Throughout the Canadian region of Ontario you’ll find a number of incredible parks and recreational areas. All are surrounded by breathtaking scenery and provide a number of opportunities to simply kick back, relax, and enjoy all that Mother Nature has to offer. There are dozens of parks in the region but not all are operating. If you’re ready to get down with nature, consider checking out the following beautiful locations.

10. Blue Lake

Blue Lake is located just northwest of the city of Dryden. The water here is crisp and clear and the long sandy beach along the lake is warm and inviting. The nearby woods are made up of gorgeous spruce and pine trees and if you take a walk with a staff naturalist you may even get to see some of the lady’s slippers orchids growing in the area.

9. Wasaga Beach

Wasaga Beach is one of the most popular summer destinations in the Ontario park system. Each year thousands of people clamor towards Wasaga for fun on its safe beaches. There are plenty of opportunities for hiking as well as historic sites and jazz concerts. Visit in the winter to enjoy some of the area’s hottest cross-country skiing trails.

8. Darlington

On the Canadian side of Lake Ontario you’ll find a small cemetery and a single log cabin – all that remain of the early American settlers. The park itself features a number of amazing sights but is most notable for its population of migratory birds visiting during the spring and fall months. During the winter you’ll enjoy skating on McLaughlin Bay and sledding on the parks stunning hills.

7. Sleeping Giant

The famous Sleeping Giant park can be found on the southern tip near Thunder Bay where, from a distance, the park actually looks like a sleeping giant. While exploring the area you may be lucky enough to stumble upon moose, deer, and a number of other amazing animal species. No matter what you decide to explore, we’re positive you’ll be captivated by the park’s beauty.

6. Kettle Lakes

The Kettle Lakes park, located near Timmins, is made up of not one but a series of 22 small and unique lakes. Each lake is spring fed and can be reached by hiking along some of the parks trails. Swimming, fishing, and paddling are some of the most sought after recreations and overnight camping is also available. The park also hosts a number of special nature and recreational programs during the summer months.

5. Kap-Kig-Iwan

The park at Kap-Kig-Iwan is a stunning destination for those fascinated by waterfalls. The whitewater rapids of the Englehart River create the amazing Kap-Kig-Iwan waterfall, surrounded by the park of the same name. The park is full of wildflowers, fishing holes, and a number of great hiking trails and bird watching destinations. The black fly population in this park is also incredibly low!

4. Lake Superior

The park surrounding Lake Superior is full of coastal trails and amazing canyons, not to mention the impeccable blue waters of Lake Superior itself. The Algoma Central Railway runs through the park, giving visitors a stunning view of the Agawa Canyon before dropping them off in the park for hiking, fishing, canoeing, and a myriad of other outdoor adventures.

3. Bon Echo

Just north of Napanee you’ll find the incredibly popular Bon Echo park. Within the park you’ll find a 100 meter high rock face known as Mazinaw Rock set right in the midst of the Mazinaw Lake. The lake is considered one of the deepest in Ontario and also houses more than 250 ancient pictographs. Photographers, painters and artists especially love Bon Echo’s stunning natural landscape.

2. Sauble Falls

Sauble Falls is especially popular amongst fishermen during the fall and spring months. It is during this time that the Chinook salmon and rainbow trout head towards the waterfall area hoping to fall over the ledge so that they can continue upstream. The area used to be home to a timber mill but no more. The waterfalls are now part of the Rankin River canoe path which is one of the best routes for novice canoeists trying to learn the ropes.

1. Rock Point

The beautiful Rock Point park is an amazing destination for nature lovers and historians alike. The park was, 350 million years ago, the site of an amazing coral reef. Today you can find fossils stuck within the limestone shelves that edge the Rock Point beaches. You’ll also enjoy exploring the area’s sand dunes while visiting with migratory birds and a stunning population of monarch butterflies.

Ontario is home to a collection of dozens of stunning parks and you don’t have to be a camper to visit them, either. Book a room in one of the stunning Ontario hotels nearest the park you want to visit, explore nature by day, and retire to a comfortable bed in the evening. No matter what you do, you will never regret your time spent in the parks themselves.