The best camping near Grundy Lake Provincial Park

In the upper Georgian Bay area, it’s easy to overlook Grundy Lake because it sits inland, just off the Trans-Canada Highway. But it’s a real gem, with beautiful inland lakes that offer opportunities for fishing, canoeing, swimming, and just hanging out on the beach. In addition to the park’s nine campgrounds, there are canoe-in backcountry sites that can be reached without portaging—perfect for beginners and families. More adventurous paddlers can find more solitude in the park’s interior, while hikers will find both accessible strolls and more challenging (but so worth it) trails.

• Best for beach bums: Poplar Campground is located beside the largest of the park’s six swimming beaches.
• Best for sunsets: Balsam Campground is off the beaten path and offers sunset views over Clear Lake.
• Best for solitude: Pakeshkag Lake has several backcountry campsites accessible by canoe only, with three portages (650 metres, 105 metres, and 95 metres) required.

1. Both campground and backcountry campsites can be booked online or by phone through Ontario Parks. 
2. You can book up to five months before your visit. For long weekends and summer holidays (July-August), spots fill up early.
3. Camping is available from mid-May through mid-October. Visiting in spring or fall will give you a better chance of getting the campsite you want.
4. At the Trailer Campground, all campsites are pull-through electrical sites. 
5. With so many lakes in the park, there are a lot of waterfront campsites. If your preferred site is unavailable, try some of the other lakefronts. There are 10 paddle-in backcountry campsites on four lakes.

Grundy Lake opens in mid-May, but black flies keep a lot of campers away for the first couple of weeks. If you’re planning to spend your time on the water, you can enjoy the park before it gets busy and only need to worry about bugs when you return to camp. Fall colours come earlier to Grundy Lake than some of the parks farther south. If you want to enjoy the changing landscape, think about visiting in late September or early October.

• Grundy Lake has four barrier-free campsites, all of which can accommodate RVs and have electrical hookups.
• Apart from Swan Lake and a couple of other small lakes, fishing is permitted (in season and with a license) in the park. However, no motorized boats are allowed. Anglers can fish for northern pike, bass, panfish, walleye, and crappie.
• You can get to Grundy Lake without a car using the Parkbus service from Toronto.
• There are dog exercise areas located near the Balsam, White Spruce, and Hemlock campgrounds.