These Ontario Parks Are Getting Camping Limits So You Don't Overstay Your Welcome
Plan your summer trip accordingly.
View of lake and trees from a camping tent. Right: Tent set up in Quetico Provincial Park.
If you're one of the millions of visitors that camp in Ontario provincial parks during the year, you may need to adjust your summer plans.
Ontario Parks is implementing a maximum length of stay at popular campsites to ensure that more Ontario residents have a chance to enjoy them.
Effective for Summer 2023 bookings, any trip between July 1 and the Saturday of Labour Day will be subject to these new maximums in select parks.
Depending on the park, the maximum number of nights that you can camp will be reduced to 14 or seven nights during the busy summer season. Outside of this time period, the maximum booking is for 23 days.
Popular parks that will have a reduced night's stay of seven days are: Algonquin Provincial Park, Bon Echo Provincial Park, Killbear Provincial Park, Sandbanks Provincial Park and Pinery Provincial Park.
Over 60 provincial parks will have a 14-day maximum including Pancake Bay Provincial Park, Sauble Falls Provincial Park and Arrowhead Provincial Park.
If you're hoping for a longer camping experience, the following parks have a 23-day maximum for overnight camping:
- Aaron Provincial Park
- Arrow Lake Provincial Park
- Bronte Creek Provincial Park
- Caliper Lake Provincial Park
- Ferris Provincial Park
- Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park
- MacLeod Provincial Park
- Missinaibi Provincial Park
- Ojibway Provincial Park
- Pakwash Provincial Park
- Sandbar Lake Provincial Park
- Silver Falls Provincial Park
- Sioux Narrows Provincial Park
- Voyageur Provincial Park
- Wakami Lake Provincial Park
- White Lake Provincial Park
You can still book your summer vacation early and if you go to reserve summer camping months before, these changes will be in effect online. For example, if you book in March for a July stay, the maximums will apply. Camping reservations are accepted up to five months in advance.
For those who hope to camp longer, Ontario Parks suggests visiting a less-busy park with a 23-day max, planning a park-to-park road trip or reserving an off-season stay.
This change does not include backcountry camping or roofed accommodations such as cabin stays.
Busy season camping at Ontario Parks
When: Trips between July 1 and Labour Day weekend, starting in 2023
Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.