant cities or towns.

Visitors come in the summer to camp by the options of beaches, kayak or canoe, hike, explore pictographs, and take in the tranquility. The park offers two RV campsites: Rabbit Blanket Lake, situated on a small inland lake, and Agawa Bay, situated among waterfront pine trees.

6. Best Ontario Provincial Parks – #6 Algonquin Provincial Park

Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario
Photo by kyle Estabrooks on Unsplash Copyright 2022

Algonquin Provincial Park, located just three hours north of Toronto, provides easy access to the amazing wilderness in the Canadian province of Ontario. The forests, which are home to black bears, wolves, moose, and deer, offer numerous opportunities for outdoor activities.

Camping is famous during summer in Algonquin, especially among families, so campgrounds fill up quickly. The majority of the best campsites are located strategically around lakes.

Hiking trails in Algonquin Park are one of the best and simplest ways to explore the park, which provide unique opportunities to discover wildlife. Many trails lead to high ridges with views everyone will love, and you may see waterfalls, streams, bogs, beaver houses, ponds, and old-growth trees along the way.

The park’s numerous waterways are linked by well-maintained portages and supported by backcountry campsites. This makes it one of Southern Ontario’s premier destinations, with services like canoeing and kayaking. Another popular fun-filled activity in the park is the Thursday night wolf howl, which is only held in August and allows you to call to wolves and listen to them howl back. There is also a visitor center where you can get services like up-to-date information on the trails and campgrounds.

A canoe trip to Burnt Island Lake, one of the available services, is an experience you should not miss. This trip is ideal for first-time and experienced paddlers and is easily accessible from Highway 60. One of the best times that people advise visiting Algonquin is during peak season in October. The maples burst into vibrant colors, painting the landscape red and orange.

7. Best Ontario Provincial Parks – #7 Petroglyphs Provincial Park

Petroglyphs Provincial Park, one of the best Ontario provincial parks, is located northeast of Peterborough. It has more native rock carvings than anywhere else in Canada, with approximately 900 ranging in age from 500 to 1000 years. They are all concentrated in this small area, making them noticeable. The rocks have been enclosed in a glass enclosure to prevent the carvings from the elements.

Visitors can tour this building and the visitor center, which contains a wealth of information about the drawings. Petroglyphs daily visiting hours are 10 am to 5 pm.

8. Best Ontario Provincial Parks – #8 Quetico Provincial Park

Quetico is a world-renowned wilderness park known for its rugged beauty, majestic rock cliffs, grand waterfalls, scenic rivers and lakes, and virgin pine and spruce forests. Small mammals make up the vast majority of the animals. Squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons, groundhogs, rabbits, minks, gophers, weasels, and porcupines are some of the small mammals you can find here. Otters, muskrats, beavers, and fishers are among the other small animals that live in Quetico.

You can make reservations online or by phone up to five months before your arrival date. When making a reservation, you will choose the access point from which you will begin your journey.

You must begin your journey at the access point you have reserved. All campsites in the park are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Managing reservations is strongly advised to protect your trip dates.

9. Best Ontario Provincial Parks – #9 Bass Lake Provincial Park

Bass Lake Provincial Park was a farm for over a century, one of the best Ontario provincial parks. It has been converted into a recreational area just outside Orillia’s city for its accommodating trails and waters. It is now a hotspot for chilling with friends and family as you can do boating, stand-up paddle boarding, fishing, hiking, and swimming.

This provincial park is ideal for quality diners, shopping, grocery stores, and even cinema halls within a 5-minute car drive of their outdoor adventures. The Bass Lake Park has one major trail, a 2.8-kilometer loop that winds through the Rowe Homestead, a 100-year-plus working farm, and a plethora of flora and fauna. You can visit here from 8 am to 10 pm.

10. Best Ontario Provincial Parks – #10 Rushing River Provincial Park

Twenty kilometers southeast of Kenora is Rushing River, one of the best Ontario provincial parks. This park offers services like fishing, hiking, camping (with both electrical and non-electrical sites), swimming, boating, canoe, kayak, and stand-up paddle board rentals. The park primarily has glacial landforms.

In a sequence of rapids, Rushing River tumbles over granite honed by glaciers, but in other places, it is navigable by canoes. You can find limitless exploration options like beaches, playgrounds, interpretive events, and hiking paths at this popular family camping location.

You can reach the five canoe routes in Eagle-Dogtooth Provincial Park under 2.5 hours from the Rushing River Park. This park includes 18 km of groomed cross-country ski routes in the winter.

Conclusion

So, this list of top provincial parks in Ontario must have given you new insights and tips to manage and plan your trips and vacations accordingly. Make sure to visit the official website for further details on your trip. Have an amazing time with magnificent views in the best Ontario provincial parks.

Last Updated on by alishbarehman

Author

  • sakshi

    Sakshi is an experienced creative writer, who has written on a range of topics from prose to articles. Currently, she is pursuing her interests in Canadian provinces and lifestyle-related content. She is a pharmacist by profession and loves documenting in that field as well. She has been writing articles for more than a year and is a hodophile by heart.

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