Favourite Algonquin campground?

kodiakcanuck wrote:
Another question, how likely is it I can book a water front site at one of the above parks if I book on the morning it comes avaiable (5 mths to the day of my arrival) Is it like trying to get a waterfront spot at Sandbanks, where I'd have to be lucky enough like I won the lottery ;)

Well, its not quite the lottery. Usually, for a July/August date at Pog, when I go online at 7:00am 5 months in advance, 3-4 waterfront sites will be available. They do get snapped-up very quickly. I've also had some luck booking for a Thursday arrival as opposed to Friday (vacation schedules are usually flexible).

Just keep an eye on the reservations for the day or two ahead of time so that you know what's available. Then, jump online just before 7:00am so that you're ready to pounce on the sites you've chosen when the clock turns over.

But, really, don't worry if you can't get a waterfront site - Algonquin is so much more than sitting in a lawn chair under your awning watching the world pass you by. You should be spending your days away from your site hiking, canoeing or exploring one of the visitor centres. And, you'll want to take the five minute walk to a sandy beach as opposed to swimming from the muddy shore at your campsite.

Thanks guys, this is exactly the detail I was looking for. :B Right now I am leaning to Pog Lake or maybe Mew Lake. I want to be close enough to campstore etc so the kids can still think camping trips involve trips to the ice cream shop LOL, they are getting too use to the KOA style campgrounds.

Another question, how likely is it I can book a water front site at one of the above parks if I book on the morning it comes avaiable (5 mths to the day of my arrival) Is it like trying to get a waterfront spot at Sandbanks, where I'd have to be lucky enough like I won the lottery ;)

I am going to Canisbay in a couple weeks for the week and will let you know what I think of it. We have done Lake of Two rivers a couple times. it is exactly as Brynjofl describes it. Open sites, near the road. On many of the sites you hear the highway non-stop.

I am looking forward to actually not being tied into email and other outside stuff if my phone does not work for the week at Canisbay. Will be a welcome relief. Just came back from Bon Echo and had no phone service their for the week either.

We tend to go to Mew Lake due to its location and size of sites. Also like Rock Lake but it is difficult to get larger units in there - check on this if you decide to go there. Rock Lake has a dumping station there - for all the others c.g.'s you have to travel along Hwy. 60 to the only other dump.

Each has its advantages and disadvantages...

Rock Lake - Beautiful lake, incredible views, well off the highway, small very open sites

Pog Lake - Good-sized mostly private sites, waterfront sites are fantastic, on a great lake network, on the old railway (biking) trail, good fishing, close to the highway

Lake of Two Rivers - Oldest campground, right on the highway, good-sized but very open sites under a canopy of trees, next to no foliage between sites, great beach (+dog beach), very close to camp store/ice cream/diner, on bike trail, very popular with families with young kids

Mew Lake - Good-sized, private sites, walking distance to camp store/ice cream/diner, nice beach, quieter than LOTR but still close to highway, on the bike trail

Canisbay Lake - Very large private sites, fair distance from the highway, great canoeing


They're all within a 15 minute drive of each other, so distances from the gate don't really matter much. Personally, I usually go to Pog Lake during the summer (I'm heading up there this Friday for a week). Canisbay is really nice, but I don't get a cell signal there so its pretty much out. Rock Lake is too open for me and its a bit of a long, dusty drive down there. Mew Lake is the only campground open year-round, so I'm usually there in October-November. I'll stay at Tea Lake every now and then (no hydro) for something different - its a great place in the off-season.

Don't forget to stop at the dump station on your way in to fill-up with water. And, make sure to go to the logging museum just inside the East gate. Also, Oxtongue River Provincial Park, just outside the West gate is worth a visit to see the falls.