Camping
 

Simon and I are looking for a nice place in around the GTA to go camping.

Requirements:

1. Lake
2. Not more than 2.5 hours from Toronto (or preferably, Brampton)
3. Lake
4. Trees

Where are some nice places to go?

I don't think you can go wrong with Algonquin. Such a choice of campsites, from ones with water and electrics to true wilderness camping.

Algonquin is more than 2.5 hours and isn't in the GTA... It is a great place to go though.

The Provincial Park at Sibbald's Point is OK... It is on the southern tip of Lake Simcoe and has a nice beach. That said, it is a provincial park.

There are probably some nice places to camp and hike along the Bruce Trail... those would be reasonably close.

I vote you ditch your plans and come to Alberta.
Oh how I love teh Kananananaskies.

P.s. I give horrible advice.

I'm afraid you might have to push your 2.5h driving limit up to 3-4hrs for the best secluded sites with a lake.

Our favourite Provincial Parks are Cypress Lake, Rondeau, Sandbanks and Bon Echo.

At Bon Echo, in addition to the main lake/beach, you can hike 3km or canoe into the empty and secluded beach on Joe Perry Lake. That's where I proposed to my wife.

Check out the Ontario parks website (http://www.ontarioparks.com) for more details.

It's a very well designed site with lots of info and you check availability and book online.

Have Fun!

The Pinery. I think it's about 2.5 hours from the GTA and is pretty large. There is a river to go canoeing, and you're in Grand Bend, which is basically a beach-town/cottage-town in the summer season. My girlfriend and I go periodically and we're always eager to meet people who love camping too.

Be watchful of the parks this season, as they might go on strike.

To be honest, I really want to go back to Killbear, but Simon's car just isn't in good enough shape to risk a drive that far right now.

I can't remember what park it was that Simon's mum suggested, but I think we're going there.

Thanks for the help! I promise that when the car is in better condition we'll visit some further places.

Have faith in it! The van my buddies and I used to get to Algonquin was in TERRIBLE shape. And I mean TERRIBLE (let's just say, he doesn't bother locking it... and he really doesn't care if he hits walls and stuff)

It managed to carry 6 of us, 6 huge camping bags with gear, 2 canoes, paddles, lots of water, lots of food, and lots of beer.

However, there WAS black smoke coming out near the end of the ride back. So maybe Algonquin with that much gear is a little far :D

Alright, so the place we're thinking of going is Albion Hills. I figure that even if it's no Algonquin or Killbear or anything, it could be fun anyway.

Has anyone ever been there?

Algonquin is almost exactly 2.5 hours from the GTA (250 km actually).

Sibbald Point is OK, but not very natural.

Why not rent one? Avis does a long weekend rental (Friday to Monday) for $99! Unlimited km!

Well, we've booked a site at Albion Hills for mid July. It's pretty close and has a decent reputation for casual camping. It may not be the best place in the world to camp, but I've talked to a couple of people who camp there regularly and they say it's pretty nice for just a little weekend getaway.

Though I'd absolutely love to go somewhere further, with more wildlife and adventure, Simon and I are both students. We're saving to move out at the same time as Simon's paying for 100% of his schooling... So we can't really afford to rent a car, or anything like that right now.

In a couple of years, we're going to cover as much of Canada as we can, but right now, we'll stay close to home.

Thanks a lot for the suggestions though! I'll remember them for when we have more cash! ;)