ALWAYS check Alerts and other information on the official website, as conditions and facility availability are subject to change.
New Camping Rules for 2023 (7-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 7-nights at this park. Outside of those dates, it’s still the old 23-night maximum. Ontario Parks promises this will be clear when booking.
Rules for backcountry camping and the roofed accommodation haven’t changed.
Day Use Vehicle Permits: Because of this park’s popularity, it will need permits to be purchased in advance to guarantee park access. This process was started in 2021 and will be kept for 2023.
If you’re smart, grab the permit before any visit, even mid-week. We found this out the hard way at our local Provincial Park.
You can buy the vehicle permit up to 5 days in advance, which guarantees you access to the park on that day. If you have an annual or season pass, you should still book your permit online, but there’s no extra charge.
On a recent long weekend, there were major vehicle lineups waiting to get into Pinery Provincial Park. The bad news is that even if you have already checked in and set up camp if you leave the park for any reason it looks as if you will still have to queue to get back in. Reading through a recent Facebook post I came across two useful tips. (1) Try to arrive Thursday evening when there tends to be less traffic. (2) Make sure you have your groceries and other supplies before getting into the park. (3) If you do leave the park try to plan to get back in the evening when traffic tends to be lighter. Hope this helps make for more fun and less time stuck in traffic. Fact is that parks are getting more popular with a wider range of people wanting to enjoy camping and RVing.
Facebook and Website Links
Official website
Official Facebook
Official Twitter
Contact & Other Information
Phone: 519-243-2220
Address: 9526 Lakeshore Road RR2, Grand Bend, N0M 1T0
Opening and Closing: January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022
Gatehouse: Latitude: 43.24841, Longitude: -81.82342
Activities
Winter Activities
As an all-year-round park, there are many opportunities to snowshoe, X-country ski, hike and even camp.
Snowshoeing
Snowshoes are available to rent from the park office. But, it’s always best to call ahead to check opening times and make sure that snowshoes are available.
There are many places to snowshoe in Pinery Provincial Park including ungroomed roads, tracks and trails along with several of the hiking trails. The Park asks you to keep off of slopes and other environmentally sensitive areas. Always good to ask Park staff for advice and in uncertain keep off. It’s also good manners to keep clear of groomed X-country ski trails.
Camping & Accommodation
Campsites:
Yurts:
Other:
Hiking, Biking & Paddling
Hiking
Bittersweet Trail (1.5 km) (Guide Available, Flat terrain, Stairs, Viewing Platform)
Carolinian Trail (1.8 km) (Guide Available, Hilly terrain, Stairs, Pond)
Cedar Trail ( 2.3 km) (Guide Available, Flat terrain, All but the extension is wheelchair accessible, Open year round, Viewing Platform)
Heritage Trail ( 2.5 km) (Guide Available, Flat terrain, Wheelchair accessible, Viewing Platform, 0.6 Km extension)
Hickory Trail (1 km) (Flat terrain, Stairs)
Lookout Trail (1 km) (Viewing platform, Hilly terrain, Stairs)
Nipissing Trail (2 km) (Hilly terrain, Viewing platform, Stairs)
Pine Trail (0.8 km) (Open year round, Flat terrain, Stairs)
Riverside Trail ( 1 km) (Guide available, Flat terrain, Wheelchair accessible, Viewing Platforms)
Wilderness Trail (3 km) (Guide available, Flat terrain, Stairs to beach, Viewing platform)
Biking
Trails: 14-kilometre Savanna Trail
Rental:
Paddling
We’ve information on our partner website about paddling canoes, kayaks, or paddleboards at Pinery Provincial Park
Maps & Resources
The official Pinery website has downloadable pdf maps of ski trails and a park overview.