7 Ontario Parks To Visit This Summer

I’ve never received so many emails, DMs and texts asking me for Ontario Parks recommendations! I totally get it. Nature heals and I think we’re all craving wide open spaces, beautiful lakes and lush trails to counter all the time spent cooped up indoors during this pandemic. It’s personally taken a huge toll on my mind and body so you’ll find me re-visiting some of the spectacular provincial parks listed below in coming weeks/months!

One thing to note before I reveal my top picks: there are 340 provincial parks in Ontario and some will certainly be busier than others. To address overcrowding and promote physical distancing, there will be measures in place (like limiting occupancy, daily vehicle permits or number of campsites available) so make sure to check Ontario Parks before heading over to avoid disappointment!

7 Ontario Parks Worth Visiting This Summer

1. Awenda Provincial Park

Only a two-hour drive from Toronto, Awenda Provincial Park is the perfect day trip in my opinion. Think: 31 kms of lush hiking trails, sparkling Georgian Bay waters and not one but four sandy beaches.

You can also explore the bike trails, camp onsite and canoe on Kettle’s Lake (which basically looks like an impressionist painting dotted with water lilies). It’s kinda perfect…

2. Pinery Provincial Park

A two-and-a-half-hour drive will get you from Toronto to this nature-lover’s paradise where you’ll find extremely rare Oak Savanna and Coastal Dune ecosystems. It’s home to more than 800 plants and 300 bird species!

Did I mention there’s more than 10 kms of sandy beaches at Pinery Provincial Park? YUP!

Make sure you stick around for the epic sunsets (ranked by National Geographic among the Top 10 Best in the World)!

3. Sleeping Giant Provincial Park

While there are many reasons to visit Thunder Bay (I showcase some here), I personally think the biggest draw is Sleeping Giant Provincial Park. Surrounded by the world’s largest fresh water lake, it is simply glorious…

I highly recommend sailing to the provincial park with the team at Sail Superior to make it a full day of adventure on both water and land…

Sleeping Giant Provincial park has over 100 km of hiking trails, many jaw-dropping geological features and tons of wildlife. They also offer full service cabins to rent year-round if you want to fully immerse yourself.

When in Thunder Bay, make sure to also check out Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park where you can admire the second highest waterfall in Ontario!

4. Algonquin Provincial Park

Algonquin is Canada’s oldest provincial park and a treat to visit during any season. I was first introduced to the park in high school and can still vividly remember my first camping experience and my first portage (moose included).

Home to over 1000 different plant species and 200 vertebrates, Algonquin is also one of the largest Ontario Parks. One visit and you’ll know why it’s inspired so many writers, artists and visitors over the years…

5. Six Mile Lake Provincial Park

I had no idea Six Mile Lake Provincial Park even existed until my friend invited me to her cottage there. Only 90 mins from Toronto, it feels like a completely different world! Expect three beautiful beaches, rejuvenating hiking trails and some interesting wildlife (hellooooo walking sticks).

6. Sandbanks Provincial Park

We try to visit Prince Edward County at least once a season if we can. And almost every trip includes a stop at Sandbanks Provincial Park. We usually spend most of the time on one of the three beaches, but have ventured onto the walking trails that go through the dune and wetland habitats.

7. Lion’s Head Provincial Park

Lion’s Head holds a very special place in my heart because it was the first provincial park we visited with our little guy!

Why is it called Lion’s Head? You guessed it. The rock formation in this area of the Niagara Escarpment resembles the head of a lion. It’s a beautiful provincial park to hike (the Bruce Trail goes through it) and there’s plenty to explore in the county so I highly recommend spending a few days there like we did.

Hope you get a chance to visit some of these Ontario Parks this summer! I’ll be returning to a few listed above and want to check out some I haven’t explored (like Bon Echo Provincial Park, Long Point Provincial Park And Balsam Lake Provincial Park). Let me know your faves so we can visit!

Some trips listed above were previous press trips or tourism campaigns. As always, all reviews and opinions are my very own. I highly recommend any of these Ontario Parks!