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7 Ontario Parks To Visit This Summer

June 26, 2020

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!

Sitting on a dock at Awenda Provincial Park

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.

Beaches at Awenda Provincial Park

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…

Canoeing at Ontario Parks

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!

Pinery Provincial Park near Grand Bend
Photo c/o Ontario’s Southwest

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

Pinery Provincial Park Beach

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

Pinery Provincial Park Best Sunset In The World
Photo c/o Ontario’s Southwest

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…

Sleeping Giant Provincial Park Sunset
See the giant sleeping in the distance?! Photo c/o Sik Photography.

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…

Sail Superior to Sleeping Giant Provincial Park
Photo c/o Sik Photography

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.

Hiking Sleeping Giant Provincial Park
Photo c/o Sik Photography

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

Second Highest Waterfall in Ontario, Kakabeka Falls

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).

Me and my bestie in Algonquin circa 2002.

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…

Algonquin Provincial Park
Photo c/o Ontario Parks

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).

Six Mile Lake Provincial Park

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.

Sandbanks Provincial Park Outlet Beach
Outlet Beach at Sandbanks Provincial Park

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!

Lion's Head Sign in Bruce County
Luka’s first provincial park visit when he was 4 months old!

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.

Lion's Head provincial park

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!

Best Ontario Provincial Parks To Visit
PIN for future travel inspo!

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!

2 Comments

  • Reply
    Cristina Navoa
    July 9, 2020 at 9:01 pm

    Thank you so much Solmaz!! Saving this!!

    • Reply
      Solmaz
      July 9, 2020 at 10:00 pm

      Yeay! There are hundreds more, but these have been my fave so far. Enjoy with the fam!!

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