Camping & Glamping in the Great Canadian Wilderness

By Kate

March 1, 2015

Please note: Our new ‘Great Canadian Wilderness’ website has replaced the old one that ran under our company name, Explorers’ Edge. From time to time in an older post, you may see references to Explorers’ Edge.

Disconnect to reconnect in the great Canadian wilderness north of Toronto.

Updated April 2022

Camping in Ontario’s beautiful outdoors just might hold the title for most popular activity in this region north of Toronto. From Algonquin in the east to Killbear in the west, there are plenty of campgrounds to choose from, from higher end “glamping” sites to provincial and national parks, from tent and trailer parks to no-frills crown land. And ‘roughing it’ is no longer limited to warmer-temperature months. (And shoulder season camping is trending; enjoy fewer crowds and have more of the wilderness to yourself.)

Outfitters in the region can help you gear up and advise you on the best spots to strike camp when you’re heading into one of our beautiful parks, and they also have guided expeditions to show you the camping ropes. Private campgrounds throughout the region provide more sense of security, with owners and staff on site to help you get set up. They’ll also often have organized events for meeting some neighbours in the camp sites next to you.

Glamping (a.k.a. glamourous camping) is an option for anyone wanting to try a taste of the camping life, but still looking for some basic comforts like a roof overhead or a raised bed (like the cabins at Georgian Bay Islands National Park or Arrowhead Provincial Park). Some glamping establishments serve delicious food as well, such as Harmony Outdoor Inn in Parry Sound. And guided expeditions are often available from an accommodation provider’s home base, such as at Voyaguer Quest in Algonquin Park, or Northern Edge Algonquin.