Out of all the provincial parks in Ontario, we’ve been to Algonquin the most. It was the first provincial park created and it’s one of the largest in the province. We used to go backcountry camping there every summer by canoe. But now that we have a toddler, we’ve traded in our tent for a roofed accommodation. And instead of visiting in the summer, we’ve been taking advantage of the quieter offseason when it’s less busy and buggy.

Arrowhead Provincial Park is located near Huntsville, an area in Ontario that typically gets hammered by snow. But the park has fully embraced winter and offers a plethora of activities to enjoy the ice and snow. This includes skating, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and for those who are a bit adventurous and have their own skis and a dog, skijoring. Arrowhead offers camping and has several heated cabins for visitors to stay overnight in the park, even in the winter.

It’s been a cold (and very snowy) winter, which means we haven’t been spending much time outside. But the weather forecast was looking promising over the Family Day long weekend so we planned to do some winter hiking. We settled on Presqu’ile Provincial Park as it’s not too far from home and the trails are all relatively flat, which would work well for pulling our little M around in her little red sled. There’s no roofed accommodations in the park during the winter so we booked a room in a hotel in Trenton for a couple of nights, which is 30 minutes from the park.

Point Pelee National Park is located on a peninsula on Lake Erie and is the southernmost point of mainland Canada. It’s one of the smallest national parks but it’s also one of the most ecologically diverse. Many of the rarest plants in Canada can be found here. It’s not terribly far from home and we typically make a trip here every year to stay in one of the oTENTiks within the park.

The Muskoka region in Ontario typically gets a lot of snow. As a result, Arrowhead Provincial Park has become extremely popular in the winter, offering skating, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. While winter activities in the park don’t typically start until January, visiting in December provides a quieter experience while still being able to enjoy the snowy scenery.

Pinery Provincial Park is located in western Ontario along the sandy shores of Lake Huron. It contains a variety of habitats including rare Oak Savanna and coastal sand dunes. It is open year-round and features a number of activities depending on the season.