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
MacGregor Official website
MacGregor Official Facebook
Information
Phone #: 519-389-9056
Main entrance co-ordinates:
Address: 1593 Bruce Road 33, RR#1, Port Elgin, ON, N0H 2C5
Opening seasons: January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023
Travel, Directions & Distances
Directions: Victoria / Kitchener Rail Station to MacGregor Point Provincial Park via Bruce County Rd 3
Toronto (Pearson Airport):
Ottawa (International Airport):
Public transit:
Uber/taxi:
Activities
Camping & Accomodation
Car Camping
Huron Campground is the perfect spot for a family getaway! Each campsite has been designed with your needs in mind, from ample space and trees that offer plenty of shade to comfortable leveling surfaces. disabilities friendly features are available at various locations throughout this beautiful parklet so you can enjoy all MacGregor Point has offers without limitations caused by physical impairments or mental disorder
Reservations can be made year-round online or by phone.
MacGregor Point has 16 yurts that can accommodate up to six people. The site also includes two sets of bunk beds, an outdoor propane barbecue, and a dining shelter for renters who want some more privacy than what’s offered inside the main building (although there are plenty of opportunities throughout the campground). Yurt guests must follow certain rules like not bringing pets or alcohol into these temporary homes; however, they do provide all necessary materials such as electric heat sources so you’ll never need another layer on chilly evenings!
The yurts are open year-round and reservations are recommended well in advance as they are very popular.
Electric Sites
The large private electrical sites may mean that you need to bring an extra-long extension cord to reach the electrical outlet.
Group Camping
There are two group camping sites that accommodate 9-36 people. Sites have water taps and outhouses on site. Comfort stations and the beach would require transportation. One of the two sites has trailer access but does not have electrical service. Reservations can be made online or by phone.
Radio-Free Camping
Sections of Huron Campground are radio-free zone.
Roofed Accommodation
Yurt
YurtNumber at Park: 12
Site Number(s) / Name: 46, 48, 50, 60, 62, 64, 66, 72, 74, 77, 90, 92
MacGregor Point has 12 comfortable yurts available year-round for reservations. They are located in the Birch Boulevard section of the campground.
Check-in/Check-out
4pm/10am
Sleeps:
6
Amenities
Each yurt sleeps six people on two sets of double/single bunk beds. Inside the yurt, campers will also find a table and chairs, lighting, electric heat, and an electrical outlet.
Outside visitors are provided with a firepit, kitchen shelter, picnic tables, and propane barbeque with a side burner. A comfort station with drinking water, flush toilets, and showers are available year-round.
What to Bring
Visitors should bring their own bedding, cookware, dishes, food, and other personal items.
Restrictions
There is a 2-night minimum stay and a 3-night minimum stay on long weekends.
Please note dogs are permitted in Yurt 90. Pets are not permitted in any other Yurts. Smoking is prohibited in all facilities. Cooking in yurts is not permitted.
Parking
Parking for one vehicle is included in your rental fee.
How to Reserve
Reservations can be made online or through our call centre by calling 1-888-ONT-PARK.
Hiking, Biking & Paddling
Hiking
Huron Fringe Trail 1.2 km (35 minutes) easy
The Huron Fringe trail circles the Visitor Centre. Its boardwalk surface makes it compatible for the physically challenged. Interpretive signs along the way teach about the various habitats you are visiting. Several resting spots provide viewing areas for turtles and shore birds. Bicycles are not allowed on this trail.
Old Shore Road Trail 6 km (4 hours) easy
This trail follows the Lake Huron shoreline. In pioneer days it was part of the route that provided land transportation between Goderich and Southampton. This trail offers excellent views of the shore and beach areas. Viewing platforms are located in several places. This trail can also be used for cycling and cross-country skiing. Wheelchairs find most of this trail easy to use.
Lake Ridge Trail 4 km (2.5 hours) moderate
This trail offers a longer circle route in the interior of the park. The terrain here is rough and is suitable only for hikers wearing sturdy shoes. The trail is named after the shoreline ridge of glacial Lake Nipissing which existed here some 5,500 years ago. A short side trail takes you to a boardwalk overlooking a former beaver pond and abandoned lodge. Storyboards tell about an old corduroy logging road, early settlement, and the forest. Bicycles are not permitted on this trail.
Tower Trail 3.5 km return (1.5 hours) easy
This trail takes the visitor around a wetland providing great opportunities for waterfowl and wildlife viewing. An observation tower offers a panoramic view of the wetland and a bird hide offers excellent viewing opportunities at water level. Storyboards are located along the trail to help you understand the wetland environment. Cyclists also use this trail. Wheelchairs can use the section of this trail between the parking lot and the observation tower.
Kempfs Trail 0.8 km (20 min) easy
Kempfs Trail offers a connecting route between the main park road and the Old Shore Road Trail. It is named after one of the former landowners in this part of the park.
Biking
Several off-road trails make it easy to get around the park and to connect to trails in the area.
Deer Run Bike Trail 3.7 km (50 minutes) easy
This trail provides cyclists with a safe way to travel through the interior of the park.
Old Shore Road Trail 6 km easy (linear)
This trail follows the Lake Huron shoreline and offers excellent views of the shore and beach areas. In pioneer days it was part of the route that provided land transportation between Goderich and Southampton. This trail was formerly a roadway and has a firm base for cycling. It serves as an excellent link to various areas in the park.
Tower Trail 3.5 km return
The Tower Trail takes you around a wetland providing great opportunities for waterfowl and wildlife viewing. A tower provides a panoramic view of the wetland and a bird hide offers excellent viewing opportunities at water level. The trail surface is compacted gravel and boardwalk. Cyclists are asked to walk their bikes on the boardwalk sections.
Kempfs Trail 0.8 km (20 min) easy (linear)
Kempfs Trail offers a connecting route between the main park road and the Old Shore Road Trail. It is named after one of the former landowners in this part of the park.
Cycling along trails is recommended over cycling on park roads which can get very busy.
Paddling
Canoeing
Caution should be used by anyone canoeing or kayaking along the shore of Lake Huron because water conditions can change quickly. The nearby Saugeen River provides excellent canoeing and kayaking opportunities.
Winter Activities
If you haven’t explored a snow-covered MacGregor Point Provincial Park, you don’t know what you’re missing. Good roads and a scenic drive get you to the park, nestled against the shores of Lake Huron in Port Elgin.
The ice-skating trail is the premier winter attraction (and best-kept secret!), but MacGregor Point also offers skiing, snowshoeing, camping and other winter fun.
Cross-country Skiing
The Deer Run Trail (11 km) suits both novice and experienced cross-country skiers. This track-set trail combination gently winds through upland hardwood forest and wetland areas.
Additionally, there are several kilometres of unplowed park roads that are not groomed but would be suitable for cross-country skiing.
Snowshoeing
Snowshoe trails are located in Nipissing Campground, as well as on all unplowed roads and non-track set trails. Snowshoeing through the (typically) giant snow drifts along Old Shore Road Trail is worthy of a bucket list. (Note: for safety reasons please stay off ice, ice formations and snow drifts on Lake Huron and all ponds within the park.)
Skating
Glide through the woods on MacGregor’s ice-skating trail. The 400-metre skating trail provides an unforgettable outdoor experience. The park turns on the trail lights for skating under the stars until 10:00 pm every day of the week, and that’s when things get truly magical.
There is also a large ice pad for outdoor hockey enthusiasts.
Snowmobiling
Snowmobiling is permitted on park roads only.