Hooman Baradaran's HoomanB.com

Favourite Parks & Campgrounds

Bruce Peninsula National Park :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)

If you're up for a four-hour drive and at least a two-night stay which is absolutely worth it then try Bruce Peninsula, the most magnificent piece of nature I've yet seen in Canada. Walk a beautiful 3-kilometre trail to the beautiful rocky coasts and the deep blue Georgian lake (this is right between Georgian lake and Lake Huron), then either jump of a cost (not that I've done it yet) or check out the beautiful Grotto. If you're not up for the walk Cyprus lake is near the campsites and is perfect for swimming and canoing (but watch out for the snakes). Unlike provincial parks I didn't see a police patrol and width bears and other wild animals I wouldn't recommend it to first-time campers.

Sibbald Point Provincial Park :-) :-) :-) :-)

Located on the southern coast of lake Simcoe in York Region, close to Toronto, Sibbald Point is my favourite camping place. With lots of tall green trees providing a nice and private campsite, sandy beaches and nightly police patrol it's the perfect place to setup your tent and have a wonderful night in nature, just watch out for raccoon attacks!

Balsam Lake Provincial Park :-) :-) :-) :-)

Balsam lake is a calm and clean lake about 150 kilometers north-east of Toronto. For me it is very similar to Sibbald point except it is relatively far but has a better lake for both swimming and canoeing. Balsam lake has islands that you can get to by a boat (they're not part of the park). The trails are dry in some areas but pretty nice. The camp sites don't have the best privacy but they're OK.

Darlington Provincial Park :-) :-) :-)

Located on the 401 less than 50 km east of Toronto, Darlington is the closest camp site to Toronto that I've been to. There is a rail track passing near the park that makes it impossible to sleep, the toilette aren't great for some camp sites and most sites don't have a good privacy but it's great for first time campers because it's so close you can just drive home and sleep if you running into equipment problem! The park is located between a shallow McLaughlin Bay and lake Ontario which makes it perfect for both swimming and canoing. There are some nice butterflies, hawks and rabbits and if you go there in the fall (which I didn't) you can see the white-tailed deer.

Emily Provincial Park :-) :-) :-)

Located near Peterborough, ON Emily has good campsites and if you like wildlife viewing you can see the Osprey fly above the river or see their active nests in the only trail in the park. The river is not so good for swimming but it's shallow and calm and those beautiful water lilies make it the perfect place to paddle and fish. There are very large campsites with pretty good privacy in the park, however, if you just want to go camping there are similar places closer to Toronto.

Valens Conservation Area :-) :-) :-)

Located near the African Lion Safari in Hamilton, Valens is a relatively good destination for near-Toronto camping. We visited the park in early fall and the trails looked great, however the lake was pretty dry and the beach was way too dirty for swimming. It's definitly worth the effort to leave your car and use their more natural camp sites (there is no direct car access to them, but their close to the parking). The park is open 11 months a year and you get access cards so you can easily leave the park any time.

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