Camping In Ontario

[TMF89]

Hey guys, we have a little portage lake up there, and this year I'm looking to do some camping on it, are they any regulations governing where you can and can't camp in Ontario? I heard that all you have to do is purchase a permit, is that true?

[Big Kahuna]

There is no camping on Crown land in Ontario, must be in a registered campbround. It stinks, but that's the law and you don't want to be messing with the OPP. BK

[Shorelunch]

Correct, there's no camping on Crown Land, but you can camp in non-Crown areas not designated as official campsites. For example, there's no KOA's on LOTW, but there's hundreds of islands that have areas that have been made into a campsite.

[youngie22]

I thought americans can camp on crown land w/ permit as long as campsite is 1/2 km away from lake or river. makes it quite difficult. I sure wish that law could change for us americans. but pretty sure that will never happen.

[Down Deep]

I've been camping in Ontario for over 25 years and there is camping allowed on Crown Land (government). Some areas are restricted and some are not. The Ontario Ministry of Natrual Resources publishes a map detailing restricted and non-restricted areas. You may also camp on Crown Land if you are outfitted by a resort or flyin service.

In areas that camping is allowed non-residents must have a camping permit. These permits are available at all bait shops and are $10 per night per person.

The take limits on fish are also different when you camp and are not staying with a resort or outfitter. So check out the fishing regs.

As a general rule most of the area from Thunder Bay to the Manatoba line south of TransCan 17 is restricted. However, there are pockets of restricted and non-restricted areas all over the province.

MNR number for Fort Francis 1-807-274-5337 or 1-807-934-2233

I haven't called these number for quite sometime so they might not be current. I'm sure they have a webpage.

I hope you get lucky and that lake is in an unrestricted area. I found a lake that isn't restricted and we hike into it every year.

[TMF89]

Well I'll be in Dryden, anyone know off-hand if that's Crown Land or not?

[Down Deep]

The boundries run helter skelter in that area. Best thing to do is call the MNR in that area and give them the name of the lake. Also, ask them about any overnight parking regs that there may be for that area. Many of the road accessible lakes have overnight parking restrictions witin 500 meters or a little over a 1/4 mile of the access.

I know this sounds like a lot of govermental baloney, but once you know the rules it is easy to work with them. The rules also keeps a lot of people out of the area which makes for super fishing.

The lake we portage to produces some 20 to 30 pound lakers. They are all still swimming and waiting for you to find them.

[youngie22]

Dryden area can't camp near water / 1/2 km away on our lakes. Down deep has best suggestion I'd say

[smile superior]

I am about to embark on a 2 month circumnavigation of lake Superior by kayak. Does anyone have any good camping suggestions along the lake shore in Canada?

[Hemlock]

Down Deep is bang on. I have a copy of that map at work. We sell those camping permits. It's a new endeavor for me, selling fishing licenses and camping permits, but I have all of the information at my desk.

For specific questions, drop me an email and I'll look areas up for you if you want.

[email protected]

[311Hemi]

We unfortunately stopped fishing a great lake in Ontario that my dad, his friend, my uncle and great uncle fished for 25 years because of the whole camping restrictions. We tried camping a little ways from the lake but found it to be too much work to pull the boats every night (only had two wheel vans at the time and the landing was not much of a landing). Plus we were not comfortable leaving all our gear on the side of the road in a gravel pit, which was the only place in miles to set up.

They had a great camp site on an island on this lake. I was never able to stay there but we did have lunch there a few times.

Also....I don't remember the Ontario limits, but I believe Manitoba's is more. I may be wrong but isn't Ontario around 2?

Non the less, we leave for Manitoba this Sunday and can't wait!!

[traveler]

DD; I looked into camping on an island in LOTW (out of Sioux Narrows) and thought I had the scoop...crown land permits available in Sioux narrows, etc..but i heard/read nothing about having to camp some distance from the water. Won't really work where we're going, or at least it would make it a lot tougher. Any specifics on that regulation??