Ferris Provincial Park Review & Campground Guide

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

We were able to make a camping reservation for Ferris Provincial Park quite easily, even at the last minute.

But, 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 a campsite at Ferris, even though it was a summer weekend in August.

Ferris Provincial Park is open for camping from the middle of May until after the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend in October.

Ferris Provincial Park Address:
474 County Rd. 8, Campbellford, ON K0L 1L0
https://www.ontarioparks.ca/park/ferris

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Arriving at the Park

Once you arrive at the main entrance to the park, you are able to check in at the gatehouse.

At the gatehouse, we were able to grab a printed map and get our parking permit.

We arrived just after the 2 o’clock check-in time, so we were able to make our way to our site right away.

We were also able to purchase our firewood, ice and park patches at the gatehouse, which also doubles as the Park Store.

There were several parking spots available for RVs in front of the gatehouse.

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Ferris Provincial Park Map

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Navigating the Park

While Ferris is a smaller Provincial Park, it was a bit of a nightmare to navigate.

This was not because of inadequate signage, there was plenty, but because the roads were horrible!

Not only were they gravel, but filled with pothole after pothole.

Add to that, the narrow roads were one-way, so you were forced to circle the ENTIRE campground to get in and out of your spot.

Not fun when pulling a trailer!

Parking

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

There was a fair-sized lot at the boat launch, large lots near the day-use area and trailheads, as well as small ones by the comfort stations and gatehouse.

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Ferris Provincial Park Camping

Ferris 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.

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

Ferris Provincial Park has 2 main campgrounds – Bedrock and Valleyview – with a total of 163 campsites.

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

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Campgrounds at a Glance

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Our Campsite Experience

During our visit to Ferris Provincial Park, we stayed at site #76 in the Bedrock Campground.

The campsite was pretty private from our neighbours to either side, with plenty of tall shrubs and grasses.

We were a short walk down the road from the comfort station and a water tap. However, our campground did not have any showers.

The site had some sun and some shade and was mostly flat.

The site was very quiet, but pretty far from trails or the day-use area.

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

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What Amenities Does Ferris Offer?

Comfort Stations

There are 3 comfort stations at Ferris. One is located in the centre of the Valleyview Campground. This is also where you will find the only showers in the park

The other two comfort stations are located at either end of the Rockwood Campground.

The comfort stations all contained flush toilets.

We found it to be on the older side, but still pretty clean.

We also noticed several vault toilets scattered throughout the campgrounds.

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Laundry

There are no laundry facilities available at Ferris Provincial Park.

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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, clothing and souvenirs, as well as a variety of items that you may have forgotten when packing for your camping trip.

The Ferris Park Store is where you can also rent kayaks.

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Visitor’s Centre

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

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Day Use Area

Ferris has a pretty decent-sized day-use area. However, it is pretty far from the campgrounds, so you will need to drive there.

There, you will find a picnic shelter, plenty of picnic tables, vault toilets, a suspension bridge, a dog exercise area, and trailheads.

If you are looking for a playground, it is in a separate area closer to the campgrounds.

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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Is There a Beach at Ferris Provincial Park?

No. There is no beach at Ferris Provincial Park. And while the park is located along the Trent River, swimming is not allowed on the property.

This is due to the presence of a dam located upstream which causes strong currents.

If you really want to go for a swim, you can find both an indoor pool and outdoor natural swimming opportunities just a short distance away.

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What Services Does Ferris Offer?

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

Water

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

You will find one water fill station inside the sanitation area.

There is no bypass lane so you may get stuck waiting for rigs that are dumping.

You will find plenty of water taps located throughout the campgrounds.

There are no water hookups at the individual campsites.

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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, you will find only one lane with no bypass.

The dump station is first, followed by the fill station.

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 garbage and recycling area located at the entrance to both campgrounds.

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Wi-Fi

Just like with most Ontario Parks, Ferris has very little cell reception.

For the most part, I was unable to make or receive calls from our campsite. And trying to open emails or browsers was completely impossible.

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Things to Do at Ferris Provincial Park

1. Go for a Hike

Ferris Provincial Park is home to 3 main hiking trails.

The Trailheads can all be found in the parking lot in the day-use area.

The Drumlin Trail System is made up of 3 interconnecting looped trails:  Blue 1.2 km (1 hour), White 2.5 km (2 hours) and Red 2.5 km (2.5 hours).

The trails mainly take you through mature mixed forests, by small wetlands and along seasonal creeks that have developed on two elongated hills called drumlins.

These drumlins were formed thousands of years ago by glaciers and were mostly left as woodlots by European settlers. The wildflowers are pretty spectacular in spring.

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This trail traces the old roadway to Ferris Provincial Park before looping back along the river. It actually offers pretty nice views of the Ranney Gorge Suspension Bridge and Ranney Falls.

The gorge’s unique habitat supports rare vegetation like the Chinquapin Oak.

Just a heads up – we actually got turned around on this trail, as it wasn’t too well marked. We ended up on a trail that left the park boundary and had to double back.

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This trail offers great views of the Trent River gorge from the Ranney Gorge Suspension Bridge.

It then moves downstream past the old Ferris Quarry, the historic “sheep wash,” and continues south along the riverbank.

On the return journey, the trail winds through meadows and past Ferris’s distinctive stone fences, some of which have been recently restored.

While we didn’t hike this trail in its entirety, the parts we did cover were pretty nice. The trail had plenty of foliage and was easy enough to travel if you had a stroller or mobility device.

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2. Go for a Canoe Ride

The Trent River is deep enough to accommodate canoes and kayaks.

However, it is strongly recommended that exploration be limited to the south end of the park. This is because that area is downstream from the falls and dam.

We felt that the current was moving a little too fast for us to bring out our paddle boards. Not to mention, the water did not look at all appealing and had a strong smell to it.

If you do decide to kayak or canoe, you will find a small boat launch area within the park.

As we mentioned earlier, you can rent a canoe and life jackets at the Park Store.

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3. Try Your Hand at Fishing

We noticed several people fishing from shore at the south end of the park by the boat launch.

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

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4. Enjoy a Bike Ride

Ferris is home to one mountain bike trail. The Drumlin Trail System (3.68 km) is a mixed-use trail, so you will need to keep an eye out for hikers.

And keep in mind, that mountain bikes are ONLY allowed on the perimeter of the trail system.

You are also welcome to ride 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 the roads are not in great condition.

This includes both the main road, as well as the smaller campground roads.

While we did have our bikes with us, it had rained during the night, making the roads even worse. Hard pass!

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5. Take Part in the Discovery Program

From what we can see on the website, a basic Discovery Program is offered at Ferris Provincial Park

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

6. Do Some Birding

While we are not birdwatchers at heart, we still noticed quite a few different types of birds at Ferris, including my favourite, Cardinals.

7. Enjoy the Views from the Suspension Bridge

You can take a short walk from the parking lot in the day-use area to reach the Ranney Gorge Suspension Bridge.

Just follow the Ranney Falls Trail and the signs pointing toward the bridge.

The trail is easy to walk and the views from the bridge are quite scenic.

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Is Ferris Provincial Park Accessible?

We found the buildings at Silver Lake to be pretty accessible.

The Valleyview comfort station allowed for barrier-free access to both flush toilets and showers.

The Park Store/gatehouse was also barrier-free.

You will also find an accessible trail from the day-use parking lot to the suspension bridge.

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Are Pets Allowed at Ferris?

Yes. Dogs are welcome at Ferris Provincial Park.

Pets are allowed at the campground and on the hiking trails but must be leashed at all times.

One thing I really wanted to point out, is that there is an absolutely fabulous off-leash pet exercise area located in the day-use area.

The area is fully fenced, has plenty of shade, and has several park benches as well as a water tap. You will also find a poop-bag dispenser and garbage can at the entrance.

It’s actually one of the nicest dog areas I have seen at a provincial park.

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Is There Winter Camping at Ferris?

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

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Our Park Rating

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

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Ferris Provincial Park Camping – Final Thoughts

We had an okay time at Ferris Provincial Park.

We really liked our campsite, and the hiking trails were nice enough.

However, beyond that, there was not a lot to do there.

John and I chose to spend a good part of one day exploring Campbellville, instead of staying at the campground.

If you like a quiet park with private campsites and are happy to spend time at your site, then Ferris is not a bad option.

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Pin This Post for Later!

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