Ontario Provincial Parks

Charleston Lake Provincial Park (Southeastern)

This Park is located just north of Gananoque, about 20 minutes from the 401 and the Hill Island Bridge connecting Ontario with New York State (Interstate 81).    Given its proximity to Southern Ontario, the park is well-used and you should reserve early to get the best sites.

Three campgrounds have 238 campsites, 86 of which have electrical service. The most popular campgrounds are the forested Bayside and Shady Ridge campgrounds which are close to the lake and beach areas.  Shady Ridge campground is less level and some of the sites are a bit of a challenge for the novice.  The prime lake-view sites are all non-electric.  We would recommend non-electric sites 306, 327, 331, 332, 335, 338, 341 352, and electric sites 354 and 355.  Bayside has electric sites by the lake, of which 240, 242, 244, 246, 248, 250 are good, and more secluded wooded electric sites 225, 229 and 231.    

You can take a side trip to cruise on the Thousand Islands or a longer trip to historic Kingston and Old Fort Henry.

Windy Lake Provincial Park (Near North)

This park is located about 1 hour north of Sudbury and has 93 campsites, of which 56 have electrical service (30 amp).  The official description states that “Windy Lake Provincial Park offers large, quiet and well secluded campsites including a number of large sites set aside for double family occupancy and also walk-in campsites for those preferring greater seclusion or who want to try an easy backcountry experience.  There are also several group campsites, including a lakefront beauty. Yurts are available for year-round use.”

What the official description fails to tell you is that the campsite is located immediately beside the main Canadian Pacific railway line and highway crossing.  During our stay, we had SEVEN 100-car freight trains pass by with their horns blaring and their freight cars shaking the ground.  [For a more relaxing and secluded camping experience try Halfway Provincial Park, about 30 minutes further north]

The park is best known for its long beautiful day-use beach which often has 130 cars parked.  There is room to park your R-Pod while you swim.

Nearby you can visit High Falls in Onaping that A.Y. Jackson of the Group of Seven captured in his painting "Spring on the Onaping River".

Arrowhead Provincial Park (Near North)

This park is located just off Highway 11 near Huntsville.  It has 378 campsites, of which 185 are electric. At this year-round park in the heart of Muskoka, you can hike or bicycle on trails that wind through maple forests and past waterfalls, beaver ponds and homesteaders’ farms. Quiet Arrowhead and Mayflower Lakes and the meandering Little and Big East Rivers, are ideal for paddling, fishing and swimming. There is a “testing” mountain bike trail that circles Arrowhead Lake.  Return in the winter to ski on groomed trails, tube down a hill or skate on an outdoor rink.  There is a pet swimming beach.