Silver Lake Provincial Park Review & Camping Guide

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Silver Lake Provincial Park Reservations – What You Need to Know Before You Go

It is pretty easy to make a camping reservation for Silver Lake Provincial Park.

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 Silver Lake, however, it was for a weekday stay.

I’m not really sure just how busy this smallish campground gets on a summer weekend.

Silver Lake is open for camping from the middle of May until after the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend in October.

Silver Lake Provincial Park Address:
Civic # 22726 Hwy 7, R.R.#2, Maberly, ON K0H 2B0
https://www.ontarioparks.com/park/silverlake

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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.

Unfortunately, there were only parking spots for small vehicles in front of the gatehouse.

So I had to stay in the live lane with our Teardrop while John ran into the gatehouse to register.

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Silver Lake Provincial Park Map

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Navigating the Park

Silver Lake was one of the smallest Provincial Parks that we have been to, making it pretty difficult to get lost.

There were plenty of signs to help you find your way around the park, as well as enough signs in the campgrounds themselves.

Parking

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

There was a large lot at each beach, one by the boat launch, one at the comfort station, and one at the gatehouse.

I even noticed a small parking lot for additional vehicles in one of the campground areas.

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Silver Lake Provincial Park Camping

Silver Lake 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.

Some sites were so small, that there was no room for a vehicle in the main area of the campsite. Instead, you would have to park your car and then walk a short distance to the area where you set up your tent.

Silver Lake Provincial Park has 3 main campgrounds – Algonquin, Wesley, and Dawson – with a total of 146 campsites.

The Algonquin and Wesley Campgrounds offer exclusively non-electricl sites, while the Dawson campground offers 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 Silver Lake, we stayed at campsite #26 in the Dawson Campground.

The campsite was not very private from our neighbours to either side and faced the main road with clear views of the only comfort station in the park.

It was very private from the campsite behind us, however.

Not surprisingly, there was a constant stream of people going to the bathroom during the day, as well as into the night.

Not to mention, the lights from the comfort station might also be a problem for some (we just closed our shades at night).

The day-use area and beach were just a short walk down the road from this site, so we did not have to drive.

The site had some sun and some shade and was mostly flat, but did slope close to the road.

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

Things We Noticed in the Park

John and I always take the time to explore the parks we visit.

During a bike ride through Silver Lake, we noticed something really interesting. During our visit in mid-August, the majority of the Wesley Campground was empty!

We thought this was really strange, as the rest of the park was pretty full.

The sites looked fine (not flooded or damaged). However, the highway noise in these sites was the worst.

Many sites (68, 70, 72, 74, 77) backed right onto Highway 7. You could actually see the transports rushing past through the trees.

Something to keep in mind if you are looking to visit this park.

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What Amenities Does Silver Lake Offer?

Comfort Station

There is only one comfort station at Silver Lake. It is centrally located in the day-use area.

The comfort station contained 2 showers which were accessible from outside, 2 showers in each of the men’s and women’s washrooms, flush toilets, and laundry facilities.

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

We also noticed several vault toilets scattered throughout the campgrounds, as well as a change room in the day-use area.

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Laundry

A coin Laundry is available in the comfort station by the day-use area.

Definitely one of the oddest arrangements we have seen in a Provincial Park, however. The machines were actually located OUTSIDE of the comfort station!

You could literally do laundry with a view of the beach. Not sure how this would go over on a rainy day though.

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

The Silver Lake Park Store is where you can also rent canoes and kayaks.

And while there is no awesome ice cream counter like at Earl Rowe Provincial Park, Silver Lake’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 Silver Lake Provincial Park.

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Day Use Area

Silver Lake has a pretty decent-sized day-use area, which is 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 children’s playground, plenty of picnic tables with BBQs, a picnic shelter, water taps, a comfort station, a boat launch, changerooms, and beach access.

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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Silver Lake Provincial Park Beach

Silver Lake Provincial Park is home to 2 short stretches of sandy beach on Silver Lake. The sand was powdery and well-groomed.

In fact, we noticed that the sand on both beaches was groomed on both days that we visited (Wednesday to Friday).

And what’s great about either beach, is that the soft sand leads right into the water.

We spent most of our time at the larger day-use beach since it was closest to our campsite.

While there were swampy patches, we did not need water shoes as most of the swimming area was pretty clear.

The water was pretty clean (there was some plant matter floating around) and warm enough to swim in.

The best part was, that we were able to launch our paddleboards right from the beach, at the boat launch area.

While this area had seaweed growing, the concrete boat launch provided an easy way to get on our boards and head out on the lake.

The smaller beach nearest the picnic shelter looked similar with a roped-off swimming area.

I did not notice a specific area to launch kayaks or paddleboards, but there was a small dock along the water’s edge.

There are signs at both beach 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 dogs are not allowed on the beach at any time.

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What Services Does Silver Lake Offer?

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

Water

There is one sanitation station at Silver Lake 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, as well as in the day-use area.

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 right next to the Comfort Station.

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Wi-Fi

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

While I was able to make phone calls from the beach area, in all the other places in the park I was unable to get my emails or search anything online.

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Things to Do at Silver Lake Provincial Park

1. Go for a Walk

Silver Lake Provincial Park is home to one walking trail.

The Trailhead can be located near site 121 in the Alginquin Campground, and near site 84 in the Wesley Campground.

This trail crosses the marsh at the eastern end of Silver Lake along a wooden boardwalk.

It then goes through a short section of forest. The trail is quite wide and is easy to walk along.

Because it is so short, there isn’t really a need for a lot of markings. And honestly, there is no way to get lost!

All in all, John and I enjoyed the short walk, which only took us 15 minutes to complete including stops for photography.

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2. Go for a Boat Ride

Silver Lake is 9 know long, and large enough to accommodate all types of boats: motorboats, sailboats, paddle boats, canoes and kayaks.

And while there is a boat launch area within the park, you can’t leave boats out on the water overnight.

You will even find a parking lot with space to park your boat trailer adjacent to the launch area.

If you would like to head out on the lake, you can rent a canoe at Silver Lake’s Park Store.

While you need to be over 16 to rent a canoe, all rentals come with lifejackets.

John and I had our paddleboards with us, so we just launched from the beach.

The lake is pretty still, making it perfect for younger kids looking to try out some paddling.

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3. Try Your Hand at Fishing

Northern Pike, Smallmouth Bass, Lake Trout, Yellow Perch and Sunfish can be found in Silver Lake.

You will find several floating docks in the day-use area by the boat launch that are perfect to try your hand at fishing.

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

We even noticed that the Learn to Fish program was going on during our visit.

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4. Enjoy a Bike Ride

While there are no designated bike trails in this park, you are 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 this park is quite hilly!

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

We decided to take on the challenge and explored most of the campground roads. The side roads are not paved but aren’t in too bad shape.

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5. Go for a Swim

This park has two pretty nice beaches for swimming.

The only downside is that they are small, and will probably get pretty busy during prime summer weekend camping time.

The water stays shallow in the roped-off swimming area. The water is pretty clean with some plant material and feathers floating around.

And as we mentioned earlier, the powdery sand continues from the beach into the swimming area.

There were plenty of people taking advantage of the super hot weather to go for a dip.

We really liked the fact that a large portion of the beach is shaded by large trees and has picnic tables a short distance from the water.

The water was also the perfect refreshing temperature!

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6. Take Part in the Discovery Program

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

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 Silver Lake Provincial Park Accessible?

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

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

The Park Store/gatehouse was also barrier-free.

As we mentioned earlier, 1 site in the Dawson Campground (#25) was accessible. Both the driveway into the site as well as the main pad were paved.

While there isn’t a wheelchair mat taking you from the day-use area down to the beach like at Darlington Park, there is a flat gravel path that leads from the roadway directly to the beach.

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Are Pets Allowed at Silver Lake?

Yes. Dogs are welcome at Silver Lake Provincial Park.

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

Dogs are not allowed on either of the two beaches, however.

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Is There Winter Camping at Silver Lake?

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

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Silver Lake – FAQs

Where is Silver Lake, Ontario?

Silvert Lake Provincial Park is located in southeastern Ontario.

What towns are near Silver Lake Ontario?

The closest towns are Bancroft and Haliburton.

How deep is Silver Lake, Ontario?

The lake has a maximum depth of around 20 meters (65 feet).

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Our Park Rating

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

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Silver Lake Provincial Park Camping – Final Thoughts

We had a nice time at Silver Lake.

For such a small park it was well maintained, including the beach and the campsites. We did find the facilities like the washrooms and showers to be showing their age, however.

We really enjoyed our time out paddleboarding on the lake, and the family-friendly vibe of the park.

While not the quietest park we have been to, if you like small parks, Silver Lake is not a bad option.

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