A New Year is always a good time for reflection and to set goals, or resolutions for yourself. Last year we signed up for the 52 Hike Challenge and managed to go for a hike at least 52 times throughout the year. Turns out it was the perfect challenge to get us through a strange year. And it was nice to have something to work towards. So this year we decided to set a new challenge for ourselves. One that assumes that travel restrictions will remain in place. Our goal for 2021 is to visit as many of Ontario’s provincial parks as we can.

There are over 330 provincial parks scattered across Ontario. Some of these are operational, non-operational and wilderness preserves. Needless to say, there is no shortage of options. Some of the best hiking trails, campgrounds, canoe routes, and sandy beaches in the province can be found within the boundaries of these parks.

A summary of our Ontario Parks Challenge can be found here

Provincial Parks Log

Below is a list of the provincial parks in Ontario that we’ve visited this year:

• Murphys Point – January 1
• Silent Lake – January 2
• Ferris – January 3
• Sibbald Point – January 10
• MacGregor Point – January 16 – 17
• Point Farms – January 17
• Bass Lake – January 24
• McRae Point – January 24
• Darlington – January 31
• Bronte Creek – February 6
• Emily – February 14
• Mark S. Burnham – February 14
• Mono Cliffs – February 21
• Short Hills – March 13
• Holland Landing Prairie – March 14
• Boyne Valley – March 21
• Sandbanks – April 2
• Lake on the Mountain – April 2
• Frontenac – April 3
• Presqu’ile – April 4
• Springwater – April 5
• Mara – April 5
• Pretty River Valley – April 10
• Beattie Pinery – April 18
• Earl Rowe – April 18
• Duclos Point – April 25
• Carden Alvar – April 25
• Wasaga Beach – May 9
• Peter’s Woods – May 14
• Lake St. Peter – May 15
• Egan Chutes – May 15
• Menzel Centennial – May 16
• Hockley Valley – May 22
• Craigleith – May 23
• Duncan Escarpment – May 24
• Nottawasaga Lookout – June 5
• Rock Point – June 6
• James N. Allan – June 6
• Selkirk – June 6
• Morris Tract – June 27
• Inverhuron – June 27
• Sauble Falls – June 27
• Misery Bay – June 28
• Fairbank – June 29
• Windy Lake – June 29 – July 1
• Halfway Lake – June 30
• Marten River – July 1
• Amable du Fond River – July 1
• Samuel de Champlain – July 1
• Driftwood – July 1 – 2
• Bonnechere – July 2
• Alexander Stewart – July 2
• Fitzroy – July 2
• Burnt Lands – July 3
• Rideau River – July 3
• Charleston Lake – July 3 – 4
• Silver Lake – July 4
• Sharbot Lake – July 4
• Petroglyphs – July 5
• Awenda -July 15 – 16
• Six Mile Lake – July 16
• Sturgeon Bay – July 16
• Restoule – July 16 – 18
• Mikisew – July 18
• Oxtongue River-Ragged Falls – July 18
• J Albert Bauer – July 18
• Arrowhead – July 18 – 19
• Algonquin – July 31 – August 3
• Trillium Woods – August 14
• Port Bruce – August 14
• John E. Pearce – August 14
• Wheatley – August 14 – 15
• Rondeau – August 15
• Clear Creek Forest – August 15
• Port Burwell – August 15
• Turkey Point – August 15 – 16
• Long Point – August 16
• Finlayson Point – September 3 – 4
• Kap-Kig-Iwan – September 4
• Esker Lakes – September 4
• Kettle Lakes – September 5 – 6
• René Brunelle – September 6
• Fushimi Lake – September 6 – 7
• MacLeod – September 7
• Pigeon River – September 8
• Kakabeka Falls – September 8
• Quetico – September 8 – 9
• Caliper Lake – September 9
• Sioux Narrows – September 9
• Rushing River – September 9 – 10
• Blue Lake – September 10
• Aaron – September 10 – 11
• Sandbar Lake – September 11
• Sleeping Giant – September 12 – 13
• Ouimet Canyon – September 13
• Rainbow Falls – September 13
• Neys – September 13 – 15
• White Lake – September 15
• Lake Superior – September 15 – 16
• Pancake Bay – September 16
• Batchawana Bay – September 16
• Chutes – September 17 – 18
• Grundy Lake – September 18
• Oastler Lake – September 18
• Forks of the Credit – October 16
• North Beach – November 6
• Killarney – December 3 – 5

A full list of all the Ontario parks we’ve visited can be found here