Tag Archives: Provincialparks

For The Outdoorsy Urbanite: 5 Parks Worth the Drive

It takes 3.5 hours to drive from Paris to Brussels. 7 hours from Edinburgh to London. In Toronto, getting from one side of the GTA to the other can be a 2 – 3 hour drive, depending on traffic. Our perception of time and distance is a little skewed. That means that sometimes, staying ‘closeContinue reading “For The Outdoorsy Urbanite: 5 Parks Worth the Drive”

Provincial Park #6: Bon Echo

General Info: – 3 hours and 15 minutes from Toronto – 4 campgrounds:Hardwood Hills (drive-in/walk-in)Mazinaw (drive-in/yurts)Abes and Essens (backcountry sites)Joe Perry and Pearson (backcountry sites/portage)– cabins available for rent – Indigenous pictographs– 3 natural sandy beaches – 5 hiking trails:1. Cliff Top Trail (1.5 km) – only accessible by water2. Abes and Essens (3 loopsContinue reading “Provincial Park #6: Bon Echo”

Provincial Park #5: Arrowhead

General Info:– 2.5 hours north of Toronto – all-season campground: open January – Dec (winter camping available) – 3 campgrounds: 1. Roe2. East River3. Lumby – 15km of hiking trails Beaver Meadow (7 km)Homesteaders Trail (3 km)Mayflower (1 km)Stubb’s Falls (2 km)Big Bend Lookout (under 1 km)– boat rentals available – 3 sandy beaches –Continue reading “Provincial Park #5: Arrowhead”

Provincial Park #4: Earl Rowe

General Info:– 1 hour northwest of Toronto– seasonal camping: May – October – car camping in 2 campgrounds:1. Westside: only open from June-September. 2, Riverside: open the whole season and accessible through a separate gated entrance on the opposite side of Concession Road 7 from the main Registration– canoe and paddleboats available for rent –Continue reading “Provincial Park #4: Earl Rowe”

Project Provincial Update: Thwarted By A Pandemic

It’s been a slow start to the season… April 25, 2021 would have been my first weekend out under the stars. And WHAT a weekend it would have been. With the projected (and very rare) potential for witnessing a farther south reaching aurora borealis, uncharacteristically warm days, and lots of sun, it would have beenContinue reading “Project Provincial Update: Thwarted By A Pandemic”

There’s A War Raging. And It’s On ontarioparks.com

There’s been an influx of reservations this year and the Ontario Parks website is being flooded with fresh campsite seekers. More than double the activity than previous years, the site has forewarned visitors of a slower technical response. And honestly, besides those IT woes, it’s cut-throat out there. And not all those that book seekContinue reading “There’s A War Raging. And It’s On ontarioparks.com”

Provincial Park #1: Balsam Lake

General Info:– 2 hours north east of Toronto – seasonal: open from May – November – 8 campgrounds– sandy beach– canoe rentals available – 2 hiking trails: Lookout (2.6 km) Plantation (4.2 km)– waterfront sites available Directions:https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/Toronto,+ON/Balsam+Lake+Provincial+Park,+2238+Kawartha+Lakes+County+Rd+48,+Kirkfield,+ON+K0M+2B0/@44.2004365,-79.7232493,9z/data=!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x89d4cb90d7c63ba5:0x323555502ab4c477!2m2!1d-79.3831843!2d43.653226!1m5!1m1!1s0x4cd5398a929a41c7:0x48d66a5bcecaed47!2m2!1d-78.8752853!2d44.6359353 The Good Stuff: Rating and Review Balsam is definitely a well-rounded park. Plenty of campgrounds to suit personalContinue reading “Provincial Park #1: Balsam Lake”

Ontario: The Scope

Canada is big. Covering 9.98 million square kilometres and sharing coasts with 3 oceans, calling it ‘big’ may actually be an understatement. Of those 9.98 million square kilometres, Ontario takes up 1 million (415,000 square miles).It’s a landscape carved by the Canadian Shield – billion year old exposed Precambrian rock that’s one of the largestContinue reading “Ontario: The Scope”