I had long believed Algonquin Park to be overrated, but each time I visit I fall a little more in love with its lakes, forests and campsites. I personally prefer to explore Algonquin by canoe, opting for backcountry campsites rather than staying in one of the many campgrounds in Algonquin.
Campsites & cabins. One of the best ways to get in touch with the wilderness is to try camping in Algonquin Park. The park offers every type of campsite, from well developed vehicle accessible sites to remote and rustic paddle or hike in only sites. Also available are the ever-popular historical Ranger Cabins that are now available for rent. It cannot be purchased in the park. Ontario Parks do not issue fishing licences. Things to Know: You need an Ontario Fishing Licence to fish in Algonquin Park. The closest place to purchase one is in Huntsville, 40 km from the West gate. Bugs can be a problem- black flies especially. Bug repellent with 100% DEET makes these a non-issue. Seasonal campsites can be reserved one of two ways: Online at reservations.ontarioparks.com. By calling 1-888-ONT-PARK (between 7:00 am and 9:00 pm Eastern Standard Time) Reservations for a summer seasonal campsite can be made between October 1 and March 31 for the upcoming operating season. A wait list is not available. Private campgrounds throughout Ontario vary in the experiences and amenities offered from clubhouses, restaurants, swimming pools and even waterparks to beautiful beaches, hiking trails and nature activities. Many private campgrounds offer family friendly programs like movie nights under the stars. Beyond the traditional campsites, you can find.
But one thing I can’t deny is that Algonquin has some remarkably nice developed campgrounds, perfect for first-time campers, car campers and RV and trailer campers.
In this post I’ll introduce you to all 11 of the Algonquin Park campgrounds, specifying things like location, appropriate equipment (tents vs trailers), degree of seclusion, things to do nearby and more.
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Map of Campgrounds in Algonquin
Here are the locations for the campgrounds in Algonquin Park. As you can see, most of the campgrounds are located along Highway 60. These are the most convenient campgrounds if you’re arriving from the Toronto, Muskoka or Kingston areas. However, this also makes them busier. If you want seclusion and don’t mind extra driving, the three campgrounds in the northern part of Algonquin Park are excellent.
Algonquin Park Campgrounds – Quick Summary
In addition to the location of the campground, you’ll also want to know the services and facilities available at each of the campgrounds.
If you are camping with an RV, for example, you’ll likely want a campground that offers sites with an electrical hookup. Similarly, if you are camping with your dog you should check that the campsite you book isn’t in a pet-free zone. Finally, you may be interested in a campground that has more developed facilities, like showers, laundry and a campground store.
Read More: Canoeing Algonquin: 7 Excellent Algonquin Canoe Routes
Algonquin Park Campground Descriptions
Achray Campground
Achray Campground sits on Grand Lake in the northeastern corner of Algonquin Park. This is the best campground for exploring Barron Canyon and the nearby hiking trails.
The campground has 45 campsites. Although the campground can fit recreational vehicles like trailers, there is no electricity and generators are prohibited. Similarly, there are no shower or laundry facilities at the campground.
In addition, this is a radio-free campground and part of the campground is also pet-free. The final logistic piece to be aware of is that the campground is located at the end of a 50 km gravel road, so ensure you have a vehicle that is up for a bumpy ride.
Once you’re at Achray Campground, there is a ton to do. Bring a canoe and paddle down Grand Lake or into Stratton Lake to check out High Falls. You can also coordinate with an outfitter in Algonquin to have a canoe dropped off at the campground for you. You can also check out one of the nearby trails, like the Barron Canyon Trail, Berm Lake Trail or Jack Pine Trail.
Brent Campground
Brent Campground sits in the centre-north of Algonquin Park. There are 30 campsites, no shower or laundry facilities, and no electrical hook-ups. The campground is on Cedar Lake, which is a wonderful lake for day paddling and Algonquin Outfitters has a location here so you can easily rent a canoe.
Note that the campground doesn’t have cell service and is located at the end of a 40 km gravel road.
There are also two backcountry cabins at Brent, which can sleep 2 people and 10 people.
Cedar Lake has decent Lake Trout, Smallmouth Bass and Walleye fishing, and is near the Brent Crater Trail which takes hikers to the location of a meteorite crater for thousands of years ago. History buffs can walk along the Brent Historic Trail and learn more about the history of the town during the logging boom (it was quite a bustling town back then).
Canisbay Lake Campground
Canisbay Lake Campground is one of the first campgrounds you’ll pass when driving eastbound on Highway 60. It is home to 242 campsites, of which one quarter have electric hookups for recreational vehicles. The campground is divided into three areas, one of which is a dog-free and radio-free zone. There are both laundry and shower facilities in nice comfort stations.
The vegetation around the campground is dominated by deciduous trees, making this a great campsite to visit in autumn when the leaves are changing. Most of the campsites are of medium size and in the forest, where the trees allow for privacy between sites.
As this is a larger and more built-up campground in a convenient location, it isn’t as quiet or secluded as the two campgrounds introduced above (Achray and Brent). Canisbay Lake Campground is also close to the Track and Tower Trail, which is one of the most popular hikes in Algonquin Park.
The Portage Store is only a few kilometres away and they can get you set up with a canoe rental for the day (or go there for a burger, milkshake and ice cream if you ‘accidentally’ drop your hot dog in the campfire).
Read More: Algonquin Park Canoe Rentals: How to Choose Your Next Outfitter
Kiosk Camground
Kiosk Campground is the most northern campground in Algonquin and is located at the end of Highway 630, in the park’s northwestern corner. The name ‘Kiosk’ is shorthand for Kioshkokwi Lake, the lake the campground borders.
Kiosk is the park’s smallest campground, with less than 30 campsites and one small cabin. Although the campsites can accommodate a variety of vehicles, there are no electrical hookups in this park. There aren’t any shower or laundry facilities either.
Despite the lack of facilities, Kiosk is a great campground if you want privacy and seclusion. There are very few sites, no major roads or access points nearby and most of the campsites have a veil of trees separating one another.
Lake of Two Rivers Campground
Lake of Two Rivers Campground sites on a large and beautiful lake with a great beach. It is also the oldest campground in Algonquin Park and one of the most popular. The campground is surrounded by a forest of white pine trees, campsites are very large and there is an okay level of privacy between campsites.
More than half of the campsites have electrical hookups and can accommodate all camping equipment (tents, trailers and RVs). Plus, there are nice comfort stations with laundry and shower facilities. There is even a park store adjacent to the campground, which sells groceries, snacks and a few camping basics (and ice cream!).
Lake of Two Rivers campground is also one of the most accessible / wheelchair-friendly campgrounds in Algonquin (the comfort stations are barrier-free and there are two barrier-free campsites available for reservation).
There are over 200 campsites, making this one of the busiest campgrounds in Algonquin Park. You can also sometimes hear traffic from Highway 60. All that to say, if you’re looking for privacy and seclusion, this isn’t the campground for you.
Mew Lake Campground
Mew Lake Campground is located on Highway 60, about 30 km from the West Gate. The campground can accommodate most types of vehicles, as half of the campsites have electrical hookups for trailers and RVs. A section of the campground is radio-free and dog-free.
Many of the campsites are on the shores of Mew Lake, however the lake is not very big. If you want to do a paddling day trip from the campground, I’d suggest a different campground (like Lake of Two Rivers or Achray).
This is a great campground to stay at the night before hiking the Highland Backpacking Trail, as the trailhead is adjacent to the campground. If you don’t want to do the whole backpacking trail, you can do the shorter trail to Provoking Falls (great swim spot) or do a big day hike around Provoking Lake (19 km in total – start early!).
Finally, this is a good campground if camping in the winter. There are seven yurts (semi-permanent, canvas tents) that can be rented year-round and an ice rink is built on Mew Lake during the winter.
Read More: Complete Guide to Hiking the Highland Backpacking Trail in Algonquin
Pog Lake and Kearney Lake
Pog Lake and Kearney Lake are very close to one another and are grouped together on the Ontario Parks reservation website, however they do lie on opposite sides of Highway 60 and, as such, it’s not easy going in between them (unlike the case of Rock Lake and Raccoon Lake below).
Pog Lake is the largest campground in Algonquin Park, with over 300 sites, a third of which have electric hookups for large recreational vehicles. There are also about 30 campsites in a pet-free, radio-free zone. The campground has three comfort stations, each with laundry and shower facilities.
Kearney Lake is still a large campground, but much smaller than Pog Lake, with only 100 campsites. None of the campsites have electrical hookups, there are no laundry facilities and there is a single shower facility in Campground 2.
These two campgrounds are the closest to the Centennial Ridges Trail and Lookout Trail.
Ontario Parks – Pog Lake // Ontario Parks – Kearney Lake
Rock Lake and Raccoon Lake
Rock Lake and Raccoon Lake are two campgrounds that are very close to one another and bundled together on the Ontario Parks reservation website. Rock Lake is the bigger and more developed of the two. It has over 100 campsites, laundry and shower facilities, and over half of the campsites have electrical hookups for large recreational vehicles.
Rock Lake offers very little privacy between sites. And because of the number of electrical sites, it’s a popular option for people who camp with RVs and trailers (making it resemble a parking lot). It’s also a great starting point for a day paddle, as Rock Lake leads to a few smaller lakes with minimal portages.
Raccoon Lake, on the other hand, is smaller and less developed. It has 48 campsites, none of which have electric hookups, and it doesn’t have laundry or shower facilities. However, it is a short walk from Rock Lake Campground, so you can still access the facilities if you need them. Raccoon Lake isn’t considered to be a very desirable campground (minimum view, average sites and seclusion).
Both campgrounds can be accessed from Highway 60, however, they are further from the highway than the other campgrounds. This means you’re unlikely to hear traffic from the highway (a common critique of some of the other campgrounds in Algonquin that are along Highway 60). That said, the lack of privacy between campsites means you’ll likely be able to hear your neighbours. Overall, these are good campgrounds if seclusion and solitude is what you’re after.
Ontario Parks – Rock Lake // Ontario Parks – Raccoon Lake
Tea Lake
Tea Lake is a small campground with less than 50 campsites. There are flush toilets, laundry and shower facilities however there are no electrical hookups. Some of the campsites are along the water, however, the view is obstructed by cedar trees. There is also a beach here, perfect for swimming or launching a canoe.
The campground is mostly used as a jumping-off point for backcountry paddlers and backpackers. Tea Lake is the closest campground to The Western Uplands Backpacking Trail. Likewise, Tea Lake connects to Canoe Lake via Bonita Lake, which is a popular starting point for several popular canoe routes (like those to Burnt Island Lake or Sunbeam Lake).
Tea Lake is the closest campground to the short Mizzy Lake Trail and The Portage Store, which has amazing ice cream and Algonquin-inspired souvenirs.
Read More: Guided Canoe Trips in Algonquin: The Perfect Introduction to Canoe Camping!
Best Algonquin Park Campgrounds
With so many campgrounds in Algonquin Park to choose from, which one is best for you? I tried but was unable to find anyone who had stayed at every single campground and could objectively compare them. So instead, I’ve gone through a variety of online reviews, feedback from people who have written Trip Reports for my other website and which parks have the highest occupancy rates (according to Ontario Parks).
Best Algonquin Campground: Overall
Lake of Two Rivers Campground
Best Algonquin Campground: Most Beautiful
Everywhere I turned the consensus was largely unanimous: The Lake of Two Rivers is the most beautiful campground in Algonquin Park. Well, not the campground, but the lake itself. Bordering the lake are the characteristic white pine trees Algonquin is known for. The lake is large, with an island and a peninsula that make great subjects in a photograph.
Achray Campground
Best Algonquin Campground: Best Secluded
Achray, Brent and Kiosk are the most remote campgrounds in Algonquin Park, none of which can be accessed directly from Highway 60. The campgrounds (and crowds) are much smaller. What differentiates Achray from the other two campgrounds, however, is that there is a lot to do in the area despite the seclusion. You can go hiking on the Jack Pine or Barron Canyon trails or rent a canoe and paddle out to High Falls. I’d put Brent as the runner-up because from the campground you can explore the remains of the logging town of Brent along the Historic Brent Trail.
Final Thoughts on Campgrounds in Algonquin Park
I hope you’ve found this post helpful and have a better idea of which campground you’d like to stay at during your next visit to Algonquin Park. Honestly, it’s hard to go wrong since they all offer something different. Below I’ve included links to some additional resources I’ve developed for Algonquin Park. Happy camping!
Additional Resources for Camping in Algonquin
Places to Visit in Ontario, Canada
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