Top 100 Free Camping In Ontario (2024)

Happiness, they say, is free. One of the ways to experience it is to go camping. Camping parks provide you with a way to de-stress, connect with nature, and indulge in an active pastime. You can gear up to start planning this fun outdoor adventure even if you are a social bird,  or you prefer to derive inner peace from the tranquillity of outdoor camping areas.

The best places to find free, beautiful, and available camping areas are on conservation reserves or public park areas. There are several sites for free camping in Ontario.

Free camping sites do not come with any amenities (and Crown land camping policies usually apply) as private camping facilities spread across the province; you will find that their remote and ‘almost off the grid’ location adds a sense of mystery to the already alluring camping experience.

List Of Top 100 Free Camping In Ontario

Although, there is no guarantee that there will be a fun all-round ‘staycation’ there may be no crazy boat rides, canoeing off into the horizon, bungee jumping or the appeal of an all-you-can-eat 5-star restaurant, free camping has a lot of pros.

If serenity and a thrifty thrilling experience are what you seek, then get your gears ready to explore one or more of these free camping sites:

1. Algonquin Provincial Park
2. Ahmic Forest And Rock Barrens Conservation Reserve
3. Raganooter Lake Conservation Reserve
4. Big Deer Lake Conservation Reserve
5. Joly Township Hardwoods Conservation Reserve
6. Bear Creek Conservation Reserve
7. Bridge Lake Outwash Plain Forest Conservation Reserve
8. Ferrie Township Forest Conservation Reserve
9. The Chain Lakes Conservation Reserve
10. Crane Lake Forest Conservation Reserve
11. Cognashene Lake Conservation Reserve
12. Hammell Lake Conservation Reserve
13. Archambeau Lake Forest Conservation Reserve
14. Fishnet Lake Conservation Reserve
15. The Upper Raft Lake Conservation Reserve
16. Eagle Lake Islands Conservation Reserve
17. Campus Lake Conservation Reserve
18. Big Spring Lake Bedrock Conservation Reserve
19. Bennet Lake Esker Kame Complex Conservation Reserve
20. Ballantyne Lake Drumlins Conservation Reserve
21. Echo River Hardwoods Conservation Reserve
22. Byrnes Lake White Birch Conservation Reserve
23. Basswood Lake Conservation Reserve
24. Greenwood Lake Conservation Reserve
25. Falling snow Lake Conservation Reserve
26. Dry berry Lake Conservation Reserve
27. Campfire River Conservation Reserve
28. Aulneau Interior Conservation Reserve
29. Eden Township Forest Conservation Reserve
30. Gough Outwash Forest Conservation Reserve
31. Attlee Central Forest Conservation Reserve
32. Garson Forest Conservation Reserve
33. Alm Lake Forest Conservation Reserve
34. Friday and Scotia Lakes Conservation Reserve
35. Akonesi Chain of Lakes Complex Conservation Reserve
36. Sugar Lake Conservation Reserve
37. Smith Lake Conservation Reserve
38. Pinetorch Lake Conservation Reserve
39. North Yorston Conservation Reserve
40. Makobe-Grays Ice Margin Conservation Reserve
41. Fish Bay Conservation Reserve
42. Cliff Lake Conservation Reserve
43. Boulter-Depot Creek Conservation Reserve
44. Boom Creek Conservation Reserve
45. Jim Edwards Lake Conservation Reserve
46. East Lady Evelyn Lake Conservation Reserve
47. Bob Lake Conservation Reserve
48. Bray Lake Conservation Reserve
49. Freeman Township Sugar Maple Forest Conservation Reserve
50. Eastern Cardwell Forest Conservation Reserve
51. Dutcher Lake Conservation Reserve
52. Wesley Clover Parks Campground
53. Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park
54. Missinaibi Provincial Park
55. Rideau Acres Campground
56. Island Lake and Barrens Conservation Reserve
57. North Yorston Conservation Reserve
58. Lake Temagami
59. McCrae Lake Conservation Reserve
60. Aubrey Falls Provincial Park
61. Torrance Barrens Dark-Sky Preserve
62. Echo River Hardwoods Conservation Reserve
63. Phillip Edward Island
64. Noganosh Lake Provincial Park
65. Hammell Lake Conservation Reserve
66. Jigsaw Lake Recreational Site
67. Valhalla Provincial Park
68. Tombstone Territorial Park
69. The 100 Wild Islands
70. Collingwood – Craigleigh Provincial Park
71. Manitoulin Island
72. Mindemoya Cottages and Campground
73. Grand Bend – The Pinery Provincial Park
74. Frontenac Provincial Park
75. Slate Islands Provincial Park
76. Pukaskwa National Park
77. Lake Superior Provincial Park
78. Missinaibi River
79. Albion Hills
80. Milton Heights Campground
81. Hilton Falls Conservation Area
82. Crawford Lake Conservation Area
83. Mount Nemo Conservation Area
84. Killarney Provincial Park
85. Sandbanks Provincial Park
86. Quetico Provincial Park
87. Bon Echo Provincial Park
88. Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park
89. Sleeping Giant Provincial Park
90. Arrowhead Provincial Park
91. Silent Lake Provincial Park
92. Grundy Lake Provincial Park
93. Killbear Provincial Park
94. Bruce Peninsula National Park
95. Bronte Creek Provincial Park
96. Neys Provincial Park
97. MacGregor Point Provincial Park
98. Pancake Bay Provincial Park
99. Awenda Provincial Park
100. Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park

Rules For Camping On Crown Land And Free Camp Areas In Ontario

When dealing with nature, and natural facilities, you have to be careful and treat your surroundings with care, regardless of what you do, camping destroys the flora and fauna, so you have to be gentle as you carry on your exploits.

You will be keeping your free camping area safe in Ontario when you:

• Know the rules, regulations, and safety concerns for the area you visit.
• Fully plan for extreme weather, hazards, emergencies, and how to minimize your activities during these climatic conditions.
• Schedule your trip to periods of reduced human activities.
• Travel and camp on established trails, campsites, rock, gravel, dry grasses, or snow.
• Protect water bodies and their surroundings by camping at least 70 meters from them.
• Split larger camping parties into smaller groups.
• Repackage food to minimize unrestricted waste disposal.
• Utilize appropriate camping maps and compasses to eliminate the use of marking rock cairns with paint, or flagging.
• When you examine cultural or historic structures and artefacts, be careful not to touch them, and always strive to leave rocks, plants, and other natural objects as you found them.
• Avoid introducing, reintroducing, or transporting non-native species.
• Do not build structures, furniture, or dig trenches.
• Use a lightweight stove for cooking and enjoy a candle lantern for light. Constant fires and burns can destroy the terrain and upset the balance of plants and animals.
• Where fires are permitted, use established fire rings, fire pans, or mound fires. Remember to always keep fires small.
• Observe wildlife from a distance. You should not try to follow or approach them, they are called wildlife for a reason.
• Never feed the animals. Feeding wildlife damages their health alters natural behaviours and exposes them to predators and other dangers.
• Control pets at all times, or leave them at home. Although the freest camping allows pets.

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Conclusion

Free camping in Ontario, has many secluded spots, which are usually open to a few visitors year-round.  These areas shine more in their natural setting, without the clutter of everyday gadgets and facilities.

All you need to do is pick a means of transportation, preferably a minivan, a bus, or other sturdy vehicles that can withstand the whiplash from the rocky terrains of camping sites in Ontario. After choosing your preferred camping site, all that is left is packing your bags to get ready to go camping.