Day use at Ontario Parks

Before you go

There are a few things you should know before you head out on your day use adventure.

Choose your adventure!

Each provincial park is unique with its own features, activities, and amenities.

The best way to find out what’s on offer at a park is to use the Park Locator to search by activity, facilities, or location.

Facilities

Each park has different facilities to make your day trip memorable and fun.

Facilities are things like washrooms, BBQ areas, fire pits, playgrounds and picnic areas.
Each park has its own webpage that shares all the information you need to know about facilities. You can find park pages under the “Parks” drop down menu above.
Parks share essential information on their pages. Check the activity icons and alerts to find important details to help plan your visit.
Planning the perfect picnic? Some parks have picnic shelters available on a first come first served basis. Some parks have food concessions.

Capacity

During busy times like summer weekends popular parks may need to close or limit entry.

Buying online and planning ahead can help ensure a great visit.

Buy in advance. You can buy daily vehicle permits in advance at participating parks. Buying in advance guarantees your spot for the day.
Seasonal permit holder? If you have a seasonal permit and want to visit one of the participating parks that sells daily vehicle permits in advance you will need to reserve your spot online to guarantee entry.

Safety

The safety of our visitors and staff is always our top priority. We want your day to be memorable for the right reasons.

Pack essentials like water, sunblock, soap or hand-sanitizer, snacks, and a first aid kit.
Always supervise children and non-swimmers, and have them wear a Personal Flotation Device (PFD) when in or near the water. Always, always wear a PFD when in a boat, canoe, kayak or any other watercraft.
Many parks loan PFDs free of charge.
Know your abilities. Choose an activity that is appropriate for your skill level and make sure you leave lots of time to return to your car before dark.
Parks share alerts about facilities, activities, and other important updates on their web pages. Check for updates from your park before you go under “Parks” at the top of this page.

Rentals

Want to try a new activity? Many parks offer equipment rentals.

Use the Park Locator to find a park near you that rents gear like bikes, canoes, kayaks, paddleboats, or stand-up-paddle boards.
Please note that rentals are an extra cost – prices vary by equipment and park.

Etiquette

Be a park protector! Parks are some of Ontario’s most beautiful and special natural spaces. Please help keep them healthy for everyone to enjoy.

Throw out your garbage and recycling in the right spot.
Don’t leave anything behind. If you brought it with you, make sure it leaves with you. When parks staff have to clean up picnic sites, it takes them away from other important work keeping parks and visitors safe and healthy!
Stay on designated trails.
Each park has its own rules and regulations about things like music, fire pits, BBQs, and dogs at parks. Use the “Parks” drop-down above to find out the rules at the park you want to visit.
Finally, we believe spending time in nature makes people happier! You can help too by being a considerate visitor and keeping parks enjoyable, safe and fun for other people.

Rules & regulations

Rules help ensure our visitors have safe and enjoyable experience and help to protect our parks. You can learn all about the rules that apply at the park you plan on visiting by finding your park’s web page under the “Parks” drop-down above.