There’s nothing more Canadian than slapping on your best flannel, packing into a car with a few friends and driving off to discover the True North. But with so many diverse and expansive landscapes to choose from, it’s hard to know where to retreat to get away from it all. Which campsite is best? Never worry! From one Canadian to another, I’ve got your back.
1. Cyprus Lake Campground, Bruce Peninsula National Park, Ontario
Months of operation: Open Year-Round
Address: Tobermory, ON, N0H 2R0
Few parks, no matter how spectacular, can hold the title of “having it all” but Bruce Peninsula National Park achieves it with ease. There are three campgrounds that each front onto Cyprus Lake, which is considered the best of the best of Georgian Bay. From the campground you can hike 45 minutes to the Cyprus Lake Grotto, an underground cave that can be explored by confident swimmers. For the brave among you, consider climbing the angelstone cliffs and take a leap of faith. There are plenty of additional options for entertainment that include taking a glass-bottom boat cruise to Flowerpot Island where you can view sunken shipwrecks, go scuba diving, snorkelling, rope climbing, hiking and more.
2. George Lake Campground, Killarney Provincial Park, Ontario
Months of operation: Open Year-Round
Address: 960 Highway 637, Killarney, ON P0M 2A0
This park is pretty iconic to Canadians, especially Ontarians and it’s not hard to understand why. With its 645 square kilometre wilderness landscape that showcases the wild Georgian Bay Coast of pink granite, the La Cloche Mountains’ white quartzite ridges and more than 50 crystal clear, sapphire lakes sprinkled amongst the Jack Pine hills, there’s no debating that this park provides a can’t miss camping experience. You’ll be able to enjoy a variety of accommodations from tents to yurts, both of which have access to beautiful beaches and trails. One of the best experiences awaiting you is an extensive network of backcountry canoeing. Make sure you feast on some famous Herbert Fisheries fish and chips while visiting the Village of Killarney.
3. Corney Brook Campground, Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Nova Scotia
Months of operation: May 15th to October 18th
Address: Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Chetcamp, B0C 1L0, Cabot Trail
Corney Brook is a small, oceanside campground located just off the province’s stunning Cabot Trail and the Gulf of the St. Lawrence. There is no portable water on site so be sure to come prepared. You can hike the Corney Brook Trail and enjoy views of moose-filled forests and a beautiful waterfall. If whale-watching is more your thing, you’ll want to take the challenging hike up the L’Acadien Trail for a scenic viewpoint where you can overlook the ocean.
4. Trout River Campground, Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland & Labrador
Months of operation: June 10th to September 18th
Address: Norris Point, NL A0K 3V0
Gros Morne’s ancient landscape is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and when you see it for yourself you’ll understand why. The land is incredibly diverse and features expansive views of beaches, forests, bogs, barren cliffs and even glaciers. At the Trout River Campground you can hike alongside the 15km-long lake and take in an impressive waterfall, paddle down Trout River Pond or hike up the steep Lookout Trail.
5. Mazinaw Lake Campground, Bon Echo Provincial Park, Ontario
Months of operation: May 13th to October 16th
Address: 16151 Hwy. 41 Cloyne, Ontario, K0H 1K0
Bon Echo offers an impressive selection of camping experiences from RV, car camping, backcountry and roofed accommodations. The lands are also covered in ancient Indigenous pictographs and hiking trails that range in difficulty and length from 1km to 17km in length. There are three natural sand beaches recommended for swimming, you can ride the Mugwump Ferry to the base of Mazinaw Rock or go rock climbing alongside the Alpine Club of Canada.
6. Point Wolfe Campground, Fundy National Park, New Brunswick
Months of operation: Open Year-Round
Address: 8642 Route 114, Fundy National Park (Alma), New Brunswick, Canada, E4H 4V2
New Brunswick’s first national park boasts Point Wolfe Campground, a quiet open area with stunning greenery, rivers and hiking trails. You’ll be witness to some of the clearest streams and sparkling waterfalls one can discover while camping. There are also hundreds of rare plant species that first took root in the park when the glaciers melted back from the coast over one million years ago.
7. Baie Sainte-Marguerite Campground, Parc National du Fjord-du-Saguenay, Quebec
Months of operation: June 18th to October 10th
Address: 91 Norte-Dame, Riveiere-Eternite, QC, GOV 1P0
This stunning national park and campground is located along the eastern end of the Saguenay River and lies along the shore of the 105 km-long fjord. The animal population is quite diverse and you may encounter everything from lynxes, to wolves, to black bears and even the great Canadian moose. Visitors to the park can enjoy a huge variety of activities from over 100 km of hiking trails, kayaking, snowshoeing, ice fishing, and of course camping in either huts, cabins or tents.
8. Ottawa River Campgrounds, Driftwood Provincial Park, Ontario
Months of operation: May 20th to September 18th
Address: 39520 Highway 17, Stonecliffe, K0J 2K0
There’s nothing quite like camping riverside where you can take in panoramic views of the Ottawa River and Laurentian Hills. This park is also considered the ideal base camp for exploring the Ottawa River and the mouth of the Dumoine river by sea-kayak. Campers can enjoy a sandy beach that stretches the entire campground and cool off in the refreshing, clear waters of the Ottawa River. There are two trails to choose from: the Oak Highland Trails that climb steeply to a lookout or the Chevrier Creek Trails that loop around one another. Need another incentive? You can also boat, fish and cycle!
9. Athabasca Sand Dunes Provincial Park, Saskatchewan
Months of operation: Open Year-Round
Address: Athabasca Sand Dunes Provincial Park, Box 5000, La Ronge SK, S0J 1L0
I know what you might be thinking, “is this really in Canada?” Yes, fellow outdoorsmen (or women), it is! Don’t feel badly about the doubt, these campgrounds even baffle scientists! The Athabasca Sand Dunes are a series of dune fields about 100 km along the south shore of Lake Athabasca in northwest Saskatchewan. The ecosystem is one of the most unique in Canada, with incredibly rare plants that are found only in this park. The campground is a doozy to get to though so prepare for the challenge; the grounds can only be reached by float plane and there is no where to throw anything away so be prepared to carry out what you carried in.
10. Tulabi Falls Campground, Nopiming Provincial Park, Manitoba
Months of operation: Early May to Labour Day Weekend
Address: Highway 315, Tulabi Falls, Manitoba, Canada
Tulabi Falls Campground is on the relatively small side in comparison to some of the other campsites on this list but that doesn’t make it any less impressive. Named “Entrance to the Wilderness” by the native Anishinabe people, this park provides all the solitude you could ask for with its thick brush of balsam fir, jack pine, and spruce trees that surround the campground. Once you’re ready to go exploring you can take a scenic and peaceful canoe ride on either Tulabi Lake or Elbow Lake, hike the Tulabi Falls trail or go fishing for everything from walleye to northern pike.
11. Frenchman River Valley Campground, Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan
Months of operation: May 20th to September 5th
Address: Highway 4 North, Val Marie, SK
The Frenchman Valley Campground offers a peaceful prairie setting with impressive vistas of the Frenchman River and rolling hills. You can enjoy inspiring views of the starry night sky from camper vans, tents and even traditional aboriginal tipis. Campers will also want to keep their eyes open to spot some of the rarest wildlife in Canada, like black-footed ferrets, short-horned lizards, bison or the playful Black-tailed Prairie dogs. If real live animals aren’t your thing, don’t worry because you’ll be able to check out the impressive dinosaur bones exposed in the eroding layers of earth.
Featured image by Greenide
