Ontario Summer Trips

Summer in Ontario is not complete without planning a trip to a cottage, provincial park or just visiting a town or city somewhere in our vast Province. I have assembled a list of three different destinations that are great experiences that I have personally enjoyed and would recommend as a Summer Trip.

Evening at Port Burwell Provincial Park Beach

I have broken down my three recommended destinations into Day Trip, Weekend Trip and Week-long Trip.  All of the listed destinations offer many different activities that can be enjoyed individually or as a family.

Day Trip

Port Burwell, Ontario

Port Burwell was originally surveyed in 1830 by Lieutenant-Colonel Mahlon Burwell, a surveyor for Colonel Thomas Talbot. Situated at the mouth of Big Otter Creek on the north shore of Lake Erie, it has over 1000 residents. Like many of the Ports along Lake Erie, it is known for its fresh perch and pickerel. 

It is also home to one of Canada’s oldest wooden Lighthouse. Standing 20m (65ft) in height visitors can climb to the top.

Port Burwell Lighthouse

Port Burwell

Monument to Fisherman lost on Lake Erie

Port Burwell Provincial Park

The park has 232 campsites, great trails for hiking and many other activities. I think it has one of the best beaches in Ontario. I love camping here or just visiting for the day.

Beautiful day at the Port Burwell beach

Location Coordinates:  42° 38′ 48″ N, 80° 48′ 10″ W    UTM  17N  516167 E   4721598 N

Check out these links for more information:

http://www.elgintourist.com/Tourism/Port-Burwell

www.ontarioparks.com/english/portb.html

Weekend Trip

Algonquin Provincial Park

 

Algonquin Provincial Park holds the title of being the oldest provincial park in Canada. It was established in 1893. Encompassing about 7653 square kilometres, it is bigger than the state of Delaware or Prince Edward Island. Over 2,400 lakes and thousands of kilometres of rivers and streams are located within the park boundaries.



Algonquin Provincial Park Plaque



There are many places in Algonquin that are fantastic to visit - two of my favourite are the Lookout Trail and Whiskey Rapids. The view from Lookout Trail granite outcropping is breath taking and really worth the hike. Whiskey Rapids are worth exploring for the sheer beauty of the surroundings. Once you visit Algonquin Park you will be planning another trip soon.

Barron River Canyon in Algonquin





Canoeing on the Barron River

 

Whiskey Rapids in western Algonquin Park

Location Coordinates:   West Gate  45° 26’ 34.16” N   78° 49’ 14.98” W   

                                      UTM  17N  670416.12 E   5034464.80 N

Check out these links for more information:

http://www.ontarioparks.com/english/algo.html

www.algonquinpark.on.ca/

Week-long Trip

Killarney Provincial Park

Once you arrive at Killarney Provincial Park you are surrounded by what makes Ontario one of the best places to live - beautiful lakes, Georgian Bay and the La Cloche mountain range.  There are only a few places on earth that have taken my breath away. Killarney is one of them. I think I waited too long to finally make the trip.  It was really worth it.



The natural beauty of Killarney





Great trails to explore





Aspen and Birch forests





La Cloche Mountain Range with white quartzite





Canoeing in Georgian Bay





Pink granite dominates the shore





Large eastern white pine



Location Coordinates:   46° 5′ 0″ N    81° 20′ 0″ W     UTM 17N  474228 E  5103360 N

Check out these links for more information:

http://www.ontarioparks.com/english/kill.html

http://friendsofkillarneypark.ca/joomla/

Things to do over Labour Day weekend



Camping - a great Labour Day Weekend tradition in Canada

Kids either dread or love this phrase - Labour Day Weekend. For some, it's summer's last hurrah and for others it's a sign they'll soon reunite with friends at school.

For adults it's much the same. Labour Day weekend marks the end of summer and indulgent days lounging by the pool, at the beach or on a patio. Back to work!

To finish off the summer season on a high note, there are many things you can do that are fun and memorable.

Camping

With 42 national parks and numerous provincial parks, Canada has many places to camp. Despite some locations being booked up for Labour Day weekend, there are some further away from major city centres that may have spots available. You may also want to consider conservation areas that have camp sites - these places tend to be closer to major urban areas offering a quick getaway, even for one night.

Grand Bend Adventure Road Trip

I remember in my early twenties waiting for the first long weekend to come. Anticipating the first camping trip of the year, it could never come quick enough. When we couldn’t get a camp site anywhere, we usually just went for a drive. A road trip was a great way to spend time with family and friends.  It was spontaneous and you were able to explore trails, tracks and towns.

This weekends’ exploration focused on checking out the Pinery Provincial Park and slowly wending our way along Highway 21 north.  Highway 21 runs from Highway 402 in the south running up the east shore of Lake Huron ending in Owen Sound in the north.  Along the way, going through towns such as Forest, Grand Bend, Goderich, Point Clark, Kincardine, Tiverton (Bruce Nuclear Generating Station), Port Elgin, and Southampton, Ontario.  The highway is often referred to as the Bluewater Highway.  The highway is an easy drive, mostly flat and straight, running past farms, cottages and larger homes.

Some of my favorite places to camp were the Pinery, Port Burwell, Sauble Beach or Sandbanks. I think some of the best camping sites in Ontario are at Provincial Parks. These sites allow the car camper to reserve a camping site or even group camping sites in spectacular locations all across the province of Ontario.



Pinery Provincial Park Dunes