Ontario residents will have to pre-book their day trips at 20 additional provincial parks this summer.
The province launched a pilot program in 2021 that allows residents to pre-book their day trips online up to five days in advance at 17 provincial parks. The purpose of the program was to prevent people from driving to a park only to find out they were at capacity.
The program has since been expanded and now includes 57 parks, with an additional 20 joining this year.
“Ontario’s provincial parks are some of the most beautiful and well-loved places in our province, which is why we are always looking for ways to improve and modernize the Ontario Parks experience,” Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks David Piccini said in a statement.
“By expanding the advance daily vehicle permit service, we are responding to feedback from visitors who want a fast and convenient way to visit our parks so they can focus on what really matters – enjoying their visit to the fullest.”
The new parks include:
- Wasaga Beach, Awenda, Rondeau and MacGregor Point
- Sauble Falls as of April 21
- Frontenac and Inverhuron as of April 28
- Bronte Creek, Fitzroy, Murphys Point, Oastler Lake, Petroglyphs, Port Burwell, Rideau River and Rock Point as of May 12
- Chutes, Esker Lakes, Ivanhoe Lake, Neys and White Lake as of May 19
A full list of provincial parks under this program can be found on the Ontario Parks website.
Residents can use the same system they use to book their camping trip to either purchase or sign up for a day-use permit at these parks. Individuals can find the “day use” option along the tabs next to “campsite.”
Slots will open at 7 a.m. five days before the trip date. Individuals with seasonal daily vehicle permits will still have to reserve their spot.
Walk-in spots will be available, however there is no guarantee.
According to officials, more than 12 million visits were logged at Ontario provincial parks in 2022.
