Ontario parks will be gradually opening its campgrounds and facilities now that the majority of the province is entering Stage 2 of the reopening framework.
According to the Ontario Parks website, they are working to “gradually open as many facilities and services as possible for this season.” This means that there will be some services that will be available later in the season, but unfortunately, some will also not be available at all.
“Safety of our visitors and staff is always our top priority. We will be continually assessing our approach and may need to adjust facilities and services available depending on ongoing public health advice,” the Ontario Parks site reads.
They will be opening services such as washrooms, drinking water, and trailer sanitation stations.
Making advanced reservations is strongly recommended to limit contact during transactions.
In order to ensure there is no overcrowding, Ontario Parks may limit the number of daily vehicle permits sold or the number of campsites available for reservations.
UPDATE: With more of Ontario entering Stage 2 this Friday, beaches at these Ontario Parks will open June 19 and campgrounds, the week of June 22:
• Darlington
• Long Point
• Pinery
• Rock Point
• Selkirk
• Sibbald Point
• Turkey PointLearn more: https://t.co/14VKUNj3f8 pic.twitter.com/pmtVsZ20l9
— Ontario Parks (@OntarioParks) June 16, 2020
“We will be continually assessing our approach and may need to make adjustments to services depending on the advice of the province’s medical officials,” Ontario Parks said.
There will be certain facilities that will not be available for the entirety of the season. These facilities include:
- Showers
- Laundry facilities
- Group camping
- Picnic shelter rentals
- Swimming pools
- The Learn to Camp program
- The Learn to Swim program
- Festivals and large gatherings
Some of the Ontario Parks facilities are not opened yet, but may come available later this season:
- Roofed accommodations
- Playground/sports fields
- Visitor centres
- PARKsmart PFD loaning program
- Park stores
- The OFAH Tackleshare program
- Equipment rentals such as canoes and bikes
@ontarioparks/Instagram
Even though Ontario’s campsites may be a little different this year, here are some located near Toronto:
- Sandbanks (approximately three hours away)
- Elora Gorge Conservation Area (approximately two hours away)
- Bruce Peninsula National Park (just over three hours away)
- 1000 Islands Camping Resort (approximately three hours away)
- Bronte Creek National Park (approximately 1.5 hours away)
- Sibbald Point Provincial Park (approximately 1.5 hours away)
- Awenda Provincial Park (approximately two hours away)
- The Pinery (approximately three hours away)
- Killbear Provincial Park (over three hours away)
- Algonquin Park (approximately 3.5 hours away)
- Arrowhead Provincial Park (approximately 2.5 hours away)
You can visit the Ontario Parks website for more information on facility openings and bookings.