Presqu’ile Provincial Park Review & Camping Guide

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Presqu’ile Provincial Park Reservations – What You Need to Know Before You Go

Booking a campsite at the Presqu’ile 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.

This park does get pretty busy during the peak season, so we would recommend planning ahead and booking as soon as your date opens up.

Registrations begin at 7 am EST.

Presqu’ile is open for camping from the beginning of May until the end of October.

Presqu’ile Provincial Park Address:
328 Presqu’ile Parkway, Brighton, Ontario, K0K 1H0
https://www.ontarioparks.ca/park/presquile

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Arriving at the Park

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

They will normally give you a paper map, as well as your parking permit.

We were able to check in before 2 o’clock as our site had already been vacant the night before.

We were also able to purchase our firewood, ice and park patch at the gatehouse.

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Presqu’ile Provincial Park Map

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Navigating the Park

We had no problem navigating the park to find all the places that we were interested in seeing.

We found that there were plenty of signs inside the park and the campgrounds to find our way around with no problems.

We also liked that the main roads were all paved and easy to drive on.

The campsite roads were a different story (at least the ones in our campground). Many had huge potholes, were narrow, and had low-hanging branches.

Even with our tiny Teardrop, we had trouble navigating some of these roads.

Parking

In general, we found there to be sufficient parking throughout the park.

There were small lots by every trailhead, near the Lighthouse, by the Visitor’s Centres, at the Park Store, by the comfort stations, at the beach, and within the campgrounds themselves.

You will also find accessible parking at all park buildings and at the beach.

The only place that we had a little bit of trouble finding parking, was at the beach. But this is because we were visiting on a summer weekend when the park is at its busiest.

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Presqu’ile Provincial Park Camping

Presqu’ile Provincial Park accommodates a variety of camping styles. From car camping to tenting, group camping, 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.

Presqu’ile is also home to several roofed accommodations consisting of soft-sided shelters with timber frames (Minka or Exploration Tents).

Presqu’ile Provincial Park Campground has 8 campgrounds with over 300 campsites.

More than half of these sites have electrical hookups.

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Group Camping

Presqu’ile has ten group campsites that accommodate a variety of group sizes from about 25 to 75 people. The sites are located in the large day-use picnic area.

The group camping sites have access to vault toilets, a garbage and recycling depot, and a rocky beach. Unfortunately, there are no comfort stations nearby.

Reservations for these sites can be made online or by phone.

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Our Campsite Experience

We found many of the sites at Presqu’ile to be pretty spacious, especially for our 18-foot camper.

During our first visit, we were in campsite #26 in the High Bluffs Campground.

Had it not been partially flooded out, there would have been more than enough space for us to park the camper and the car, and still have enough room to spread out nicely.

Our site did not have a lot of privacy (as you can see in the above photo).

While there was a thick treeline to the one side, there was absolutely nothing separating our site from our neighbours on the other side. Not even a log!

Furthermore, we had the comfort station directly behind us.

While this was convenient at shower time, it also meant that there was a constant stream of people all night long.

And while there was a treeline offering some privacy, we still needed to keep our trailer blinds closed at night.

This was because the large light by the comfort station made it difficult to sleep.

The roads going through our campground were pretty narrow and extremely potholed.

We had to drive very slowly when towing the Teardrop, as there was no way to avoid the potholes.

During our second visit, we were also in the High Bloffs Campground, but in site #70.

This site had awesome privacy with plenty of bushes all around. Its only drawback was that it was right next to the water tap.

The view more than made up for it, however. While we were not waterfront (we were across the street), we had a great view of the lake.

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What Amenities Does Presqu’ile Offer?

Comfort Stations

Presqu’ile only has three comfort stations located within the campgrounds. They can be found at the High Bluffs, Maples, and Hidden Valley campgrounds.

Considering there are 8 campgrounds, they do get pretty busy. We waited a minimum of half an hour to use the showers during our stay.

The comfort stations are equipped with flush toilets, showers, and a dishwashing station.

You will also find two newer campground comfort stations at the Owen Point Trail parking lot and one in the Beach 2 parking lot.

There are plenty of vault toilets located throughout the park and campgrounds. You will also find flush toilets at the Lighthouse Interpretive Centre.

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Laundromat

There is only one laundry facility at Presqu’ile. You will find washers and dryers located at the Maples comfort station (fees apply).

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Park Store

The Park Store sells the basic groceries, camping supplies, park souvenirs and fast food that you find at most Ontario Parks.

Firewood is also available at the Park Store and Camp Office in the summer.

If you are camping at other times of the year, you will need to purchase your firewood at the Main Gate or at the Main Office.

We also found some really nice souvenirs at the Lighthouse Interpretive Centre. This gift and book store is operated by The Friends of Presqu’ile.

Just a heads up if you are purchasing firewood from the park store during the summer, the parking lot only has one entrance/exit.

We didn’t realize until we entered the lot, with our camper, that it was not a drive-thru parking lot.

Luckily, the lot was pretty big, and empty at the time. I was able to do a U-turn with our Teardrop and exit without any issues.

Had I been towing a larger RV, or even if the lot had been busy, we would have had a difficult time trying to reverse out.

This was the first time that we encountered a Park Store lot set up this way.

Normally, they are drive-thru or have large parking spaces for RVs.

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Visitor’s Centre

There are two Visitor’s Centres at Presqu’ile Provincial Park.

Lighthouse Interpretive Centre

The Lighthouse Interpretive Centre was a pretty interesting place to see.

Inside, you will find a model of the lighthouse, as well as schooner displays and a video presentation on the sinking of the Speedy.

It’s a great place to learn a little about the history of Presqu’ile and the peninsula.

The Lighthouse Interpretive Centre and Lighthouse Gift Shop are open daily during the summer months from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

During the spring and fall, the Interpretive Centre is open on weekends. The gift shop is only open during the summer.

Nature Centre

The Nature Centre is in the yellow house located on Lighthouse Lane between the Group Camp and Lighthouse Interpretive Centre.

We spent a good hour inside, learning about Presqu’ile’s natural history, flora and fauna.

Of course, the kids were all about seeing the live frogs, snakes, fish and turtles that call the park home.

While the centre is not really big, the displays are pretty interesting. And the Park Staff are top-notch when it comes to their knowledge about Presqu’ile.

The Nature Centre is open daily from Canada Day to Labour Day weekend from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

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Day Use Area

The day-use areas at Presqu’ile are absolutely huge!

There are two main picnic areas. The first is a large open, grassy area along the lakeshore and Lighthouse Lane.

This area is serviced by vault toilets and has plenty of picnic tables spread out along the way.

After we checked out of our campsite, we were able to head down to Lighthouse Lane and spend the day by the water, with our trailer right there.

We had a nice grassy area to spread out, a picnic table, and easy access to the water. While the beach was more rocks than sand, we didn’t mind!

Calf Pasture is the second smaller day-use area. It also has vault toilets and a few tables but is a quieter, off-the-beaten-path location for a picnic.

Of course, the beach, trails, and visitor centres are all accessible to day users as well. You will also find single tables in a number of peaceful nooks throughout the park. 

The beach, lighthouse area, Jobes’ Woods Trail and Marsh Boardwalk Trail are all great spots for a quiet picnic.

If you aren’t camping at the park, you will need to obtain a daily vehicle permit. This can be done up to five days in advance to guarantee your day-use spot at the park.

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Picnic Shelters

There is only one picnic shelter in the park which is located in the day-use area along Lighthouse Lane.

It’s actually the only picnic shelter that I have seen that is screened in!

The shelter even comes with a BBQ. This can be reserved in advance online or by phone.

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Presqu’ile Provincial Park Beach

If you love beaches, then you are in for a real treat at Presqu’ile Provincial Park. The park is home to a gorgeous 2.5-kilometre sandy beach.

The beach is shallow and well-groomed, making it perfect for families. It actually reminded us a lot of the beach at Darlington.

We spent as much time as possible at the beach during our stay at Presqu’ile.

Just keep in mind, that dogs are not allowed on the beach at all. And there are no lifeguards on duty.

There are three parking lots that allow access to various sections of the beach. The lots are not that big, so you may have a hard time finding parking spots on a busy summer weekend.

You will find a comfort station as well as vault toilets conveniently located near the parking lots.

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What Services Does Presqu’ile Offer?

Presqu’ile has all the usual services found at other Ontario Provincial Parks.

Water

You will find the fill station for your trailer across from the Owen Point Trail.

While there is only one sanitation station in the park, there are two lanes, each with a water fill station.

The water fills are located on the driver’s side of each lane. The lanes are separated by rocks, so you can’t cross from one into the other.

Of course, if you are arriving at a busy time, you may be stuck behind people who are dumping.

There are also plenty of drinking water taps at pretty close intervals located in all eight campground loops, as well as in the day-use areas.

There are no water hookups at the individual campsites.

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Dump Station

Just like with the fill stations, you will find one dump station in each of the two lanes.

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

During our first visit, we avoided the line by spending some time in the day-use area after check-out.

We then went to the dump station before leaving the park several hours later.

But during our second visit, we were stuck in line for a straight hour!

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Garbage and Recycling

There was a small garbage and recycling area located at the entrance of each campground.

This made it really convenient to get rid of your trash as you are on your way out.

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Wi-Fi

Unfortunately, like in most Ontario Parks, we did not have too much in the way of cell signal.

The best connectivity we had all weekend was at the beach. And even then, it was hit-and-miss.

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Things to Do at Presqu’ile Provincial Park

1. Enjoy Some Hiking

One of the things we really liked about Presqu’ile, aside from the Lighthouse and the Beach of course, is the fact that there were several hiking trails for us to explore.

Like the trails at Algonquin Park, each trail at Presqu’ile takes you through different habitats and environments.

Presqu’ile is actually home to 12 km of “off-road” trails. All trails are clearly marked with coloured plastic blazes.

The Jobes’ Woods Trail was once part of the Jobes family farm in 1835.

It is one of Presqu’ile’s oldest woodlots and has a pretty diverse ecosystem including ancient maples and ash-filled fields.

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The Owen Point Trail is accessible from the beach’s south end or High Bluff Campground’s west end. It offers views of migrating shorebirds and distant waterbird colonies.

While the beach is closed during migration season to protect the birds, the trail’s lookouts provide incredible views.

Just note, that while dogs are allowed on the trail, they are not permitted in the lookouts at any time of the year.

🥾 Pro Tip: This trail is usually pretty soggy in the spring.

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The Newcastle Trail is 4.3 km and is marked by orange plastic blazes. You will find the trailhead around the midway point of Lighthouse Lane.

While most of the trail leads you through forests, plantations and old fields, this trail does use park roadways for part of its length.

So if you are hiking with younger children or dogs, just watch out for vehicular traffic on these sections of the trail.

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The Marsh Trail was one of our favourite hikes during our visit.

The trail includes 800 m of boardwalk complete with two viewing towers and a platform that would be perfect for a picnic.

The trail goes through the marsh and has sixteen interpretive panels that illustrate the story of the marsh and its inhabitants.

The boardwalk portion of the trail is barrier-free.

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The Pioneer Trail is 3.8 km and marked by yellow plastic blazes. You will find the trailhead around the midway point of Lighthouse Lane.

While most of the trail leads you through forests, plantations and old fields, this trail does use park roadways for part of its length.

So if you are hiking with younger children or dogs, just watch out for vehicular traffic on these sections of the trail.

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This short trail connects the Lighthouse Interpretive Centre with the lighthouse and has plenty of interpretive signs along the way.

You will find some pretty awesome views of Lake Ontario and Presqu’ile Bay at the end of this trail.

It’s also a great place to see waterfowl in winter and spring and to catch a cool breeze in summer.

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This short and easy path connects the cemetery interpretive panel at the Camp Office parking lot with the site of an abandoned pioneer cemetery.

While you won’t find any actual evidence of a cemetery, the site itself is marked with a commemorative granite boulder.

And don’t expect it to be easy to find either! There is a plaque marking the beginning of the Pioneer Trail at the entrance to the parking lot by the Waterfowl Hunt Registration Office.

From there, the trail takes you through the woods, and then out to Lighthouse Lane. You will find the stone at the junction of the road and the trail.

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2. Visit the Lighthouse

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post – I love lighthouses. And this one didn’t disappoint.

The sixty-three-foot-tall, octagonal, lighthouse began its operation in 1840 and is still in use today.

Since then, the original stone lighthouse has been sheathed in wood, had its original coppola removed, and has been converted to electricity.

Unfortunately, you can’t go into the tower. But, we did spend plenty of time doing some photography and just enjoying the views from the lighthouse point.

3. Go for a Boat Ride

While both Presqu’ile Bay and Lake Ontario are accessible to boats, Presqu’ile Provincial Park does not have any boat launch areas.

There is, however, a municipally run boat launch 1 km east of the park entrance.

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4. Go Canoeing

If you are interested in canoeing, both Presqu’ile Bay and the marsh are sheltered enough to allow canoe exploration.

On the other hand, canoeing in Lake Ontario is recommended only on the calmest days, as the water and waves can get pretty rough.

Canoes can be put in at the Camp Office viewing platform or at the Calf Pasture picnic area.

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5. Try Your Hand at Fishing

If you like to fish, land-based fishing can be enjoyed at the Calf Pasture Picnic Ground.

The waters of both Presqu’ile Bay and Lake Ontario are also accessible by boat for fishing in season.

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6. Go for a Swim

One of the biggest reasons that people flock to Presqu’ile Provincial Park, is for its incredible beach.

Not only is it gorgeous, but the long, safe, sandy beach is ideal for family swimming.

We spent most of our weekend at Presqu’ile in the water swimming! The water was warm, clean, and had a pretty big shallow area.

And unlike Sibbald Point, the beach does not get so crowded that you can’t find a good spot to spread out.

Just keep in mind that there are no lifeguards on duty at the beach. Also, no dogs are allowed on Sandy Beach at any time of the year.

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7. Enjoy a Bike Ride

Presqu’ile is the perfect place to go for a family bike ride, as the park is relatively flat.

You will find a dedicated walking/bike lane beside the paved 8 km road loop. This bike lane provides access to picnic grounds, visitor centres and trails.

There is also an unpaved bicycle path that connects the campgrounds with the paved loop, beach and Park Store.

Unfortunately, unlike Pinery Provincial Park, there is nowhere in Presqu’ile to rent bicycles.

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8. Do Some Birding

Presqu’ile is a birdwatcher’s paradise and is famous in Ontario for its role as a key stopover for migrating birds and monarchs.

With 338 species recorded and 130 nesting here, March, May, and September are peak times for spotting everything from waterfowl to songbirds and shorebirds.

There is actually a really neat Birding Shelter located just before you enter the campground areas.

The wall lists all the varieties of birds that you could possibly see in the park. It also provides guests with the opportunity to check which ones they have spotted on any given day.

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9. Take Part in the Discovery Program

Presqu’ile Provincial Park offers a ton of activities throughout the year.

Summer brings daily slide talks, guided walks, and children’s programs.

Spring and fall weekends feature guided bird walks, nature activities, and a variety of curriculum-based children’s educational programs.

Some of the most popular spring events include the Waterfowl Viewing Weekend in mid-March, where you can see thousands of ducks.

There is also the Warblers and Whimbrels Weekend on Victoria Day, which focuses on bird migration.

During the summer, you can watch out for the History Weekend on the Civic holiday, which features various historical events.

The Monarchs and Migrants Weekend on Labour Day, highlighting Monarch Butterfly migration, is another popular park program.

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Is Presqu’ile Provincial Park Accessible?

Yes. We found Presqu’ile to be a very accessible park.

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

There were also several barrier-free parking spots in front of the comfort stations.

Two campsites at Presqu’ile, #81 and #83, which have been designated as barrier-free.

All the public buildings, including the Main gatehouse, Camp Office, Lighthouse Centre and Nature Centre are also barrier-free.

Lastly, the 800 m Marsh Boardwalk hike is fully accessible, as is Beach 1.

The park actually lays out mats in the summer creating a solid base for unrestricted access from the Beach 1 Parking Lot to the beach.

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Are Pets Allowed at Presqu’ile?

Yes. Dogs are allowed in all the campgrounds at Presqu’ile, as well as on the hiking trails.

They must be on a leash at all times, however.

Dogs are NOT allowed on the beaches or in the swimming areas at any time. They are also not allowed in certain buildings in the park.

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Presqu’ile Provincial Parks Tips

One of the biggest issues we had during our stay, was the fact that our campsite had been flooded out.

After a couple of days of rain before our arrival, nearly half the site was unusable. Unfortunately, there was nothing we could do, as the park was pretty booked solid.

Good thing our tiny Teardrop could easily fit into the small strip of dry land, without us having to try and back it in through the mud.

We also noticed that the entire stretch of sites in our part of the campground had the same issue. However, we did not notice this problem elsewhere.

For reference, we were in site #26 (High Bluffs), and the entire stretch from site #5 through #32 (both sides of the road), had standing water.

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Is There Winter Camping at Presqu’ile?

No. There is no winter camping at Presqu’ile Provincial Park.

While camping may be closed for the snowy season, Presqu’ile Provincial Park is open all year long for day use.

So if you are interested in winter hiking, cross-country skiing or snowshoeing, Presqu’ile is a great place to head to for the day.

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Presqu’ile Provincial Park – FAQs

How much does it cost to go to Presqu’ile Park?

Day use is $21.00 per vehicle or $125.00 for buses. Keep in mind that you still need to book your permit in advance to guarantee access.

Are there bears at Presqu’ile Provincial Park?

No. The chances of seeing any bears at Presqu’ile are pretty much non-existent.

Can you swim at Presqu’ile?

Yes. With 2.5 km of sandy beach, this park offers plenty of opportunity for family-friendly swimming. Just be aware, that there are no lifeguards on duty at Prequ’ile.

Are dogs allowed at Presqu’ile Provincial Park?

Yes, for the most part, Presqu’ile Provincial Park is dog-friendly. Leashed dogs are allowed in the campgrounds and on the trails. However, dogs are NOT allowed on Sandy Beach at any time.

What is the best site in Presqu’ile Provincial Park?

High Bluff Campground definitely has the most sought-after sites, as well as having the best access to the waterfront. According to Prequ’ile’s map, site #215 is the most in-demand site as it is right on the waterfront.

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Our Park Rating

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

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Final Thoughts

Presqu’ile Provincial Park was an awesome place to camp with our Teardrop Trailer. We had an absolutely fantastic experience with our family at his park.

From a fabulous beach to incredible trails, and a great day-use area, you really can’t go wrong.

In fact, there is very little that we don’t like about this park.

Hopefully, we have made a convincing case for you to add Presqu’ile Provincial Park to your camping adventure list!

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• Presqu’ile Provincial Park Review & Camping Guide
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