Making time for yourself and your family from the busy, monotonous routine of hiking and camping is essential for a healthy life.

To make camping more fun, put away your phone, hop on hiking, and indulge in group activities like cooking, collecting firewood, or fetching water. And it would help if you also explored the area you are camping in.

Maybe the site is well-known as a bird-watching spot, or there might be lakes around where you can enjoy water activities.

1. Top 11 Famous Campgrounds in Toronto

Toronto is known to have quite a few campgrounds where you can spend your time. Campgrounds near Toronto have ample amenities and attractions like swimming pools, sandy beaches, hiking trails, and much more. A few camping sites at the provincial parks might also have small amphitheaters to watch movies in the evening. 

Most camping sites at the provincial parks in Toronto require pre-booking by visiting their official website. So do not forget to reserve a spot, especially during the peak months.

1.1 Indian Line Campground 

If you are looking for a perfect urban campground in Toronto, Indian Line Campground is the ideal match and is open from April to October. Located close to downtown Toronto, the campground offers a camping area for tents, trailers, and RV sites. 

The campground has several amenities like dumping stations, playing areas for children, a saltwater swimming pool, washrooms, on-site paid laundry, showers, and ice and fire for sale.

Moreover, pets are also allowed here, provided they are on a leash. In addition, the campground is close to many biking and walking trails, a golf court, and the Claireville Conservation Area. 

Reservations are required and can be made by visiting the campground’s official website. The charges per night for an unserviced site is about $47, and a serviced campsite’s price starts from $54. 

1.2. Albion Hills Campground

Albion Hills Campground has 234 serviced and unserviced campsites and a few RV pull-through sites. Some of the facilities available at the campground include a campground store, showers, washrooms, fire pits, dumping stations, and children’s play areas. 

You can enjoy biking or hiking near this campground, too. The price per night for an unserviced campsite is $42, while that for a serviced camp is $49. You can check in here from mid-May to the end of October, and the best part is you can bring your pets with you, too. 

1.3. Silent Lake Provincial Park

Located north of Peterborough, Silent Lake Provincial Park is about 2 hours away from Toronto and is open for year-round camping.

The park has a whooping 19 km of hiking trails and about 17 km of biking trails. The Silent Lake Provincial Park has about 34 km of cross-country ski trails for winter sports.

Two sandy beaches are also at this Park. The lake offers many water activities like canoeing, fishing, swimming, and kayaking. A few amenities include a store, showers, toilets, dump stations, and a laundromat. 

One hundred sixty campsites are available, 40 are electrical, and 35 are walk-in campsites. Ten roofed accommodations are also available, where you will find a queen bed and a double bunk bed. Furthermore, it also has a kitchenette equipped with a microwave, kettle, mini fridge, and dining table and chairs.

1.4. Bronte Creek Provincial Park

It is located in an urban setting, but the area is quite quaint and perfect for camping.

Bronte Creek Provincial Park has 140 campsites open from May to October for overnight camping. The area is quite large and has RV sites for parking as well.

There are a lot of options to explore near Bronte Creek Provincial Park. If you love hiking, this park won’t disappoint you; it has over 10 km of 5 different hiking trails.

Twelve Mile Creek is also only a few minutes away from the garden. The Bronte Creek Ravine is about 50 meters deep, where you can enjoy swimming, boating, and canoeing. 

This park offers many facilities like comfort stations, group BBQ, onsite laundry, play areas, pet play areas, a park store, and many more. 

Furthermore, the park also organizes some excellent interpretive programs like Maple Syrup Festival in March and Ghost Walks in August. Therefore, Bronte Creek Provincial Park is one of the best campgrounds near downtown Toronto. 

1.5. Darlington Provincial Park

A perfect campground beside the shore of Lake Ontario, Darlington Provincial Park is one of the most beautiful campgrounds near Toronto. The long stretch of sandy beach gives a lot of space to the campers. Finally, you can sleep to the sound of waves and enjoy sunrises and sunsets. 

Darlington Provincial Park offers three camping sites: Hillside, Lakeside, and Cliffside. The sites are also filled with canopies of trees and offer amazing views. The campsite is open from January to December yearly, and pre-booking is required. 

A few amenities at this park include an amphitheater, radio-free campsites, and RV pull-throughs. It also has four comfort stations, a laundromat, a park store, three picnic shelters, and many more. 

If you are wondering what else you can do besides camping here, don’t worry, there are a lot of activities. You can enjoy boating, canoeing, fishing, and swimming in Lake Ontario. And you can enjoy the scenery of the beautiful beach in the evening.

Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and sledding options are also available in winter. The camp fee for each site usually starts from $20 per night.

1.6. Awenda Provincial Park

Set in a large area of over 2900 hectares along the Georgian Bay, Awenda Provincial Park is another serene campground near Toronto. With an impressive 31 km of hiking trails, you can easily explore the beauty of the place. 

Pre-booking can be done for the 333 campsites by visiting their official website, and the price per night is around $20. There are shaded campsites for RV parking, car camping, and radio-free camping. You can enjoy tent camping at this provincial park, too.

Some of the facilities at  Awenda Provincial Park include comfort stations, on-site laundry, dumping stations, and many more. There are grassy picnic areas where you can enjoy some relaxing time.

1.7. Bass Lake Provincial Park

Bass Lake Provincial Park, known for its sandy beaches, is located near Orillia, Ontario, approximately 1 hour and 35 minutes from Toronto. It offers various facilities and activities, including camping, but it is not explicitly described as an RV park.

The nearby attractions for sightseeing include Springwater Provincial Park, Discovery Harbor, and Casino Rama. Gas stations, convenience stores, and movie theatres are only a 5-minute walk away from the park.

You get campsites for group camping, picnic shelters, children’s play areas, and dumping stations here.  There are a few unserviced sites, and a few have roofed accommodations. The fee for each site usually starts from $20, depending on the type of campsite you are looking for.

1.8. Glen Rouge Campground

Right next to the Rouge River, Glen Rogue Campground is the closest campground to Toronto City. You can also explore the famous Mast Trail by hiking or biking. Also, enjoy some time near the sandy beach by swimming, boating, or simply admiring the beauty. 

BBQ pits, showers, on-site laundry, children’s play area, and washrooms are also available at Glen Rouge Campground. It is simply a low-key campground in the heart of Toronto.

Before you arrive at this campground, ensure to pre-book your seats. These places stay packed from mid-year. So try to book your slots as early as possible; as a result, it will be a hassle-free camping trip for you and your family. It can be done by visiting their official website.

1.9. Niagara Falls Campground

One of the best campgrounds near Toronto, Niagara Falls, is located along the gateway to the Niagara Escarpment. The campground offers a variety of facilities like RV parking sites and tent sites.

These camping areas also have fire pits, picnic tables, electricity, and free wireless internet. The Niagara Falls Campground also has a convenience store, a gift shop, and a laundromat. 

Moreover, pets are also allowed here, provided they are always on leashes. Also, if you want to visit Niagara Falls, this campground can arrange a tour guide. The campground is open to campers from April to October yearly, and reservations are usually made in March. 

1.10. Rattlesnake Point Conservation Area

Located at the Niagara Escarpment, the Rattlesnake Point Conservation area is just an hour’s drive from the city. As a result, it lets you enjoy hours of nature trails. Moreover, the limestone cliffs for rock climbing and fantastic sceneries will all be worth your effort and time. The famous Bruce Trail also cuts through this area. 

The flora and fauna of this area will leave you in awe, and also, the age-old cedar trees and the white vultures soaring high up in the skies will surely fascinate you. Besides, there are five lookout points where you can click pictures or enjoy the scenic beauty. 

Group camping can also be done here, but you must inform the staff beforehand about your camping needs. It would be best if you pre-booked by visiting their official website.

1.11. Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site

Set along the waterway, this campsite offers tenting sites to enjoy group or solo camping. This campsite usually offers first-come basis lock stations for tenting to paddlers and cyclists. 

Other than that, a unique facility, known as oTENTik, is available and looks like a combination of a tent and a rustic cabin.

This unique accommodation provides bunk-bed beds, indoor tables and chairs, solar-powered interior lights, and enough space for 5-6 people. Additionally, washrooms, shower rooms, dumping stations, and vehicle parking sites are available.

You can rent a boat and enjoy paddle boating or swimming in the waterway.  

2. Tips for Camping in One of the Campgrounds in Toronto

The campgrounds mentioned above are mostly away from the central city. So, it is essential to pack the basic requirements.

• Get enough food if you are not planning to cook something in your camp.
• Water is of the utmost essence. You must carry enough water with you before you head camping.
• Camping can often turn into a rough experience. For instance, you can get bug bites, which might cause trouble. So, carry comfortable and protective clothing layers. 
• If you are heading camping, especially in cold hotspots or rainforest areas, you must take essential drugs.
• As for camps, you should keep checking the official websites for open slots. As camping on the sites mentioned earlier is popular, booking your camp beforehand is better. 

The Close

Camping is an excellent way to utilize this free time and delve deep into nature’s beauty. It rejuvenates your mind and soul, reduces stress, and helps build a closer connection with your family. Moreover, camping teaches us the beautiful results of hard work and helps us get out of our comfort zone.

Last Updated on February 1, 2024 by Namrata