Sturgeon Bay Provincial Park Review & Campground Guide
Wondering if Sturgeon Bay Provincial Park is worth a visit? We were skeptical at first, but ended up having a great time!
Located 271 km north of Toronto in the area of Pointe au Baril, this park was one of the smallest and quietest Ontario Provincial Parks that we have been to.
With a total of only 81 campsites, Sturgeon Bay may be tiny, but we instantly fell in love with its beautiful lake, gorgeous dark skies, and just the overall peaceful atmosphere.
In this guide, I’ll share what makes the park special, what there is to do, and whether you should add this park to your camping bucket list.
Pros and Cons of Sturgeon Bay Provincial Park – Quick Guide
If you are in a hurry, here’s a quick list of the pros and cons of Sturgeon Bay Provincial Park:
Things We Liked
Things We Did Not Like
Sturgeon Bay Provincial Park Reservations – What You Need to Know Before You Go
Making a reservation to camp at Sturgeon Bay 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 August stay at Sturgeon Bay and had no issues getting a preferred site.
And while I don’t think the demand for this park is huge, if you want a private or waterfront site, I would still suggest booking early.
☑️ 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.
Sturgeon Bay is open for camping from the middle of May until after the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend.
Sturgeon Bay Provincial Park Address:
203 Hwy. 529, Point au Baril, ON, P0G 1K0
https://www.ontarioparks.ca/park/sturgeonbay
Arriving at the Park
Once you arrive at the main entrance to the park, the gatehouse is right there.
While you will find a few spots for vehicle parking, there are no long RV parking spots outside the gatehouse.
We ended up just pulling over to the side of the live lane as much as possible.
The gatehouse was pretty small and doubled as a park store.
We were able to check in, purchase my park patch, and grab a printed map there.
We arrived just past the 2 o’clock check-in time, so we were able to head straight to our site.
Sturgeon Bay Provincial Park Map
Navigating the Park
Given that the park is tiny, it would be pretty hard to get lost at Sturgeon Bay.
In any case, there were enough signs to help you find your way around the park and to find the beach and day-use area.
One thing that we found a little odd (and slightly inconvenient) was that the showers were located across the street from the park.
You actually had to walk past the gatehouse, exit the park, and cross the main road to find both the showers and the laundry.
Parking
From what we saw, the parking lots located throughout the park are more than sufficient in size.
There was a parking lot at the beach, one at the day-use and boat launch area, as well as a small one at the showers.
Sturgeon Bay Provincial Park Camping
Sturgeon Bay Provincial Park accommodates a variety of camping styles.
From car camping to tenting, small cottages, and RVs up to 32 feet (9.7 metres), 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.
As we mentioned earlier, Sturgeon Bay is home to 81 campsites, situated in a single campground.
Campground at a Glance
Sturgeon Bay Campground
- 81 Campsites
- Mix of electric and non-electric sites
- Water taps
- Vault Toilets
- 2 showers
- Laundry
- Garbage & Recycling
- Boat Launch
- Wooded and private sites
Cottages
Sturgeon Bay Provincial Park is home to 4 Cottages.
These roofed accommodations are a great way to experience the park if you are not into tent or car camping and don’t have an RV.
Located across the street from the main entrance to the park, these cottages sleep between 4 and 8 adults (depending on which one you rent) and have all the amenities!
Each cottage comes with a kitchen and a furnished common area.
The kitchen is equipped with a fridge, a stove, cupboards, a sink and counter space.
A microwave, coffee maker, toaster, stovetop kettle, and dish rack are also provided, meaning you could whip up a gourmet meal if you choose!
All four cottages have running water and a three-piece bathroom.
Outside, you will find a deck, fire pit, picnic table and propane barbecue.
As far as beds go, each cottage is a little different:
- Cottage 1 (sleeps 6): A double bed in one bedroom and a double bed with a single bunk in the other, and there is a pull-out couch in the common area.
- Cottage 2 (sleeps 5): A double bed is located in the first bedroom, and a double bed with a single bunk is located in the second bedroom.
- Cottage 3 (sleeps 4): Two bedrooms, each with a double bed.
- Cottage 4 (sleeps 8): Two bedrooms have a double bed with a single bunk. The third bedroom has a double bed, and there is a pull-out couch in the common area.
The cottages also have access to the two showers and laundry that are located within the same area.
If this sounds like a great way to glamp in the park, keep in mind that you will need to bring your own bedding, pots, pans, dishes, cooking and eating utensils, food and other personal items.
Reservations are available for 6 nights only (Saturday to Friday) from the 3rd Friday in June to Labour Day.
Outside of this window, there is a 2-night minimum stay and a 3-night minimum stay on long weekends.
There is parking for 2 vehicles included in your cottage rental.
Unfortunately, smoking or pets are not allowed in the cottages or on-site at any time.
Another thing to note is that check-in time for the cabins is 4 pm, and check-out is 10 am.
Our Campsite Experience
During our visit to Sturgeon Bay, we stayed in a powered site across the street from the beach.
The campsite was small, with a slightly sloped, packed dirt pad. We had some trees for shade, but not a lot of privacy from any of the neighbours.
We are lucky that our Teardrop Trailer is small, because watching our neighbour trying to maneuver his large 5th wheel into a small site was a little harrowing!
Since we just stayed in the park for one night, we didn’t bother setting up our dining tent, which made things a lot easier.
It would have been a little tight, given that our site was not really level and was very narrow. But we made it work.
We loved the fact that we just had to cross the road to be on the beach.
And while the vault toilets were around the corner, we could not smell them (always a plus).
A water tap was located not even a minute away.
Accessible Campsites
While many of the campsites at Sturgeon Bay are hilly, rocky or filled with tree roots, we noticed that the two accessible sites (#200 & #19) were nice and flat and even.
They were made of packed dirt, but did not have the paved pads that we saw at Earl Rowe Provincial Park last year.
The sites were quite large and were located right next to the accessible vault toilets.
Both sites were electric sites, had an accessible picnic table and a fire pit that had an added outer metal rim to prevent a wheelchair from getting too close to the fire or tipping in.
Site #19 even had a dedicated water tap! That was something we haven’t seen in any other park!
What Amenities Does Sturgeon Bay Offer?
Onsite Amenities – Quick List
- 81 campsites
- 2 Showers
- 1 Laundry
- Beach
- Boat Launch
Comfort Stations
As we mentioned earlier, you won’t find the typical comfort station at Sturgeon Bay Provincial Park.
Instead, you will find two small buildings, side by side, each with a separate shower.
These buildings are located across the street from the park.
This area is also where you will find the rental cottages and the laundry.
If you need to use the washroom, vault toilets are located throughout the campground, with one close to the beach.
Since our Teardrop “Nellie” has a bathroom, we aren’t too concerned about the bathroom locations!
We found the vault toilets and showers to be quite clean and well-kept.
The water was hot, and the pressure in the showers was excellent.
John and I went for our shower at 10 pm, worried that there may be a wait. But we were lucky and found them both to be empty.
Laundry
As I mentioned above, a coin laundry is available in the same building as the showers.
The laundry room was clean, but quite small compared to some in other parks.
There were two sets of machines and a laundry tub. There was nowhere to sit and no counter to fold laundry on, however.
The cost for one load in either machine is $2.50. The machines only take Loonies and quarters, so you will need exact change.
Park Store
The Park Store is located inside the gatehouse and is quite small.
Inside, you will find a variety of Ontario Parks merch, including hoodies, t-shirts, hats, stickers, totes, and more.
You will also find a Keurig coffee machine, a small freezer with novelty ice cream, a fridge with a variety of sodas, and some camping items that you may have forgotten when packing for your trip.
Visitor’s Centre
There is no Visitor’s Centre at Sturgeon Bay Provincial Park.
Day Use Area
The day-use area at Sturgeon Bay is quite small, but it was quite nice.
The sandy beach has a roped-off swimming area and nice shady spots with plenty of picnic tables and even benches to sit on.
There is no picnic shelter at Sturgeon Bay Provincial Park.
The vault toilets are next to the beach, as is a smallish parking lot.
And as much as the day-use area wasn’t huge, the beach most certainly makes up for it. But more on this later!
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.
Boat Launch
There are two boat launches located within the park.
The first is located adjacent to the beach. This boat launch is only appropriate for non-motorized watercraft like canoes and kayaks.
The larger boat launch is located a short distance from the main gate.
There you will find boat trailer parking, a ramp, and even a really great fish cleaning station!
Motorized boats can be launched from this area. You can even rent spaces to moor your boat.
Sturgeon Bay Provincial Park Beach
Sturgeon Bay Provincial Park is home to a small, but really nice, sandy beach along the shores of Sturgeon Lake.
During the summer, you will find that the tea-coloured water is quite warm.
The swimming area is a roped-off off and of a decent size.
The water stays shallow for a good way out, making it really family-friendly.
And while we didn’t get a chance to take our paddleboards out on the lake, we did notice quite a few people canoeing and kayaking.
The beach is within walking distance of pretty much every campsite in the park.
We also noticed that the beach was nicely groomed on the morning that we stayed in the park.
What Services Does Sturgeon Lake Offer?
You will find all the usual Ontario Provincial Parks services at Sturgeon Lake.
Water
There is one sanitation station at Sturgeon Lake Provincial Park. It is located just a short distance from the gatehouse.
There you will find one lane with a single fill station on the driver’s side.
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.
Dump Station
The sanitation area is located about a 2-minute drive from the water fill station.
As with the fill station, you will find only a single dump station.
We found the trailer dump station to be located in a weird, out-of-the-way spot.
It’s actually located within the non-electric part of the campground (where you won’t find too many spots large enough to even fit a trailer).
And it’s located in a live lane… not an off-to-the-side kinda deal.
This means you will have people trying to squeeze past your trailer to get to their sites.
It’s also located next to the vault toilets, so people will be walking through the area constantly.
You are then forced to travel all through that section of the campground before circling back through the fill station area and out of the park.
Garbage and Recycling
There was a garbage/recycling loop located in the same area as the main boat launch, just before you head out of the park.
Wi-Fi
I was happy to discover that I actually had decent cell service in this park.
Not only was I able to make phone calls, but I could also check emails and even stream TV shows.
But the best part of having cell service while I am in a park is being able to work on my blog posts while things are still fresh in my mind!
And the reception was decent, no matter where you were in the park. So beach writing it was!!
Things to Do at Sturgeon Bay Provincial Park
Because Sturgeon Bay is such a small park, don’t expect there to be a ton of things to do.
That said, John and I easily kept busy during our stay, enjoying everything that the park had to offer.
1. Enjoy a Bike Ride
While Sturgeon Bay does not have any dedicated biking trails, you are more than welcome to ride on the campground roads.
They are not at all busy, so pretty safe even for the young riders.
Just keep in mind, the roads are a little rough, and the campground is quite hilly.
While we saw quite a few kids riding their bikes, John and I decided to pass on this activity.
2. Go for a Paddle
As I mentioned earlier, the beach area is pretty sheltered, so the water was calm and shallow enough to make going out for a paddle pretty easy.
We saw many people out on canoes and kayaks throughout the day.
And with the small boat launch located right off the beach parking lot, it’s really easy to get your canoe or kayak out on the water.
You will even find large wooden racks to store your canoe/kayak while you are not using it.
And if you don’t have your own equipment, but would love to head out on the water, Sturgeon Bay Provincial Park offers canoe and kayak rentals.
The rental office is located right next to the main park gate.
They also offer PFDs to rent if you don’t have your own.
3. Enjoy a Refreshing Dip
Nothing like going for a swim in the lake on a hot summer day!
We had a blast heading out in the water with our floaties and pool noodles!
The water was warm, and there were not too many weeds once you passed the roped-off area.
If you stuck to the swimming area, the water stayed shallow for the most part, and the bottom was sandy with only a few rocks.
The water was extremely calm, so the swim area is great for families with younger children, or adults like us who want to float and not go too far!!
4. Take Part in the Discovery Program
According to the website, Sturgeon Bay Provincial Park does not list a Discovery Program for kids.
This seemed odd, as I couldn’t think of a single Ontario Park that does not have one.
That said, during our time in the park, we noticed that several activities for kids were listed on the board outside the gatehouse.
From Bingo to learning about skulls or even a reptile program, there seemed to be a great variety of activities being offered for the kids.
5. Do Some Birding
While we are not avid birders, Sturgeon Bay offers some great opportunities to bird watch if you are interested.
Many species of birds have been sighted in the park, including the Common Loon, Caspian Tern, Black Tern, Great Blue Heron, Merlin, Spotted Sandpiper, American Woodcock, Mourning Dove, Whip-poor-will, and Pileated Woodpecker.
We even heard the call of at least two Barred Owls while we were stargazing at the beach!
You can pick up a copy of the birding checklist at the gatehouse. Don’t forget your binoculars!
6. Try Your Hand at Fishing
If you are into fishing, both Sturgeon Lake and Georgian Bay offer a great place to enjoy the sport.
You can easily fish from shore or head out on a boat.
Just remember, if you are fishing in the park, you will need a fishing license and you will need to follow all fishing regulations.
And if you don’t have any of your own fishing gear with you, Sturgeon Bay Provincial Park is part of the Tackle Share Program.
Just inquire about gear rentals at the gatehouse.
And I definitely want to mention their “Catch of the Month Board” where you can show off the one that didn’t get away!!
Send your photos to the park, and you could be featured on their brag board!
7. Go for a Boat Ride
Sturgeon Bay Park has a small but decent boat launch area.
Not only will you find a large parking lot for both vehicles and boats/trailers, but there is also a picnic area and vault toilets right next to the launch.
Power boats are available to rent nearby (not from the park, however).
Life jackets are available for rent at the gatehouse if you have forgotten to bring your own.
8. Do Some Stargazing
As I mentioned earlier, John and I spent a couple of hours on the beach stargazing.
There is plenty of open sky, and it was dark enough to see the Milky Way as well as the Perseid Meteor Shower that was going on.
While the lake is surrounded by private cottages, there was only a little bit of light that would interfere with your stargazing.
And we were happy to note, there were not too many bugs!
Is Sturgeon Bay Provincial Park Accessible?
We found most buildings in Sturgeon Bay to be pretty accessible.
There were vault toilets that had barrier-free access; however, the showers were not barrier-free.
The Gatehouse was also barrier-free.
And as we mentioned earlier, we noticed at least 2 sites that were barrier-free.
Are Pets Allowed at Sturgeon Bay?
Yes. Dogs are welcome at Sturgeon Bay Provincial Park.
Pets are allowed at the campground, but must be leashed at all times.
However, we did notice signs at the beach and in the day-use area that stated pets were prohibited.
There were also no designated pet exercise areas in the park.
Is There Winter Camping at Sturgeon Bay?
No! Sturgeon Bay Provincial Park is not open for winter camping.
The park actually closes down after the Thanksgiving long weekend.
This means that winter sports in the park are also not possible.
Our Park Rating
We give this park 3 out of 5 stars for having:
Final Thoughts
We had a really great time at Sturgeon Bay and will definitely go back.
We really enjoyed the beautiful beach and the small park feel.
So if you are looking for an Ontario Park with a beautiful lake, but a quieter atmosphere, then Sturgeon Lake might just be the place for you!
Our only regret was that we didn’t book a longer stay!
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- Sturgeon Bay Provincial Park Review & Campground Guide
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