ALWAYS check Alerts and other information on the official website, as conditions and facility availability are subject to change.
NOTE: Either this is a backcountry camping and hiking park best enjoyed by experienced paddlers and adventurers or it may involve an exceptionally long drive. Accessing the park may be tricky. It is outside the scope of our website, and you should contact the park for information about activities and facilities.
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
MississagiOfficial website
Mississagi Facebook
Information
Phone #: 705-862-1203 (May to September); 705-865-2021 (October to May)
Main entrance co-ordinates:
Address: c/o Chutes Provincial Park P.O. Box 37, 660 Imperial Street North Massey P0P 1P0
Opening seasons: May 19, 2023, to October 1, 2023
Camping & Accommodation
backcountry Camping
Mississagi Provincial Park is a backcountry camping park click here for more information so you can keep yourself safe and have a lot of fun
Car Camping
The 60 campsites in this wooded campground on the north shore of Semiwite Lake are secluded and private. Most are pull-through trailer sites and each campsite is provided with a fire pit and a picnic table. Some sites are on the water (walk-in sites) and many have a footpath leading to the lake.
Seasonal Leasing: There are a number of campsites at Mississagi that are designated for seasonal leasing. These sites are available from the time the park opens (May 18) until it closes on the Labour Day weekend. If you are planning to spend a large portion of your summer in one location, seasonal leasing could be the best option for you. The cost is less than what you would pay if you were renting by the night, you can stay in the park past the 23-day limit, and you won’t have to set up and take down your equipment more than once!
To discuss a seasonal lease prior to the park opening, contact the Park Clerk at Chutes Provincial Park (705-865-2021). Once the park is open you can speak to the Park Warden about how to arrange a seasonal campsite lease.
This program is operated on a first-come, first-served basis.
Group Camping
There is one group campsite at Mississagi. This site is adjacent to the campground and will accommodate 15-20 tents, 4-5 medium sized trailers, or a combination of both. There are toilets and water taps nearby and the site is a five minute walk from the camper’s beach. Picnic tables are located in a roofed shelter.
Reservations can be made online or by phone.
Walk-In Camping
Four campsites are walk-in (tent) sites and are located on the shore of Semiwite Lake near the day-use area. The distance from car to the campsite at these sites is less than 20 meters.
Hiking, Biking & Paddling
Hiking
Flack Lake Nature Trail – 0.8 km (45 minutes) easy
Interesting geological features and remnants of an old logging camp are features of this trail.
Helenbar Lookout Trail – 7 km (2-4 hours) moderate
Focal points include huge boulder erratics, a spectacular lookout and views of the surrounding mountainous landscape. There is a white sand beach on Semiwite Lake where the Helenbar and Semiwite Lake Trails meet.
MacKenzie Trail – 22 km (3-5 days) strenuous
To test your hiking stamina and get away from it all, try this overnight trail into the backcountry. Campsites are located on the Brush Lakes. From the Brush Lakes Lookout and other lookouts along the eastern edge of the trail, you can look across the vast Stag Lake Peatlands, a provincially significant wetland filling part of the Boland Valley. The Helenbar Lookout and Semiwite Lake Trails can be combined with the Mackenzie for a multi-day backcountry hike.
Semiwite Creek Trail – 1.2 km (1 hour) easy
Follow Semiwite Creek for a chance to see wildlife and photograph picturesque views.
JimChrist Trail – 11 km (6 hours) moderate
Mixed hardwoods and large White Pines tower over this trail which climbs a series of ridges and hills. There is a good view of the base of the Helenbar Lookout ridge at the mid-point of the trail.
Cobre Lake Trail – 11 km (3-5 hours) strenuous
This trail is situated just 11 km north of the park in the Rawhide Lake Conservation Reserve. Look for evidence of last century copper mining exploration, majestic White and Red Pine forests and panoramic views of several lakes.
Biking
There are no designated bicycle trails, however cycling is permitted on park roads.
Paddling
Canoeing Semiwite Lake, right from the campground you will find two secluded beaches near the far end of the lake and an island on the south side.
A short portage from Semiwite takes you across to Helenbar Lake. There is a backcountry campsite on the east shore of Helenbar. Helenbar Lake is the site of a 1946 crash landing of a Gloster Meteor, Britain’s first jet fighter to fly in World War Two. Lt. Mackenzie of the RCAF, ditched the aircraft in the lake after the he lost his way in a storm and ran out of fuel. Stranded in the middle of a roadless wilderness, Mackenzie spent 26 days on the shore of the lake, and survived on a diet of berries until being rescued. The Mackenzie backcountry trail is named for him.
A day trip by canoe on Flack Lake will take you to the base of Old Baldy, site of an old fire ranger’s cabin and a 5 km hiking trail with exceptional views.
There are a number of canoe trips of varying length and difficulty that can originate and end in the park. An area canoe route brochure is available from the park (or by calling Chutes Provincial Park at 705-865-2021) that describes these trips and is useful for planning purposes.
Maps & Resources
A park map is available from the Ontario Provincial Park’s Store with information about canoe routes.
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