No Magic Here: Ontario Provincial Park Reviews

Friday, October 30, 2009

I'm a big fan of Ontario's Provincial Parks. Our family started camping in 2005, when we rented two different models of tent trailer to try out the camping scene.

As a kid, I camped quite a bit. Almost always in a tent. Sometimes travelling by canoe. My wife and I camped a few times in a tent together, and after narrowly escaping a tornado one time, we decided that tenting was for the braver of heart.

So, with our four-year-old and one-year-old, we headed up North in a rented tent trailer, twice, and loved it. The following year, we bought a Rockwood Roo 19. Best purchase we've ever made.

Since then, we've tried to get out at least three full weeks every summer, plus a spring trip (almost always Father's Day weekend) and a fall trip (Labour Day). We've even been as far East as the Atlantic Ocean, on a trip through New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

We've stayed in some of Canada's National Parks, and one "family camping" park, but our favourite parks, by far, are the Ontario Parks system of Provincial Parks. They have everything - sandy beaches, warm water, wildlife, quiet trails, still lakes, and educational programs for kids and adults.

I'll keep this page up to date as we cover more parks.

Algonquin