Mikisew Provincial Park Review & Campground Guide

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

Making a reservation to camp at Mikisew 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, you will first need to have an Ontario Parks account.

Registrations begin at 7 am EST.

We booked our stay at Mikisew for mid-August and had a bit of a hard time getting the spot we wanted.

And while we were there, the park did look pretty full (we did not see any empty campsites around us).

☑️ Expert Tip – Be sure to pre-register and check in online before arriving at the park. It definitely expedites the process once you arrive. This can easily be done by logging into your Ontario Parks account and heading to your reservation.

Mikisew is open for camping from the beginning of May until after the Canadian Thanksgiving in mid-October.

Mikisew Provincial Park Address:
301 Park Road South, South River, ON P0A 1X0
https://www.ontarioparks.ca/park/mikisew

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Arriving at the Park

Once you arrive at the main entrance to the park, there is a short drive to the gatehouse.

There, you will find several long RV parking spots, which always makes us happy.

The gatehouse doubles as the park store, and it’s a pretty decent size.

We were able to check in, grab a printed map, and even purchase ice and firewood there.

Inside, you’ll find park merch (like my park patch), camping basics, a freezer of novelty ice cream treats, and a Nespresso coffee setup.

We arrived shortly after the 2 o’clock check-in time and were able to head straight to our site.

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Mikisew Provincial Park Map

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Navigating the Park

We found Mikisew Provincial Park to be quite easy to navigate.

There were enough large signs to help you find your way around the park, to the beaches, and the campgrounds.

Even the campground loops are pretty well labelled, so you should not have any trouble navigating to your site, even without a map.

While the main park road around the gatehouse was paved, the roads working their way through the campgrounds were not.

That said, we did not find the campground roads to be in too bad condition.

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Parking

From what we saw, the parking lots located throughout the park were pretty sufficient in size.

There was a large parking lot near the boat launch, one at the gatehouse, a small lot by the beaches, one at the pet exercise area, and one at each of the comfort stations.

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Mikisew Provincial Park Camping

Mikisew Provincial Park accommodates a variety of camping styles.

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

You will also have the choice between electric and non-electric sites.

Just keep in mind that not all types of camping can be accommodated at all sites. So you will need to watch for this when making your reservations.

Mikisew Provincial Park has 2 main campgrounds – The Hardwoods Campground and The Pines Campground.

All in all, Mikisew is home to 243 campsites.

Both campgrounds offer a mix of electric and non-electric sites.

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Campgrounds at a Glance

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Group Camping

Mikisew Provincial Park also offers two large group camping sites that can accommodate from 15 to 50 people.

The sites have access to water taps, picnic tables and vault toilets. However, if you need to use the comfort stations, it will be about a 10-minute walk.

The first group site, Bonfire (502), is a waterfront site on Eagle Lake. This site can hold tents or up to 4 trailers.

The second, Woodlot (501), is a private forested site near the Park Office.

The group sites are located near the boat launch at the south end of the park. One of the beaches is also in close proximity.

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Seasonal Camping

I was quite surprised to learn that Mikisew Provincial Park offers a few seasonal sites.

With this program, you can camp at one site for the full summer season.

There are both electrical and non-electrical campsites to choose from.

According to the website, 17 sites are available, but I wasn’t able to figure out which ones.

It looks like you can book the sites directly through the Ontario Parks website, though it does not specify if they are first-come, first-served or on a lottery system.

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Our Campsite Experience

During our visit to Mikisew, we stayed in the Hardwoods Campground.

The campsite was HUGE. It had a packed dirt pad that was nice and level, and there were plenty of mature trees for privacy.

Our site was not set back from the road, so in that sense, it was not too private.

But on the plus side, we could not see our neighbours on either side, the back, or even those across the street.

One quirky thing we experienced was that we had a small creek which ran across the entire back of our site.

And given that it was August, I was worried about mosquitoes. But lucky for us, we didn’t seem to have any more bugs than normal.

Aside from people walking past our site to get to the beach, we found the site and the park in general to be super quiet.

We had a 2-minute walk to the comfort station and about a 1-minute walk to the nearest water tap.

We were also less than a 5-minute walk to the beach, which was awesome.

We were able to stick our paddleboards on top of our beach wagon and easily cart them back and forth.

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What Amenities Does Mikisew Offer?

Comfort Stations

Comfort stations with showers are centrally located in both the Hardwoods and Pines campgrounds.

We found the comfort stations to be clean and in great shape. The showers were spotless!

We used the showers later in the evening, so we did not have to wait. But they can get quite busy in the early evening.

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Laundry

A coin laundry is available in both of the comfort stations.

The laundry rooms that we checked out were clean, with machines that were in pretty good shape.

The laundry in the Hardwoods Campground had two washers and two dryers, as well as a large laundry sink and a counter to fold your clothes on.

The washers cost $3.00 a load, which is the most expensive that we have come across in Ontario Parks.

The dryers cost $2.00 per load.

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Park Store

The Park Store is located inside the gatehouse and is a decent size.

Inside, you will find a variety of Ontario Parks merch, including hoodies, t-shirts, socks, golf discs, stuffed animals, and more.

You will also find a variety of sunscreen and bug spray, as well as a small shelf filled with locally made sauces.

Mikisew also has a coffee station with a Nespresso machine if you are in need of a quick caffeine fix.

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Visitor’s Centre

Mikisew Provincial Park does not have a Visitor’s Centre.

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Day Use Area

There are several different day-use areas at Mikisew Provincial Park.

The main day-use area has a beach, basketball court, volleyball net, horseshoe pit, and a leash-free dog park/beach.

You will find a decent-sized parking lot nearby as well.

All three beaches are also part of the day-use areas. All have sandy beaches with buoyed swimming areas.

You will find smaller parking lots near each beach.

You will also find canoe racks at each parking lot, which is super convenient if you plan to paddle (and don’t want to tie up a lot of space on the smaller beaches).

You will find either a comfort station or a vault toilet located just a short walk from each of the beaches.

If you want to visit the park for the day-use area only, you can reserve your daily vehicle permit to guarantee your day-use spot.

Permits can be obtained up to five days in advance.

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Boat Launch

Since motorized boats are allowed on Eagle Lake, the park offers a proper boat launch in the day-use area.

You will even find a spacious parking lot adjacent to the launch that is large enough to park your boat trailer.

🛥️ Expert Tip – While Eagle Lake is a gorgeous place to take your boat out on, there are numerous unmarked shoals. In fact, we ran into trouble with our paddleboard rudders scraping on them in several areas. Just be careful!

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Mikisew Provincial Park Beaches

Mikisew Provincial Park is home to three really nice white sand beaches along the shore of Eagle Lake.

They are on the small side, but each has a roped-off swimming area that stays quite shallow.

The North Beach and Centre Beach are located in the Hardwoods Campground.

The day-use beach, which is the smallest of the three, is located in the day-use area adjacent to the Point Trail..

During the summer, you will find that the water at all three beaches is clean, tea-coloured, and a little on the cool side.

The entry into the water was sandy, with very few rocks.

During our stay, the water was quite calm in the morning and in the evening, but the waves picked up a little in the afternoon.

We even noticed accessibility mats at the beaches. The one at the main beach went from the parking lot right to the water’s edge.

We had an absolutely fantastic time on the beach and in the water.

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What Services Does Mikisew Offer?

You will find all the usual Ontario Provincial Parks services at Mikisew.

Water

There is one sanitation station at Mikisew Provincial Park. It is located right by the gatehouse.

The sanitation area consists of a single lane with two water fill stations.

The stations are located on either side of the single lane, which means that no matter which side your tanks are on, you have an easy way to fill.

Unfortunately, it also means that only one water fill can be used at a time.

The water fill stations are also located after the dump station, so you may be stuck waiting behind trailers wanting to dump their tanks.

You will find water taps located throughout the campgrounds, as well as in the day-use area.

There are no water hookups at the individual campsites.

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Dump Station

As I mentioned above, the sanitation area is located behind the gatehouse.

There, you will find a single lane with only one dump station located on the driver’s side.

The dump stations come first, so you may get stuck behind someone who is filling their tanks.

And just like at other parks, expect the sanitation area to be busy around check-out time.

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Garbage and Recycling

There was a pretty big garbage/recycling area located adjacent to the sanitation area.

There was one large trailer for mixed recycling, a large blue bin for empty liquor bottles, orange bins to recycle your small green propane tanks, and a large trailer to dump your trash bags into.

The setup was interesting in the sense that platforms with stairs are used to access both the recycle bin and the trash area.

So if you are not good with stairs, this may be a problem.

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Wi-Fi

We found the connectivity at Mikisew to be hit or miss.

We had very little reception at our campsite, which is not really unusual for most Ontario Parks.

The reception on the beach was a little better, so we were able to check emails, text the kids, FaceTime, and make phone calls.

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Things to Do at Mikisew Provincial Park

There is plenty to do at Mikisew Provincial Park to keep the whole family busy during your visit.

1. Enjoy a Bike Ride

Mikisew Provincial Park, unfortunately, does not have any dedicated bike trails.

Instead, John and I rode our bikes along the campground roads.

The unpaved roads are on the bumpy side in some areas, but it really wasn’t too bad, even for younger kids.

If you head just outside the park, the roads are smooth and paved, and not too busy.

You can even ride to the Eagle Lake Narrows Country Store for some ice cream (more on that later). It’s only a 10-minute trek, and it’s definitely worthwhile!

And if you don’t have a bicycle with you, you can rent one (helmets included) at the park office.

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2. Go for a Paddle

John and I spent most of our time at Mikisew paddling around Eagle Lake on our paddleboards.

Whether you choose to canoe, kayak, or paddleboard, the loop around the small islands on Eagle Lake is scenic, making for a great experience.

As I mentioned earlier, the water was super calm in the morning and early evening, so even standing on my paddleboard (which I am still not a pro at) was a piece of cake.

John and I even packed our dry bags with flip-flops, shorts and t-shirts so that we could paddle across the lake to the Eagle Lake Narrows Country Store.

We parked our paddleboards on the beach right across the street from the store and walked across.

Mikisew offers paddleboard rentals complete with lifejackets at the park office.

Canoe and Kayak rentals are available at the Eagle Lake Narrows store.

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3. Treat Yourself to Some Ice Cream

Since I keep mentioning the Eagle Lake Narrows Country Store, let me tell you all about it.

Located less than a 5-minute drive (or 10-minute bike ride) from the park, you will find this cute little store along the ‘main drag’ in town.

The shop sells a variety of grocery items, camping items you may have forgotten, firewood, ice, and more.

But the best part is their ice cream counter! You can get both scooped and soft-serve ice cream as well as slush puppies.

And they carry Kawartha Dairy ice cream, which is our absolute FAVE!

There were 20+ flavours to choose from, so John had a really tough time choosing!

My only disappointment was that there were no non-dairy selections. (I went with soft-serve, which is the lesser of the two evils on my digestive system.)

And if I’m not mistaken (we were too focused on the ice cream), they even sell a small selection of hot food items.

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4. Take the Plunge

As I mentioned, John and I had an absolutely fantastic time at the beach during our stay at Mikisew.

We were there in mid-August, so the weather was perfect and the water was refreshing.

The roped-off swimming area gets deep enough at the far end for you to swim, while still being able to touch the bottom.

I loved that the water was clean, with no weeds or slimy bits to worry about.

John also took the plunge while on his paddleboard. The lake was so calm that it was easy for him to swim around, even further from shore.

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5. Take Part in the Discovery Program

The park offers a Discovery Program for kids during the summer months.

From July through August, families can pick up a Discovery Activity Book at the Park Store.

The park also posts a weekly schedule with things like children’s activities, guided walks, and evening campfire programs.

There was even a table conveniently set up at the beach with colouring pages and Discovery booklets.

The park staff were there talking to campers about the plants and trees that are native to the area.

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6. Do Some Birding

While we are not avid birders, Mikisew does offer some opportunities to bird watch.

In fact, more than 90 species of birds frequent the waters and forests of Mikisew

These even include impressive species like the Bald Eagle and the Osprey.

Unfortunately, not only did we NOT see any birds of prey, we barely heard any birdsong while in our campsite.

But then again, we are not birders, so who knows how much we missed!

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7. Try Your Hand at Disc Golf

Mikisew is home to both a 9-hole and an 18-hole disc golf course.

If you’re brand new to the sport (like John and me), try warming up on the park’s original 9-hole course.

Once you have the hang of it, you can move over to the newer course and play either 9 holes or the full 18 holes.

The 18-hole course is designed to offer a beginner/intermediate experience, so it would be fun for all levels.

You will find discs available for sale or rent at the Park Office.

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8. Give Fishing a Go

For anyone who loves fishing, Eagle Lake is a fantastic place to cast a line.

The lake is popular for Walleye, Small and Large mouth Bass, Lake Whitefish, Perch and Northern Pike.

We saw people fishing from boats and even from the water’s edge.

And if you don’t have your own fishing gear, Mikisew is part of Ontario Parks’ Tackle Share program.

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9. Enjoy a Hike

Mikisew Provincial Park is home to 5 hiking trails.

During our stay, we were able to complete all but one trail. They were all varied

This trail winds through forest and around a wetland that’s slowly turning back into wooded land.

There are plenty of opportunities to spot birds, otters, muskrats, or beavers.

The trail is mostly flat, though a few areas can get muddy after rain, so good shoes help.

We found it to be a nice, quiet walk if you want something short and not too strenuous.

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The Maple Canyon Trail is a nice walk through the forest with a few rocky sections and some interesting outcrops along the way.

You’ll spot patches of moss and lichen on the rocks and plenty of trees overhead for shade.

The trail is well-marked and doesn’t take long to finish, making it a good choice for families or anyone who just wants a relaxing hike.

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This is a short trail along the shoreline of Eagle Lake.

The packed dirt trail has some great lakeside views (complete with a bench to sit on and admire the lake), is close to both campgrounds, and is quite easy to walk on.

We chose to combine this trail with the Point Trail and Old Dog Trail for a short walk close to sunset.

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A short hike that connects the Point Trail to the trailhead of the Beaver Meadow and Maple Canyon Trails.

You will see Ash and Red Maple trees as well as a number of different wildflowers.

We even saw a few frogs in the marshy area adjacent to the boat launch.

This trail crosses the main road outside the park, so just be careful if you have younger kids with you.

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This out-and-back trail is named appropriately, as it makes its way along a narrow point of land that juts out into Eagle Lake.

The trail is made of packed dirt and is really easy to navigate.

While the trail is super short, it’s a great place to stop and admire the lake views.

John and I sat on a bench located right at the point and just enjoyed the sights and sounds of the park in the evening.

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Is Mikisew Provincial Park Accessible?

We found the buildings at Mikisew to be pretty accessible.

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

The Park Store/Gatehouse was also barrier-free.

And as I mentioned earlier, we noticed accessibility mats at the beaches. There are also beach-friendly wheelchairs that are available for rent at the gatehouse.

As far as campsites go, there are 3 designated barrier-free sites at Mikisew.

However, we did not notice anything special about the designated barrier-free campsites.

While some parks (like Earl Rowe or Craigleith) have paved pads, special picnic tables or campfire pits in the barrier-free sites, the sites at Mikisew looked just like any other.

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Are Pets Allowed at Mikisew?

Yes. Dogs are welcome at Mikisew Provincial Park.

Pets are allowed at the campground and in the day-use area, but must be leashed at all times.

Mikisew is also home to a really nice pert exercise area.

Located near the day-use area, this pet-friendly yard is one of the nicest we have seen in Ontario Parks.

You will find a large fenced area with grass, trees, plenty of shade, and picnic tables for the hoomans.

The area is leash-free, so you can let your pet run wild without having to worry about them.

Best of all, the pet area also has a great sandy beach for your doggo to go for a dip after running around.

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Is There Winter Camping at Mikisew?

No. Mikisew Provincial Park is not open for winter camping.

The park is also not open for any winter activities, such as cross-country skiing or snowshoeing.

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Our Park Rating

We give this park 4 out of 5 stars for having:

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Final Thoughts

After spending time at Mikisew, it’s safe to say this park has earned a spot in my top ten favourites.

We really enjoyed the beautiful wooded campsites, as well as the gorgeous beaches and the lake.

I would have no problem returning to this park for a longer visit. In fact, we are also considering a fall visit next year!

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• Sturgeon Bay Provincial Park Review & Campground Guide
• Mikisew Provincial Park Review & Campground Guide
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• Arrowhead Provincial Park Review & Campground Guide
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