ALWAYS check Alerts and other information on the official website, as conditions and facility availability are subject to change.
New Camping Rules for 2023 (14-night max) – new for 2023 are revised rules about the maximum number of nights you can camp. In this park, if you are camping between July 1 and the Saturday of the Labour Day long weekend, you’ll be restricted to no more than 14-nights at this park. Outside of those dates, it’s still the old 23-night maximum. Ontario Parks promise this will be clear when booking.
Rules for backcountry camping and the roofed accommodation haven’t changed.
Facebook and Website Links
Awenda Official website
Awenda Official Facebook
Information
Phone #: 705-549-2231
Main entrance co-ordinates: 44.843699 , -80.002699
Address: PO Box 5004, Penetanguishene, L9M 2G2
Opening seasons: January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023/May 12, 2023 to October 10, 2023 (camping dates)
Travel, Directions & Distances
Directions: Barrie to Awenda Provincial Park via Simcoe County Rd 27 and County Rd 6 S
Activities
Camping & Accommodation
Car Camping
Awenda offers camping in six different campgrounds. Some sites are shaded beneath Sugar Maples and Red Oaks, while others have a view of the fields or forest from their location! All campsites at Wolf offer electricity but those who want more privacy can go without it if they stay at Bear/Deer Campground which is designated radio-free as well dog friendly 🙂
All six campgrounds are serviced by drinking water taps, vault toilets, and a central comfort station complete with flush toilets and showers. Laundry facilities are included at the comfort stations in Turtle, Hawk, and Bear Campgrounds.
Dog-Free Camping
All campsites in Snake Campground are dog-free and radio-free.
Radio-Free Camping
All campsites in Bear, Deer and Snake Campgrounds are radio-free.
Hiking, Biking & Paddling
Hiking
Awenda offers a nice variety of looped and linear, easy to moderate trails and range from 1 to 13 km in length. One trail provides a barrier-free access.
Beach Trail – 4 km return (1.5 hours) linear, easy
This trail takes hikers along the Georgian Bay shoreline. Giant’s Tomb Island is visible from the trail. The contrast between the dry oak-maple forest of the campgrounds and the low, wet birch-cedar-hemlock forest below the bluff can be seen.
Beaver Pond Trail – 1 km (30 minutes) loop, easy, barrier-free
Located in a nature reserve zone most of this trail is a boardwalk that takes you through an area altered by past and present beaver activity. Along the way, you will see the remains of both a building and a bridge from the early logging days. The area also offers views of the dominant Nipissing bluff as well as excellent opportunities for viewing wildlife, wildflowers, and many species of birds.
Bluff Trail – 13 km (3.5 hours) loop, moderate
This circular trail can be accessed from a number of locations within the park. It travels partly along a high bluff and partly through a low wetland. Views of Georgian Bay from sections of this trail are spectacular, especially during the late autumn, early spring leaf-free season.
Nipissing Trail – 1 km return (30 minutes) linear, moderate
The Nipissing Bluff is the dominant glacial feature in Awenda. It is a raised beach created 5,500 years ago by glacial Lake Nipissing. Today a 155 step staircase allows hikers to easily descend 32 meters down the face of the bluff, at times providing you with the sensation of being part of the forest canopy.
Brûlé Trail – 4 km return (1.5 hours) linear, easy
This trail passes through a portion of the park’s upland mixed deciduous forest. Lumbering and fires have obliterated the White Pine stands so that the majority of trees are now Sugar Maple and Red Oak. Lumbering on the peninsula was at its peak in the late 1800s. Since then the forest has been allowed to revert to its natural state but the White Pine has been unable to fully re-establish itself.
Robitaille Homestead Trail – 3 km return (1hour) linear, easy
Hikers follow this trail to an ancient dune system. The age of these sand dunes has been estimated at 11,500 years, from the time of the last glacial retreat. The dunes are a very fragile environment and we ask that you do not climb the hillside, stand on the edge of the bluff or climb down the bluff. This will allow plants to re-establish themselves and will help us preserve this area for future park visitors. On the way to the dunes, this trail passes an abandoned farmstead originally built-in 1902. Remains of the stone foundations and fence rows can still be seen.
Wendat Trail – 5 km (2 hours) loop, easy
This trail begins at Kettle’s Lake. This lake is thought to be a kettle lake formed by the gradual melting of a large buried piece of ice left by retreating glaciers. Today, this area is a favored nesting spot for the Red-winged Blackbird and the Great Blue Heron is often seen in the swamps around the lake. The trail passes the foundations of the Brabant farmstead house and barn. Attempts to farm this area in the 1930s and 40s failed due to the poor, sandy soil.
Biking
Several kilometers of park roads are available for cyclists.
Bikes are also allowed on the Beach, Bluff, and Brule Trails. Since these are multi-use trails, racing is not permitted and cyclists must yield to pedestrians and hikers.
Cyclists are encouraged to respect and protect the often sensitive environments that these trails pass through by riding only on the designated trail surface.
Paddling
Awenda’s quiet and scenic Kettle’s Lake is an excellent location for putting in your own canoe or one you rent from the park. This small, motorboat-free lake is ideally suited for the novice paddler or nature enthusiast.
Winter Activities
Awenda provincial park is located less than an hour East of Downtown Toronto, with easy access from the 401 near Oshawa. Best reached by car, but public transit is possible with a tricky 35-minute walk from public transit.
bring your snowshoes or cross-country skis and enjoy a wonderland experience.
Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are great ways to explore Awenda’s trails. The 17 km of skiable terrain begins at the Trail Centre, which offers rustic accommodations with an open fire pit for chilly evenings or breakfast Boundary Line commencements by candlelight! There is no better way than backcountry-style recreation in wintertime – be prepared, though because you’ll have all day snow covered ground, so pack accordingly
Before heading out, you can check snow conditions on the park’s official website.
This park has no equipment rental, so don’t forget your snowshoes, cross-country skis, and snacks.
Being so close to midland Ontario, there are plenty of places to get hot drinks, snacks, and meals.
Maps & Resources
Ontario Crown Land Use Policy Atlas: most Provincial Parks have excellent signage, maps, and marked trails. If you take up back-country adventures, then it’s not always clear. The Ontario Crown Land Use maps are an excellent resource. You might also want to join one or more of these groups on Facebook
Crown Land Camping Group
Crown Land Camping Ontario
Ontario Parks and Crown Land
Ontario Crown Land Campers
Sharing Ontario Crown Land Camping Spots
Local Facilities
Please Help
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