Are you ready for an adventure? Are you all set and prepared to say goodbye to the city and spend the weekend in the wilderness?
So you’ve got your bags packed….but nowhere to go. Right?
Well then, you just might want to check out Evolve Tours’ handpicked list of the top 5 Camping Locations from Toronto and the GTA. We’ve chosen our favorite campgrounds from Toronto’s surrounding area.
Read about them here:
1) Algonquin Park
It is no doubt that the top-of-the-crop choice of ours is Algonquin Park. Algonquin Park is a scenic getaway from the busy city life of Toronto. Algonquin Park spans an impressive7652 square kilometers, and it covers all sorts of terrain. Algonquin boasts “maple hills, rock ridges, and thousands of lakes”.
You can access the outermost campsites of the park via drive-in options. Or, if you are a little bit more adventurous, you can venture into the interior campsites – either on foot, or via canoe.
Algonquin Campgrounds offer plenty of hiking trails, official Natural Heritage Education Programs, an outstanding visitor centre, an exceptional logging museum, an art centre, mountain biking trails, secluded fishing holes, and a variety of rental locations for boats, camping gear, and outdoor sports. The wildlife is unbelievably vast and jaw-dropping.
The best way to access Algonquin Park from Toronto is to travel North via the 400 for approximately 3 hours.
ParkBus is a great way to travel to Algonquin if you do not have a car of your own. Read more about ParkBus here.
2) Arrowhead Provincial Park
Arrowhead is a great alternative to the massive Algonquin park. For a more personal experience, this park offers all that Algonquin has to offer while spanning a more quaint amount of land.
Arrowhead is located right beside the town of Huntsville, Ontario. It is well-known for its large campsites in the heart of Muskoka. The campgrounds are nearby to three beaches leading into the neighboring motor-free Arrowhead lake.
This area is also well-known for the extreme biking trails.
TripAdvisor reviews claim this to be the “best alternative to Algonquin”, and we couldn’t agree more.
Read more about Arrowhead here
3) Thousand Islands National Park
A little further of a drive, Thousand Island National Park is worth the trip. This outstanding location nestles in the Thousand Island Region of the Saint Lawrence River, between Kingston and Brockville. It offers a glimpse into the northern wilderness that Canada has to offer.
Take a look at the offerings of Thousand Island National Park here
4) Frontenac Park
Frontenac Park is our next camping spot of choice. The park can be reached in approximately 3 hours of time and is absolutely outstanding. It is located on the southern edge of the Canadian shield and spans a great 5355 hectares.
Frontenac is also an ideal spot to obtain your Wilderness Skills certifications. The center of the park is known as the “Threshold to Wilderness” , where they training programs are run year-run. These programs are well developed and offer a great backcountry experience.
5) Bruce Peninsula National Park
The Bruce Peninsula National Park is a hidden treasure that is not as well known as the other 5 camping destinations listed above. This hotspot is rugged and great for an outdoor adventure. It has a wide array of camping facilities spanning from full service RV campsite to backcountry hike-in sites. The Bruce Peninsula Provincial Park contains beautiful lakefront views, and extravagant cliffside trails.
The huge appeal of the Bruce Peninsula National Park is the iconic Bruce Trail. Information regarding hiking the Bruce Trail, be it solo or through a guided tour, can be found here:
https://brucetrail.org/pages/trail
And for those looking for something a little closer to home….
If you are not up for the 3 – 4 hour escapade, we totally understand. In this case, Evolve Tours recommends that you look into planning a camping trip to the Elora Conservation Area, which is only two hours away. Located by the town of Elora, this is a great escape from the city and into the small town life. The conservation area is loaded with outdoor activities, and the swimming hole makes for a community experience in the woods.
