Craigleith Provincial Park Review & Camping Guide

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Craigleith Provincial Park Reservations – What You Need to Know Before You Go

Making a reservation to camp at Craigleith Provincial Park is pretty easy.

Just like all the other Ontario Park campsites, you can book your campsite up to five months in advance of your arrival date through the Ontario Parks reservation system.

In order to make a reservation online though, you will first need to have an Ontario Parks account.

Registrations begin at 7 am EST.

We did not have too much trouble booking the site we wanted in advance.

Craigleith is open for camping from the middle of May until roughly the third weekend in October.

Craigleith Provincial Park Address:
209403 Highway 26, Blue Mountains, ON, L9Y 0T6
https://www.ontarioparks.ca/park/craigleith

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Arriving at the Park

The first thing that I noticed as we were pulling up to the park, was that I had a clear view of many of the campsites from the roadway. I actually felt my heart sink!

Once you arrive at the main entrance to the park, you will notice that it is gated. There is a large parking lot to the right, just before the gate.

While we were able to maneuver through this lot with Nellie, I would definitely NOT recommend larger trailers try this. The lot is tight!

This leaves you in a difficult position. You will need to pull up to the gate (there are 2 lanes) and block the entrance as you run in to register.

Definitely NOT an ideal setup.

And to complicate matters further, if you arrive after 4 pm, the Gatehouse is closed for the day. You will then have to go to the Self Registration area just next to the gatehouse and look for an envelope marked with your site number.

Inside, you will find your entrance pass card. You will still need to come back in the morning to register and pick up your parking pass (if you are staying more than one night).

We arrived just before the 2 o’clock check-in time, so we were able to register, grab our map and access pass, and make our way to our site right away.

Because the gatehouse doubles as the Park Store, you can also purchase your firewood, ice and other necessities there.

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Craigleith Provincial Park Map

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Navigating the Park

Because Craighleith was pretty small, it wasn’t too difficult to navigate. The signs were large and well-placed.

The roadways are pretty narrow, and for the most part, gravel. We did notice one section of the park had paved roads, but it wasn’t very big.

Some of the turns are quite tight, so be careful! Also, there are signs posted in a couple of areas within the park noting that large trailers are not allowed beyond that point.

One was near the day-use parking lot, and one was near the tent sites. There may have been more, but I can’t recall where.

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Parking

In general, we found the parking lots located throughout the park to be sufficient in size for this park.

Among others, there was a decent lot inside the park at the day-use area. There is also a second lot in the day-use area that is on the public side of the park (with no access to the campsites).

There was a very small parking area next to the comfort station with the showers (maybe only room for three cars).

And there was a lot inside of the gate, in front of the Park Store/Gatehouse.

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Craigleith Provincial Park Camping

Craigleith Provincial Park accommodates a variety of camping styles.

From car camping to tenting, and RVs up to 32 feet (9.7 metres), you will find it all.

You will also have the choice between electric or non-electric sites, as well as some sites with water hookups.

Unfortunately, not all types of camping can be accommodated at all sites, so you will need to watch for this when making your reservations.

Craigleith Provincial Park has 4 campgrounds – Area A, B, C, and D.

All in all, Craigleith is home to just 157 campsites.

Area A offers exclusively non-electricl sites, Areas B and C offer a mix of electric and non-electric sites, and Area D offers mainly electrical sites (there are only two non-electric sites in this area).

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Campgrounds at a Glance

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Our Campsite Experience

During our visit to Craigleith Provincial Park, we stayed in Area D.

While we had a waterfront campsite, it was pretty narrow and had very little in the way of privacy.

In fact, most of the shrubbery and trees on our site actually blocked the view of the water, with nothing separating our site from our neighbours to one side. On the other side, we had some privacy, but not much.

We did have a water hookup, which was a definite plus, and pretty rare in provincial parks.

We had a small footpath from our site down to the waterfront. This was especially convenient to launch our paddleboards from.

I was not impressed by the fact that I could clearly see (and hear) the traffic passing by on the main roadway.

And, the traffic on the weekend stayed constant until well into the evening. If you want peace and quiet, this is NOT the place for you.

John and I were having a conversation out by the campfire, and at one point, the traffic noise drowned him out almost completely. Sigh.

I can’t speak to how quiet the other areas were, but I would guess that they were not much better.

Our site had some sun and some shade and was mostly flat. However, we did need to use levelling blocks under one of Nellie’s tires.

Other than that, the electrical box and water outlet were in a good spot, and so was the fire pit.

The site was about a 5-minute drive to the comfort station with showers, which we really didn’t worry about since our Teardrop does have a wet bath.

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What Amenities Does Craigleith Offer?

Comfort Stations

There were only four comfort stations at Craigleith.

The comfort Stations in Areas A and B have flush toilets, showers, a water tap, and laundry facilities.

The Comfort Stations in Areas C and D, and the one in the Day-use Area, only have flush toilets and a water tap.

I found the facilities to be rather old-looking. While they were relatively clean, they were definitely showing their age.

There were no vault toilets anywhere in the campground.

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Laundry

As I mentioned above, a coin laundry is available in Area A. It can be found attached to the comfort station.

The machines appeared to be clean and in good working order during our visit.

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Park Store

As we mentioned earlier, the Park Store is located in the gatehouse.

The park store sells Ontario Parks merchandise (like my patches!), clothing and souvenirs, as well as a variety of items that you may have forgotten when packing for your camping trip.

And while there is no awesome ice cream counter like at Earl Rowe Provincial Park, Craigleith’s Park Store has a small freezer where you will find a good selection of novelty ice cream.

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Visitor’s Centre

There is no Visitor’s Centre at Craigleith Provincial Park.

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Day Use Area

Craigleith has a pretty small day-use area, which is not surprising given how small the park is.

The day-use area is located lakeside, not far from the main gate.

There, you will find a picnic shelter, some picnic tables with BBQs, water taps, a comfort station, a dog exercise area, and access to the waterfront.

You can reserve your daily vehicle permit to guarantee your day-use spot at this park.

Permits can be obtained up to five days in advance.

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Craigleith Provincial Park Waterfront Area

The shores of Georgian Bay run the full length of Craigleith Provincial Park. That said, you will not find a sandy beach at this park.

Instead, you will find a flat rock ledge that runs along the water. You can go for a swim, but it may be a little tricky to get into the water.

The water along the rock ledge stays shallow (under knee-deep) for quite some time. The rock ledge is also very slippery due to the thin layer of algae growing on it.

We definitely recommend wearing water shoes to help you get a better grip.

Once you are in the water, it is crystal clear and very clean!

On sunny days, the water looks blue. You could almost imagine that you are somewhere tropical!

If you are planning to walk along the shore, it may be tricky as well. We found much of the rock ledge to have puddles of water and slippery areas.

We would almost have to leapfrog from one dry area to the next to get from our campsite to the water’s edge.

This may not sound ideal, but it’s definitely worth it.

Having access to Georgian Bay from our campsite will bring us back to this park over and over again, despite all of its downfalls.

There are signs along the water access points warning of no lifeguard on duty. But this is pretty common at all Ontario Parks.

Another thing to be aware of is that there are two dog exercise areas at either end of the park. Otherwise, dogs are not allowed on the rock ledge at any time.

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What Services Does Craigleith Offer?

Sharbot Lake has all the usual services found at other Ontario Provincial Parks.

Water

There is one sanitation area at Craigleith Provincial Park. It is located a short distance from the main gate.

You will find one water fill station just off the main (paved) campground road.

The good thing is that it is separate from the dump station loop. You will just need to come at the water fill from opposite directions, depending on which side your tank is on.

You will find a few water taps located throughout the campgrounds. We found that there were not as many as other parks of the same size.

And once again, you will find some sites with water hookups at Craigleith, in Area D.

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Dump Station

Just like with the fill station, there is only one dump station in the sanitation area.

As we mentioned above, it is completely separate from the water fill. You will find several signs pointing to the dump station, which is a single lane.

So with only one sanitation area, just expect it to be busy around check-out time.

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Garbage and Recycling

There was a small area near the gatehouse with both garbage and recycling bins.

We also had smaller garbage/recycling bins near the Comfort Station.

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Wi-Fi

Unlike most Ontario Parks, Craigleith has pretty decent cell reception. John and I were even able to stream a movie on my laptop while sitting on the beach!

This meant that I was able to make phone calls from anywhere in the park, as well as write this blog post while sitting at my campsite!!

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Things to Do at Craigleith Provincial Park

1. Go Kayaking, Canoeing, or Paddleboarding

The flat rock shelf located along the waterfront is perfect for launching kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards.

The water stays pretty shallow for a bit of a distance, so you may have to walk out a little bit to launch.

You will not find kayak or canoe rentals at this park, however you can rent PFDs from the Park Store.

During our first day at Craigleith, the water was a little bit rough. We didn’t take our paddleboards out too far.

However, on the second day, Georgian Bay was like a sheet of glass! The conditions were perfect, so there were plenty of families out canoeing.

And while you can take boats out on Georgian Bay, there is nowhere to launch a boat within the campground.

You would need to do that from either the Marina at Thornbury Harbour or the boat launch in Wasaga Beach.

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2. Try Your Hand at Fishing

Craigleith is famous for its spring and fall offshore fishing. The park is home to Rainbow Trout, Salmon and Whitefish.

Just like some of the other Ontario parks that we have been to, Craigleith offers a Tackle Share program where you can borrow all kinds of fishing equipment.

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3. Enjoy a Bike Ride

You are welcome to ride your bike on any of the roadways throughout the park and campgrounds.

One thing to keep in mind when deciding to go out for a bike ride is that some of the gravel roads are a little rough.

John and I rode our bikes throughout the campground to do our photography for the blog.

Keep in mind, the park is small. It took us less than an hour to ride all the roadways, including stops for photography.

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4. Go for a Swim

While there is no actual beach at Craigleith, there is plenty of opportunity to go for a swim.

The only downside is that you will have to find the best place to enter the water where it is deep enough to swim.

Where our campsite was, we had to walk out pretty far for the water to get deep enough for a swim. Most of the time we just hopped off our paddleboards for a quick dip.

However, we did notice several families out in the water swimming, further down the shore from us.

Georgian Bay has super clear water but is a little on the chilly side. If you just sit near the shore on the rocks, it’s really warm there.

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5. Hunt for Fossils

At Craigleith Provincial Park, you can hunt for fossils along the rocky shoreline of Georgian Bay.

The park’s shale rocks are full of fossils from ancient sea creatures like trilobites, which lived over 450 million years ago.

While it’s fun to look for these fossils, just remember, you aren’t allowed to take them home.

John and I took a quick walk along the waterfront and were able to spot several fossils. We also noticed many families with younger kids enjoying this activity as well.

Just keep in mind, the shale rocks are really slippery when they get wet. So be careful!

6. Take Part in the Discovery Program

From what we can see on the website, a basic Discovery Program is offered at Craigleith.

During July and August, kids can pick up a Discovery Activity Book, and use the equipment and materials provided to explore the park.

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Is Craigleith Provincial Park Accessible?

We found the buildings at Craigleith to be pretty accessible.

All the comfort stations allowed for barrier-free access to both flush toilets and showers.

The Park Store/gatehouse was also barrier-free.

As we mentioned earlier, 2 sites in Area D are accessible campsites. Sites #204 and #205 were both completely paved.

This was actually the first time that I had seen the entire site paved over, rather than just a small pad.

We did not find the waterfront to be too accessible, however. The entrance to the water from the day-use area is actually a set of stairs.

We also did not notice anywhere else where you would be able to get a wheelchair down to the water.

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Are Pets Allowed at Craigleith?

Yes. Dogs are welcome at Craigleith Provincial Park.

Pets are allowed at the campground but must be leashed at all times.

As we mentioned above, you will find two small pet exercise areas within the park. One is located in Area A, and the other is at the far end of the parking lot in the Day-use area.

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Is There Winter Camping at Craigleith?

No. The park is not open for winter camping or other winter activities

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Craigleith Provincial Park – FAQs

Does Craigleith have a beach?

Craigleith Provincial Park does not have a traditional sandy beach, but it does have a rocky shoreline along Georgian Bay where visitors can swim and enjoy the water. Water shoes are recommended due to the rocky terrain.

What animals are in Craigleith Provincial Park?

Craigleith Provincial Park is home to various wildlife, including raccoons, squirrels, chipmunks, and a variety of bird species like chickadees, juncos, nuthatches, cardinals, Blue Jays, robins, finches and hummingbirds. You may also spot amphibians like frogs and small reptiles such as garter snakes.

What is the geology of Craigleith Provincial Park?

Craigleith Provincial Park is known for its unique shale rock formations along the Georgian Bay shoreline. The park’s geology features layers of shale and limestone, which contain fossils from the Ordovician period, including ancient marine life like trilobites and brachiopods.

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Our Park Rating

We give this park 3 out of 5 stars for having:

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Craigleith Provincial Park Camping – Final Thoughts

While Craigleith was not one of our favourite parks to visit, it certainly did have a few wonderful qualities that will keep us coming back.

From the waterfront sites with water hookups to being able to paddle on beautiful Georgian Bay, we had an awesome time.

If you can’t overlook the small, non-private sites and the roadway noise, then this park is not for you.

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