It's a beautiful day to spend at Awenda Provincial Park!…read more We walked while others were biking the trails enjoying the outdoors while not having to wear a mask but social distancing when encountering others. Remember to pay and display your park use permit on your vehicle dash; strictly enforced or you can pay a $30 parking ticket. The machine accepts cash or credit card. It was a $15.50 charge for day use since the machine didn't allow an hourly selection. Gorgeous and tranquil nature along the shores of Georgian Bay.

I pulled a 'walk in' at Awenda park last weekend (July 1st long weekend). Have never been to Awenda…read morebefore, but read stellar reviews so my friends and I thought we'd give it a try. I knew we could only get walk in, but I didn't realize that if they have sites available, you can only have it for one night. They keep approx 60 sites each night for walk ins. Since we wanted to stay for two nights, we had to put our name on a 'roll call' list for the 2nd night. We also had to be at the office for 1pm SHARP and if our name was called, we got a 2nd night. I don't understand how, if they have 60 sites on Friday, they don't have 60 sites on Sat, since you can only stay for one night without getting on the list. But the next day they only had 5 sites available. Luckily we got there early enough and we got 2nd on the list, and got a site across the road (still in Turtle). A short move. The park itself is huge. There are 5 campgrounds in the park I believe. We chose Turtle. There are also 4 beaches, one dedicated to the fury friends. YOU WILL NEED TO DRIVE TO ALL THE BEACHES. If you try and walk, be ready for 45 minor 1.5 hr walk. They are not close. If you have bikes, the ride is nice, but also a bit far... and there's a steep hill on the way to the beaches so be ready to walk or I hope you're cardio is good :) I can only speak for Turtle... it was lovely, sites spaced far apart and heavily shielded above from the sun. Large, tall hardwood trees cover the park. There is warning of lots of poison ivy. Even though they have a plant at the office, I still couldn't spot it in the forest. Thankfully I didn't run into any. Bathrooms were relatively clean, till of course the next morning when there's flies and moths flying about. They close the bathrooms from 11:50-12:10 daily to clean them. The beaches are ROCKY. VERY VERY ROCKY. On beach 1 there is a sandy part on the FAR left (when looking at the water) that has been cleaned up a bit so you can walk on the sand. Otherwise, if you try to walk out in the middle, you will be stepping on rocks and it friggin hurts. Ladies: do not get a pedicure before you go to the beach. You'll be severly p-o'd if you did. I never do, but just a word of advice. I would definitely go back, try the other campgrounds. I hear there are some nice trails for hiking... the road to the beach is a hike itself.. It's nice and only 2hrs from Toronto. Great getaway!

Love this place! Gives you access to the water directly and the view? STUNNING!…read more Always a great spot to catch a good sunset. Mostly usually less crowded so that's a plus too.

Today we went to Lake Simcoe public beaches. But calling them "public" is a stretch. Local people…read morehave taken over the beaches, placing heavily armed police to guard the parking areas and not allowing anyone they don't recognize. The "public" parking was half full, and they let in people they recognized but not strangers. The police were nasty, very aggressive, and threatened us. When I stopped a few times on the shoulders and entered one of their members-only parking lots to let my daughter use the washroom, they sent a police trooper in a vehicle to escort us from Simcoe County. This is the first time I was afraid for my life in Canada. Worse, this is funded by our tax money to defend public property from the public.

It's a beautiful park at the shore of lake Simcoe . There are a few small beaches and barbecue…read morespots. Parking is paid for Non Residents of Innisfil. You can also rent Kayaks and canoes. There's also a snack shop . There are couple parking area's that are reserved for Innisfil Residents only . Enjoy this beautiful spot but be respectful to the lake don't dump your garbage in the lake .

I just wish everyone would go home and take their garbage with them. Stop polluting and trashing…read morethe park. Leave!

I was worried when I booked two sites at Six Mile Lake because they were described on the Ontario…read moreParks website as "adjacent to wetlands" (a.k.a. swamp: that means bugs). However, in August, the bugs were not a big problem at all, despite the swampy conditions. We had two adjoining sites, which meant that we could colonize a little area and, with strategic placement of vehicles and tents, create a nice private alcove. The swamp was quite fascinating, actually, and we enjoyed watching the behaviour of a heron who was a regular visitor to the swamp. The scenery in the Maple, Oak and Poplar Campgrounds was spectacular. Many of the sites are very picturesque, with beautiful rock formations and spectacular views, but can pose challenges when you are choosing a spot to pitch your tent or park your trailer. Case in point: Site 83. It is the most scenic, romantic site ever. Imagine visiting with the partner of your dreams, and declaring your love on top of a granite stage, overlooking a majestic Muskoka vista, the likes of which inspired the Group of Seven. Then, you walk down the nature-made granite steps to your cosy tent, sheltered by the granite shelf where your fire pit is perched. Your tent would have to be rather small, of course, to fit comfortably on your site. However, because you are in the Poplar Campground, you have an actual flush toilet to use close by. Oak and Poplar have flush toilets. Maple, which has even larger sites, only has the vault (non-flush) toilets. However, the staff maintains them well so that they are not too horrible. People seeking electricity can find sites in the other Campgrounds at Six Mile Lake, but they lack the sheer beauty and natural experience of the non-electric sites. My recommendations are: 1. Go off the grid and book a non-electric site 2. Pay close attention to the description of the site on the Ontario Park website. Pay close attention to the size and ground slope when you book 3. If you hate vault toilets, don't choose Maple: If you love nature, then choose Maple. Oh, and Internet Service is good throughout the park. This is a beautiful park, and very well maintained. The dog beach is really big and nice if you are bringing your canine companions. My dogs, Mykyta and Kyra , had a wonderful time. You can also rent canoes, paddle-boats and take lessons to learn to fish. The helpful camp store will give you free dog bags and garbage bags. If you need to stock up on supplies, Midland is a 25 minute drive away and has everything, but I recommend the scenic drive to Honey Harbour, to visit the Honey Harbour Towne Centre General Store, which has most things that you would likely need. In short, if you like camping, scenic Canadian Shield experiences and if you are taking your dog, then Six Mile Lake will not disappoint you!

Nice campgrounds. Each spot has a fire pit with a grill. They sell damp firewood. It was a rainy…read moreweek, so it's not their fault. They have hot coffee.

Couchingching Beach is a nice spot to spend a hot summer day. On a Sunday, I was still able to find…read morea grassy spot to relax, under some shade. Parking is plentiful and close to the beach. There's change rooms, a clean washroom, and a place to buy diner-y foods. For kids, there's a nice play structure and a small train you can ride. Overall, this was a nice beach for those staying in or around Orillia.

The weather was nice, and we wanted to take a nice stroll before we went on our long drive home, so…read moreeven though it was dark, we decided to go for a stroll here. This is a really nice park to go walking at all times of the day. There's a nice boardwalk along the waterfront, and some sandy beaches (which our dog wasn't allowed on, but they looked nice. It was all nicely maintained, with lots of places for trash and recycling, and not much trash to be seen anywhere. There are also plenty of benches for sitting and watching people and the boats on the water. It's also well lit, so walking at night was pleasant. There's also a cycle path that goes through the park, it's part of a larger system of paths that go all the way to Barrie and Midland.

The good: Playground is really creative him for the kids…read more Pirate ship, lighthouse climbing tower to a slide and a zip line next to it. There's a small water pump play area into sand which gets super muddy, great for sensory play and bad for parents when they get back to the car. There's a board walk that you can easily stroll a sleeping tot around into the forested area that has beautiful fairy lights changing colour. There's shade brings relief in the heated summer. Lots of fun for kids. The long board walk beside the waters edge is a nice way to enjoy the afternoon. It slopes towards an unpatrolled beach where the waves roll in. Small restaurant has fast food on one side and ice cream on the next. Decent prices still considering there's nothing around by foot. Washrooms are clean but need a facelift. The bad: PARKING! Locals have a parking pass to avoid stress and get better spots. The town seems to not encourage outsiders with their hefty downtown Toronto parking prices. There's no street parking now and signs everywhere, so you're forced to pay at the meter and scan your license plate and QR code or the meter maid will be looking for you.

One of the most beautiful places in the Collingwood and Blue Mountains. Great place to just relax…read morein a quiet atmosphere. We went there for just about an hour. There is a view of the mountains as well but not really that amazing. When we went, it was cloudy and windy as well. I guess due to no structures blocking it, generally, it may be very windy here which might need to be factored in before going there (clothing etc).

The Inglis Falls is about 200km from Toronto, almost a 2 hour drive. The nearest small town is Owen…read moreSound. The falls has a parking fee of 10$. There is no park meter, instead a park ranger (college kid) was collecting the fees. We found out that if there is day light savings and if you come after 7pm, you can park for free. The water fall is a quick walk down from the parking on a short board walk. You don't have to put too much effort to see the falls, not a hike at all. If you want you could go on the 2.9km loop around the dam structure. The falls view was great and the woods, the trees were awesome to look at. If you are not hiking, the maximum time you would spend here is less than 1hr. Combine your trip with the other falls nearby, Eugenia Falls, Indian Falls and you can also catch some good restaurants in Owen Sound.

made a detour to come and see the falls. an hour detour…read more.. worth it, absolutely worth it, although I would call it short and sweet. when I came here, I was in a bit of a time crunch, kinda got lost, and running out of daylight is a bad combination. however, the area is absolutely beautiful as I visited the park during the fall months and was taken away by all of the colors of the forestry, and the volume of water at the falls. parking is free and a lot of it, and there is no bus that comes here, or makes a visit. I will be back, because I want to take a day and explore some of the trails that are available to explore, not entirely sure if you can walk down to the bottom of the falls, but some people were climbing over the walls to actually rock climb down...not interested personally. can't wait...

This is a review for day-use only, as the park is actually closed for camping during this time of…read morethe year. There are a couple of day-use lots on the outside of the actual park for locals to use, I don't believe you can drive into the park proper to use it for day use. At the time we visited, Orillia was close to peak color, so it was a fantastic time. It was a nice day for a hike, and there were quite a few other people using the park as well -- there's a little beach area in the day use part as well as a playground and places for taking your dog on leash. We went and followed the trails in the park, there seems to be a few that can be used, one in the treeline and one along the lake. You can make a decent little loop of a couple of kilometers. There's nothing incredibly challenging about this little hike, to be honest, but the tree colors make for some gorgeous photos. I'll definitely want to come back and visit here and go camping during the season. A really lovely provincial park!

I camped at Beausoleil Island this summer. It was a dream trip for me, I drove over 7hrs to get…read morethere from Montreal because to me this has always been on of the most beautiful places I've seen photos of, in Canada and in the world. I wanted to see where the Group of Seven made their iconic images and be on an island without cars, and fall asleep to the sound of loons. But as you must know, this dream is no longer possible. A row of boats showed up each night within feet of the shore, blasting music, yelling, being generally drunk teens (I hope they were teens.) We figured no big deal, the police or the park ranger would come and have them quiet down after 11pm - this is standard practice at other campgrounds and in the city as well - but nope. No one came, the ranger apparently doesn't have jurisdiction if they are in the water and perhaps the local police don't mess with residents who have enough money to be yelling about their $50 000 boats at 3am? I don't know the answer but honestly, the experience was disgusting. The boat partiers were yelling racial slurs at the diverse group of campers who were trying to get them to turn it down, the children in the tents around us were waking up crying, it was the opposite of everything we'd hoped for. If this is what this region is all about why would anyone want to go there? Just like everywhere else, the local police need to issue warnings and then fines for citizens who disturb the peace. But for us and everyone else we spoke to the damage is done, we can't imagine ever going back to a place that can't preserve the beauty and serenity that draws us away from the city.