Algonquin Park Camping

In this guide

1. At a glance
2. What makes camping here different
3. Which campground should you choose?
4. Compare the campgrounds
5. The Highway 60 campgrounds
6. The three campgrounds outside Highway 60
7. Interior camping
8. Ways to camp here
9. Reservations, fees and rules
10. If everything is booked
11. Best time to camp
12. Safety
13. What to bring for Algonquin specifically
14. FAQ

Algonquin has eleven car campgrounds: eight along Highway 60, plus Achray, Kiosk and Brent reached from other sides of the park.

The eight are the Highway 60 corridor — Tea Lake, Canisbay Lake, Mew Lake, Lake of Two Rivers, Pog Lake, Kearney Lake, Raccoon Lake and Rock Lake — and they are what most people mean by "Algonquin." But the park also operates Kiosk and Brent on the north side, and Achray on the east side. Those three are not a short detour from the corridor. There is no road through the park connecting them. Getting from Mew Lake to Brent means leaving Algonquin entirely and driving around it.

That geography reframes the booking problem. If the corridor is full for your dates, check the live inventory at the three outlying campgrounds—but compare the extra drive and their simpler facilities before treating them as substitutes.

At a glance

What makes camping here different

The interior is genuinely enormous. Ontario Parks counts 29 entry points and over 2,000 kilometres of canoe routes. That is not a marketing figure — it is a network you could paddle for years without repeating a route. Three backpacking trails serve people who would rather walk.

Frontcountry and interior are two different holidays. Driving to a serviced site with electricity and a comfort station, and paddling to a site with a fire pit and nothing else, are both "camping in Algonquin." The planning has almost nothing in common. Deciding which one you are doing is the first real decision, and it is the one this guide is organised around.

The park runs quiet zones as policy, not as luck. Canisbay Lake, Mew Lake, Pog Lake and Achray all have designated radio-free and dog-free areas. At Achray, the entire campground is radio-free. If noise is what ruins camping for you, that is a bookable preference here rather than a gamble.

One campground stays open all winter. Mew Lake operates January through December, with six heated yurts and four cabins available year-round. Very few Ontario campgrounds do this.

Which campground should you choose?

The park does not rank its campgrounds and neither will we, but the choice is more constrained than the list of eleven suggests. Work backwards from what you actually need.

One caution on the electricity row. Kearney Lake has 104 sites and no electrical service at all — it is easy to book it assuming otherwise because it sits between two campgrounds that have plenty.

Compare the campgrounds

Site counts and facilities are from each campground's own Ontario Parks page, rechecked 4 September 2026. Where Ontario Parks gives an approximate figure ("over 100", "almost 300"), we have kept its wording rather than invent a precise number.

The Highway 60 campgrounds

Pog Lake is the largest, with almost 300 sites in three zones, over 100 of them electrical, and three large comfort stations with showers, flush toilets and laundry. Sites 201–232 form the radio-free and dog-free loop. Its size makes it worth checking when other options are unavailable, but only the live reservation system can show inventory for your dates.

Canisbay Lake has 242 sites across three loops — one electrical, one radio-free and dog-free — with about a quarter of sites serviced. The comfort stations include an accessible shower and toilet. It also has sixteen paddle-in sites on Canisbay Lake itself, roughly thirty minutes of paddling from the campground, each with a fire pit. Interior regulations apply, and permits come from the Canisbay Lake office or from Tea Lake in spring. It can be a shorter first paddle-in trip when wind, water conditions, skills and interior rules all fit your group; proximity does not remove the need for backcountry preparation.

Lake of Two Rivers has over 200 sites in four loops of white pine, over half electrical, and Ontario Parks says it can accommodate large equipment. Match the listed site length to your complete rig before booking. The park also notes that traffic noise carries to some sites next to Highway 60. The campground office closed from the 2026 season, so permits, information and firewood now come from Mew Lake.

Mew Lake sits at km 30.6, has over 100 sites with about half serviced, and is the one campground open every day of the year. Its dog-free and radio-free loop is sites 95–131. The six yurts sleep six each with propane heat and an electrical outlet; the four cabins sleep five and add a kitchenette with microwave and mini fridge. Both have a two-night minimum, three nights on long weekends, and pets are confined to yurt 39 and cabin 37. Bring your own bedding, cookware and dishes.

Rock Lake has over 100 sites in pine forest, over half of them electrical, plus two barrier-free sites. It is one of five campgrounds where Ontario Parks lists barrier-free campsites: Mew Lake, Lake of Two Rivers, Kearney Lake, Pog Lake and Rock Lake.

Kearney Lake has 104 sites in two loops split by Kearney Creek. No electrical sites at all.

Raccoon Lake has 48 sites and its own beach, but only vault privies; showers, laundry and flush toilets are at Rock Lake nearby. Ontario Parks strongly discourages trailers because of size restrictions on the campground and the sites themselves.

Tea Lake is the small one, with fewer than 50 sites in mixed hardwood and coniferous forest, a comfort station with flush toilets and showers, and no laundry.

The three campgrounds outside Highway 60

These are the reason this page lists eleven campgrounds instead of eight. They are basic — no electricity, no showers, no laundry at any of the three — and they are reached from outside the park rather than along Highway 60.

Achray, on the east side, has 45 sites in pine forest bordering sandy beaches and rocky points. Flush toilets, no showers. A limited number of sites take recreational vehicles, but there is no electricity and generators are prohibited outright. The entire campground is radio-free, and dogs are not permitted on the western side. There is one lakeside yurt, site 41, sleeping six. If quiet is your actual priority rather than a preference, Achray is the park's clearest answer.

Kiosk, on the north side, is the smallest campground in the park at 17 sites, most of them well screened from their neighbours. Flush toilets, no showers, RVs accepted but no electricity. The Kiosk cabin on Kioshkokwi Lake was built in 1936, sleeps six, and — unusually for a rustic cabin — has an electric stove and running hot and cold water. There is no indoor bathroom and no cell reception.

Brent, also north, has 30 sites with compost and vault toilets, no showers, no electricity, and a number of sites with direct waterfront access on Cedar Lake. Two historic cabins are available: the Deputy Ranger cabin sleeps two, and the Brent cabin — four bedrooms, a woodstove set in a stone fireplace — sleeps ten. Neither has running water, electricity or cell reception. Pre-order firewood at the Brent Permit Office, because inside the campground it is cash only.

Interior camping

Algonquin's interior is reached from 29 entry points and covers over 2,000 kilometres of canoe routes, plus three backpacking trails and a set of historic log ranger cabins available to rent. It operates year-round.

This is a different undertaking from frontcountry camping, and the honest framing is that route planning, portaging and self-sufficiency matter here in a way they simply do not at a drive-up site. If you have not canoe-tripped before, the sixteen paddle-in sites at Canisbay Lake are thirty minutes from a road and a good way to find out whether you like it before committing to a week.

Four current interior conditions are worth knowing before you plan a route. As of 4 September 2026, Ontario Parks has posted low-water alerts for Varley Lake from Carl Wilson Lake, Latour Creek north of Rosebary Lake and Carcajou Creek north toward Greenleaf Lake. The Provoking Falls bridge on the Highland Backpacking Trail is closed and has been removed; follow the signed re-route rather than an old track. The Highview Cabin is closed for the whole 2026 season for repairs. Treat this paragraph as a planning warning, not a substitute for the live alerts page.

Three access point offices have also closed from the 2026 season onward: Opeongo (Access Point 11), Kawawaymog / Round Lake (Access Point 1), and the Lake of Two Rivers campground office. For Opeongo, information is available at the Opeongo Store or the East and West Gates. For all three, the park information line is 705-633-5572, answered Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern, and not monitored at weekends.

Ways to camp here

• Car camping — eleven campgrounds, described above.
• Backcountry — canoe or hike in from 29 entry points; permits required.
• Paddle-in, lightly — sixteen sites on Canisbay Lake, about thirty minutes' paddle, interior rules apply.
• Yurts — six at Mew Lake (year-round), one at Achray.
• Cabins — four at Mew Lake (year-round), one at Kiosk, two at Brent, plus interior ranger cabins.
• Group camping — Whitefish Lake Group Campground, Highway 60 at km 37.
• Walk-in — six sites at the Kingscote Lake Access Point; permits from Pinegrove Point Resort.
• Winter — Mew Lake campground and the interior both operate year-round.

Reservations, fees and rules

Everything is booked through Ontario Parks reservations, or by phone on 1-888-ONT-PARK (1-888-668-7275), or 1-519-826-5290 from outside North America. The call centre is open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern, 363 days a year — closed only on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

On the booking window. Ontario Parks accepts reservations up to five months before your arrival date. New dates open at 7:00 a.m. Eastern. For a popular July or August corridor site, shortlist the exact campsites before release morning; discovering that your trailer does not fit while the booking clock is running is an expensive form of meditation. The maximum campground reservation is 23 nights, while an Algonquin interior stay is limited to 16 consecutive nights.

Fees. Ontario Parks sets 2026 car-camping fees by fee level rather than by park, effective 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. For a regular rate including HST, a non-electrical site runs from $38.70 to $52.55 a night and an electrical site from $43.79 to $59.33, depending on which level applies. The exact rate for your site appears at booking. Algonquin backcountry camping is charged per person: $12.43 per night for adults 18+ and $5.65 for ages 6–17, including HST. Ontario Senior and eligible Ontario accessibility rates are lower. Reservation and additional-vehicle charges can sit on top of those figures, so compare the checkout total, not only the campsite line.

Yurt and cabin rules. Two-night minimum, three nights on long weekends. Bring bedding, cookware and dishes. Smoking is prohibited. Pets are permitted only in specific units — yurt 39 and cabin 37 at Mew Lake — and are barred from the Kiosk and Brent cabins entirely. One vehicle is included; additional vehicles need a permit.

Trailer sanitation stations are at Minnesing (km 23), Sunday Lake (km 35.6) and Rock Lake, all open as of 16 August 2026.

If everything is booked

In descending order of how likely each is to actually work.

1. Check the outlying campgrounds. Achray, Kiosk and Brent are not direct substitutes for a corridor site: they are reached from different sides of the park and have simpler facilities. Compare live availability, road access and services before booking.
2. Check a documented compromise. Ontario Parks notes that some Lake of Two Rivers sites hear Highway 60. If noise is acceptable, compare those sites in the live inventory rather than assuming why any particular site remains available.
3. Test flexible dates. Search several permitted arrival dates in the live system rather than assuming weekends or weekdays will behave a particular way.
4. Consider the interior only if the trip model fits. Its 29 entry points provide more route choices than one drive-in campground, but a permit, route plan, suitable skills and self-sufficiency are required.
5. Look outside the park. Our guide to the best lakeside campgrounds in Ontario covers fifteen campgrounds across the province, none of them inside Algonquin, several within reasonable driving distance.

Best time to camp

Autumn, if colour is the priority. Colour often begins progressing in late September, but peak timing shifts with the year and weather. Use Ontario Parks' current fall-colour report to choose dates. Cooler conditions usually reduce biting-insect pressure but do not guarantee an insect-free trip; nights can be cold, and any fire still depends on current rules.

June through August for swimming, warm evenings and the full run of park programming — and for the worst of the crowding and the booking competition. Early summer brings blackflies and mosquitoes in numbers that surprise people who have only camped further south.

Winter is a real option at Mew Lake and in the interior, both of which operate year-round. The heated yurts and cabins make this considerably more accessible than it sounds.

Beach postings are worth checking on the day you travel. A clean result from last week cannot promise clean water after heavy rain, and an old warning should not be repeated as if it were current. Use Ontario Parks' live alerts and beach-status information before anyone swims.

Safety

Bears and food storage. Algonquin is black bear country and food storage is the practical control. Never leave food, cookware or scented items at your site unattended, and follow the current park rules on storage rather than improvising.

Water. Interior water needs treating. Current low-water alerts on Varley Lake, Latour Creek and Carcajou Creek affect route feasibility, not just drinking supply.

Fire. Campground fire pits are the place for a fire, and fire restrictions can be imposed at short notice in dry conditions. Our guide to putting out a campfire properly covers the technique and the habit of checking restrictions before you rely on a fire at all.

Weather, wildlife and preparation all require a plan. Cold nights, sudden rain, route conditions and an interior itinerary beyond the group's skills can each create problems. Follow current park guidance rather than ranking one hazard as if the others no longer matter.

In the Highway 60 campgrounds, park wardens can be reached directly: Tea Lake and Canisbay on 416-270-5137; Mew Lake and Lake of Two Rivers on 705-571-3528; Pog Lake, Kearney Lake and Whitefish Lake on 705-571-3621; Rock Lake and Raccoon Lake on 705-571-1574. For a medical emergency, call 911.

What to bring for Algonquin specifically

The general packing question is answered by our weekend camping checklist. Four things are particular to here.

Insect protection that actually works, especially from late spring into early summer. Pack repellent and clothing coverage rather than assuming conditions will be mild.

Everything, if you are staying at Achray, Kiosk or Brent. No showers, no laundry, no electricity, and at Brent and Kiosk no cell reception. Kiosk and Brent cabins have no running water either.

Your own bedding, cookware and dishes for any yurt or cabin. Ontario Parks supplies the propane and the barbecue, not the pots.

Cash for firewood at Brent — inside the campground it is cash only, so pre-order at the Brent Permit Office if you can.

Camping with children? Our family camping checklist and camping with kids guides cover the rest, and the corridor campgrounds with comfort stations — Pog Lake, Canisbay, Rock Lake — make the biggest practical difference with young children.

Details last verified

Campground counts, site numbers, accessibility, electrical and comfort-station facilities, dog-free and radio-free areas, yurt and cabin details, group and walk-in camping, 2026 fees, reservation timing, current alerts and office closures were checked against Ontario Parks on 4 September 2026. Alerts, closures, beach postings and operating dates change through the season — confirm current conditions before you travel.

We do not assign a car-camping fee level to individual campgrounds because Ontario Parks publishes fee levels and campground details separately; the rate that applies to your site is shown at booking.

Sources reviewed

Fact-checked 4 September 2026. Access dates show when our editors last verified each source.

1. Ontario Parks — Algonquin Camping · Official source · Accessed 4 Sep 2026
2. Ontario Parks — Algonquin Alerts · Official source · Accessed 4 Sep 2026
3. Ontario Parks — Algonquin Backcountry · Official source · Accessed 4 Sep 2026
4. Individual campground pages: Tea Lake, Canisbay Lake, Mew Lake, Lake of Two Rivers, Pog Lake, Kearney Lake, Raccoon Lake, Rock Lake, Achray, Kiosk, Brent · Official source · Accessed 4 Sep 2026
5. Ontario Parks — 2026 Camping Fees and 2026 Backcountry Fees · Official source · Accessed 4 Sep 2026
6. Ontario Parks — Reservation Rules · Official source · Accessed 4 Sep 2026
7. Ontario Parks — Algonquin Facilities · Official source · Accessed 4 Sep 2026

Related guides

• Ontario destinations — the rest of our provincial coverage
• Best lakeside campgrounds in Ontario — fifteen campgrounds outside Algonquin
• Camping in Banff National Park — the opposite problem in almost every respect
• Weekend camping checklist
• Camping safety 101
• Backpacking gear — for interior trips
• Plan a trip