The best camping near Awenda Provincial Park

Open year-round, Awenda is a convenient getaway for campers in southern Ontario. The park sits on a small peninsula jutting into Georgian Bay on Lake Huron. It’s easily accessible from Toronto (about 1.5 hours away by road) and Barrie (about 50 minutes away), which makes it a popular escape for weekend warriors. Summer activities at the park include canoeing (both on Georgian Bay and a small, interior lake), boating, hiking, swimming, and birding. In winter, some hiking trails are open for snowshoeing or cross-country skiing. The park is in a snow belt area, so you can generally count on good conditions for most winter activities.

• Best for families: Snake Campground is the closest to the park store and activity centre, with quick road access to the beaches. It’s radio-free and dog-free.
• Best for hikers: Hawk campground sits well away from the waterfront and activity centre, for easy access to trails, less traffic, and laundry facilities.
• Best for RVs: Wolf Campground sites are equipped with electrical hook-ups. It’s a short walk from the park store, and a hiking trail connects the campground to the stairway to the beaches.

1. Bookings can be made online or by phone using the Ontario Parks reservation system. Driving up and hoping there’s a site available is unlikely to work during peak season, but should be possible from late October to April.
2. Because of its proximity to Toronto, Awenda is very busy during the summer months. Book well ahead (in early spring) if you want to stay for more than a couple of nights at the same campsite.
3. Booking midweek, rather than over a weekend, will improve your chances of finding a campsite. However, during summer holidays (July and August) even midweek bookings are scarce.

Awenda is in a convenient location—some might say too convenient! Summer bookings are hard to get, so if possible campers should aim for off-season visits. Autumn is a beautiful time to visit, with the leaves a peak colour in early to mid-October. Winter camping is also available, and the trails are open for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. There should be enough snow for these activities from late December or early January until mid- to late March.

• If canoeing on Georgian Bay is a bit too advanced for you or your kids, take your canoe to Kettle’s Lake on the eastern side of the park.
• There’s a special beach in the park just for dogs! Give your pet a chance to cool off in the lake and romp on the sand.
• From June through September, the park’s Discovery Program offers educational activities for all ages, including guided hikes and presentations about the region’s wildlife, plants, and cultural history.