Parks offer up worlds to explore
If you want to explore the wonders of wildlife in southern Ontario, make sure you are prepared and know what’s expected when visiting.
Here are some epic destinations to cross off your bucket list this season.
Pinery Provincial Park
Located on Lake Huron near Grand Bend, the Pinery Provincial Park is on National Geographic’s Top 10 for best sunsets. Its rare Oak Savanna and Coastal Dune Ecosystems has over 800 vascular plants and over 300 bird species. If you’re planning to explore the Old Ausable Channel, a provincially significant wetland, you can rent a canoe, hydro bike, paddle boat or kayaks. Visitors start coming in May until Labour Day. Pinery Park advises a reservation should be made in advance of the trip. A three-wheeled chair is available at the bike building for accessing rugged or sandy terrain.
Algonquin Provincial Park
The provincial park offers dozens of wildlife viewing experiences, like world-class trout fishing and spotting migrant birds. Located between Georgian Bay and the Ottawa River, the scenery is perfect for hiking and biking. Outdoor activities such as camping, skiing, snowshoeing and skating are also available. The site comes with barrierfree services such as toilets, campgrounds with showers and flush toilets.
Bon Echo Provincial Park
In the north of Kaladar, Bon Echo is the perfect spot to unplug from the city and immerse one’s self in nature. Its landmark, Mazinaw Rock, is a 100-metre high cliff overlooking Mazinaw Lake featuring more than 260 Indigenous pictographs. For the bird lovers, the peregrine falcon, a species of concern in Ontario, is often seen nesting on Mazinaw Rock.
Hiking trails range from 1 kilometre to 17 km long. According to Ontario Park’s website, all comfort stations — showers and flush toilets — are barrier-free.
Darlington Provincial Park
Located near the town of Courtice, between Bowmanville and Oshawa. Darlington Provincial Park is ready to welcome families in the summer. Its Discovery program teaches about the natural ecology and cultural history of Darlington. Evening films, campfires and singalongs, as well as guided hikes, are only some of the activities. On the weekends, special events also take place throughout the season. Darlington offers barrier-free campsites as well as barrier-free access to comfort stations, the park store and the visitor centre.
Lion’s Head Provincial Park
At the midway point of the Bruce Peninsula, Lion’s Head Provincial Park offers sightseeing spots for days. Its name comes after the view from Georgian Bay, which resembles the head of a lion. The port village is surrounded by limestone cliffs and bathed by turquoise Caribbean-coloured waters. During sunrise and sunset, a pink aura forms due to the sun’s reflection. According to Ontario Parks, Lion’s Head is a nonoperating park and there are no activities or accessible facilities.
Killbear Provincial Park
Located near the town of Nobel on Georgian Bay in the Parry Sound District of Ontario, Killbear’s rocky shoreline, mixed with numerous sand beaches, make it a great spot for hiking and biking. Some of the activities include swimming, canoeing/kayaking, boating/sailing and fishing. One of the main attractions is the 100-year-old windswept tree at Sunset Rocks, making it a popular destination for photo enthusiasts. If you are camping, make sure to bear-proof your campsites, since the area is a natural habit for black bears. All comfort stations are barrier-free. There are nine designated wheelchair accessible campsites.
Massasauga Provincial Park
In Parry Sound District, Massassauga covers all provincial parks activities — birding, boating, canoeing, fishing, hiking, hunting and swimming. You can camp by the bay or paddle to inland lake sites. Massassauga is a protected sanctuary for the Massasauga Rattlesnake, but according to Ontario Parks, they are rarely seen. Massasauga is also home to the whitetailed deer, moose, black bears and wolves that are commonly spotted in the park. Ontario Parks’ website does not provide information on accessibility services.
Presqu’ile Provincial Park
Situated in southeastern Northumberland County on the north shore of Lake Ontario near the town of Brighton, Presqu’ile Provincial Park is open all year, where you can enjoy a walk, see ice cliffs and ice volcanoes. A discovery program is available in the summer with guided walks, conducted bird walks and other nature activities. Presqu’ile is home to the second oldest operating lighthouse in Ontario. All comfort stations and two campsites offer barrier-free access. In summer, an access mat allows a solid base for unrestricted access from the Beach 1 parking lot to the beach.