Winter Events and Activities in Ontario's Provincial Parks

You don't have to fly south like the birds or hibernate like the bears to avoid the cold Canadian winter. Don't curl up indoors! Escape to your nearest provincial park to enjoy winter at its fullest.

Many provincial parks are open year-round and some even offer winter camping opportunities. It's time to bring out those ice skates, skis, sleds, tubes or snowshoes or rent select equipment at participating parks. Take the entire family out to our parks to enjoy this year's line-up of winter activities, events and programs.

Here's a sample of what many provincial parks across Ontario have to offer this winter.

SOUTHERN ONTARIO

Bronte Creek

No matter what your fancy – sugar plums or skating – this all-season oasis between Burlington and Oakville has something for everyone in the family.

From 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekends in December, celebrate the simple elegance of a Victorian Christmas at Spruce Lane Farmhouse. Try heritage baking, with lots of cookies to tempt your taste buds. (Don't worry sampling is allowed.) Children can try their hand at different heritage crafts each week or tour the 1899 farmstead to view traditional Christmas decorations – figgy puddings, sugar plums, stockings and kissing boughs! One visit will have your family in the holiday spirit.  

Lace up your skates for a morning, afternoon, evening, or an entire day of ice skating at the Recreational Complex starting on Saturday, December 6. Bronte's Olympic-sized outdoor rink will be open daily to skaters from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. until February 28, 2004. Enjoy heated change rooms, washrooms and music. Refreshments and skate rentals are available during open hours at the snack bar.

As soon as there is snow, bring your sled and tubes for tobogganing . The hill by Parking Lot C is great fun! If this slope is too steep for your tastes, there are other, gentler slopes throughout the park.

Explore more than 10 km of cross-country ski trails that weave their way through the park. The ski trails (track set and groomed) take you through hardwood forests, across open fields, along the edges of old orchards and past heritage buildings.

Enjoy an alcohol-free family fun day at Bronte Creek Provincial Park on New Year's Eve , December 31, 2003. The park and skating rink will be open for extended hours, until 1:00 a.m., so that you can welcome 2004!

Join a Park Naturalist at 6:00 p.m. on December 31 for a Coyote Howl Hike where you will learn about this mysterious night animal and, if lucky, hear coyotes howling in the distance.   After the hike, everyone is welcome to gather around the bonfire to warm up while enjoying a free cup of hot chocolate.

Starting at 8:00 p.m. on December 31, Bronte Creek will ring in the New Year with a Countdown for Kids .   Visitors can continue celebrating into the night, skating to music under a starry sky, or warming up by the bonfire.

 

Frontenac

This beautiful semi-wilderness park is open year-round, including winter. When the Trail Centre is closed, visitors are asked to register and pay for their interior camping and day use fees using the self-serve registration system.

Frontenac offers cross-country skiing with approximately 13 km of backcountry ski trails, which are not track set. You may venture wherever you wish to ski, and you are not restricted to designated trails. The 3 km Doe Lake Trail Loop is the designated snowshoe trail, which starts and finishes at the Trail Centre. Ice fishing is permitted on any lake in the park, where there is an open season for the species you plan to fish.

The park offers a comprehensive Wilderness Skills Training Program year-round. Upcoming courses include winter camping trip planning, two winter camping trips, wilderness first aid, canoe and kayak certification, canoe clinics and wilderness navigation. Contact the park for information and to register for individual sessions. Enrollment is limited; register well in advance of each session to avoid disappointment.

The Friends of Frontenac organize a number of cold-weather events at the park, such as the Winter Nature Walk . Come join the Friends and park staff on February 1, 2004, at 12:30 p.m., to learn more about the wonders of nature on a short 3 km walk in the winter wonderland near the Trail Centre. The only cost to participate is a $9.00 daily vehicle permit.

Or check out the Family Winter Fun Day on January 25. Activities include conducted ski and snowshoe hikes for all ages and skill levels. Conducted hikes leave the Trail Centre concurrently at 9:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.   The only cost to participate is a $9.00 daily vehicle permit. Remember to dress in layers for the weather, bring your own skiing or snowshoeing equipment, a small backpack with water, a hot drink, and snack.

The Frontenac Trail Centre is open weekends from mid-January onwards throughout the winter. After your day on the trails, come indoors to relax by the fireplace with a cup of hot chocolate. Trail Centre hours 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Call the park at (613) 376-3486 or link to the Friends of Frontenac website from the Frontenac web page to find out snow and weather conditions The nearest spot for ski and snowshoe rentals is Kingston.

MacGregor Point

MacGregor Point's trails are ideal for a variety of winter outings, including cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.   Trails are not groomed for cross-country skiing.   Snowmobiling is allowed on park roadways only.

One of the most enjoyable activities for park visitors is feeding MacGregor Point's resident-feathered friends. Red-breasted Nuthatches and Black-capped Chickadees have become comfortable enough around humans that they will allow themselves to be hand fed. When this occurs, the smile on a child's face is unbelievable. Everyone can experience the Touch of a Chickadee while at MacGregor Point.

Join the Snowfest festivities at MacGregor Point on Saturday February 7, 2004. Come for a day of winter sports. There will be nature hikes, a barbecue lunch, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, winter camping, and first aid assistance, if you need it. MacGregor Point is 5 km south of Port Elgin off Hwy 21. For festival times and information call (519) 389-9056 or (519) 389-6231. The park entry fee applies.

Murphys Point

The ski season is open at Murphys Point (conditions permitting) from mid-December to mid-March. During this time, you can cross-country ski along 20 km of groomed trails, then warm up in one of two chalets in the park.

The Tay Valley Cross-Country Ski Club maintains the park's trails and also runs a Jack Rabbit ski instruction program for youngsters, every Sunday from early January through mid-March. With trained ski instructors, hot chocolate, and the main chalet as your home base, winter Sundays at the park are popular for family outings.

For information on ski conditions, or to obtain a ski trail brochure, call the park at (613) 267-5060. For information about the Tay Valley Cross-country Club contact Phil Thompson at (613) 264-8485.

Presqu'ile

Presqu'ile has 16 km of hiking trails that are open all winter for hiking or cross-country skiing. (These trails are not groomed.) The park is a great place to see winter birds – snowy owls, winter finches, woodpeckers, chickadees and nuthatches – and ice volcanoes (weather permitting).

Visit Presqu'ile on January 24 and 25, 2004, for the annual Winter Bird Workshop – part of Brighton's Winterfest activities. Each day, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. there will be guided walks, children's bird feeder making workshops, slide shows, and free hot chocolate.

Pinery

During your stay at Pinery, you can (depending on the depth of snow) ski on 38 km of groomed cross-country trails. Cedar and Heritage Trails are packed down for walking. Trail maps can be picked up at the main gate, trail entrances and the Visitor Centre. Ski and snowshoe rentals, in addition to light refreshments, are available at the park store. A volunteer ski patrol often tours the trails to assist skiers. Near the entrance to the park there is a heated chalet, and a skating rink and toboggan hill (weather permitting) which are lit in the evening.

Rondeau

Enjoy bird watching and waterfowl viewing, ice-fishing, cross-country skiing (sorry, no groomed trails), skating, hiking, educational programs and activities (check with the park for this winter's schedule). The Visitor Centre and Friends of Rondeau Bookstore are open on weekends during the winter months.

Spend time at the park during your Christmas vacation. The staff at Rondeau have organized many programs for the whole family throughout the holiday season. The park is open every day from December 20 to January 4, with the exception of December 24 through 26, and January 1.

From 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 20, Rondeau is offering a children's program, Bird Seed Feeders. Bring the whole family to the Rondeau Maintenance Building (off Rondeau Avenue) to make your own suet feeders to take home to feed those wonderful winter birds. Ask at the main gate for directions to the Maintenance Building. Drop by anytime between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m.

Believe it or not winter is a great time to see the many different species of ducks and geese hanging out in Rondeau Bay. The birds are flying through on their way south. Duck, Duck, Goose is running on Sunday, December 21 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Join us for a nice refresher on all the types of waterfowl that visit Rondeau Bay. There will be several spotting scopes available for use. Meet behind the Yacht Club anytime between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. And, please dress warmly!

On Saturday, December 27, have a hoot on an Owl Prowl . Meet at the Visitor Centre at 6:45 p.m. sharp. Learn about the amazing nocturnal adaptations of owls and then go out as a group to try to find one. This program is weather dependent and will be cancelled if there are high winds or rain. Please call ahead (519) 674-1768 to confirm that the event is on.

Everyone seems to think that everything in the forest goes to sleep in the winter. Not a chance! In Be a Wildlife Detective , take part in a wintry walk along part of South Point Trail and discover what happens to a forest and its inhabitants in the winter. Learn, as well, how to identify different types of tracks that are left by the many animals that are still active. Meet at the Lakeshore Road entrance to South Point Trail on Sunday, December 28, 1:30 p.m.

Another Owl Prowl is scheduled for Saturday, January 3. Meet at the Visitor Centre at 6:45 p.m. sharp. This program is weather dependent. Please call (519) 674-1768 to confirm that the event is on.

Take a relaxing winter walk on the Tulip Tree Trail to see what is out and about, in Winter Wonderland, Sunday, January 4 at 1:30 p.m. Learn about the wintertime habits of White-tailed Deer and other forest creatures. Please dress for the weather and meet at the entrance to the Tulip Tree Trail.

Sandbanks

Located near Picton, this park offers winter getaways with the opportunity to stay in two luxurious accommodations: a cozy cottage or a heritage house. Enjoy snowshoeing in the campgrounds or cross-country skiing along 10 km of groomed trails. Warm up along the way at a rustic cabin with a wood stove and hot plate.

Silent Lake

This quiet park sits amidst rugged terrain on Highway 28, about 24 km south of Bancroft. Choose from a range of winter activities that includes ice fishing, and snowshoeing or cross-country skiing on over 40 km groomed trails that start and finish at the same parking lot. There are four colour-coded loops that vary from 2.5 km to 19 km long and are graded for novice to experienced skiers. An 8 km non-groomed trail has been created especially for skate-skiing.

Skiers can warm up at huts along the trails. Each hut has a stove and a stock of firewood.

The winter season at Silent Lake runs from December 1 to March 31, weather permitting.

CENTRAL ONTARIO

Algonquin

Algonquin is just as exciting to visit in the winter as it is in the summer.   There are many activities available to the outdoor enthusiast to be enjoyed in the quiet solitude of Algonquin's vast winter landscape.

The park has three trail networks specially designed for cross-country skiing that range from easy to difficult, with over 20 km of skate-skiing trails.   For those with the competitive spirit, the annual Algonquin Park Ski Marathon and Loppet is held during the first weekend of February.

There are also dogsledding opportunities offered by commercial operators, and available at two locations in the park. Snowshoeing enthusiasts can go virtually anywhere (except the ski trails).

From January through March 7, the Algonquin Visitor Centre is open weekends from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and daily during the Christmas and March Breaks. Highway 60 is plowed and sanded all winter and many hiking trails are available for the cold weather visitor.

Information on fees and ski trail conditions is available by calling the park's Information Office from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily at (705) 633-5572; by visiting the Friends of Algonquin web site which you can link to from the Algonquin web page; or by calling the park's Administrative Office at (613) 637-2780 for recorded winter information.

Arrowhead

Located in the heart of the Muskoka snow belt, Arrowhead offers numerous traditional winter recreational activities.

Cross-country ski on 23 km of classic ski trails and 14 km of ski skating trails that range from beginner to expert. There are over 8 km of marked snowshoe trails, with more to come. Zoom down the tubing hill! The park has inner tubes and plastic carpets for your use, or bring your own. Warm up in one of two heated shelters or just have lunch. Arrowhead's outdoor skating rink is situated with Mayflower Lake as its backdrop. Put your boots on and go for a hike down to Stubb's Falls or to Big Bend.

Come out to the Muskoka Loppet on January 11, 2004; brought to you by the Arrowhead Nordic Ski Club. More information on this and other club events can be found at ww w .arrowheadnordic.ca

Awenda

Awenda, located on a peninsula in Georgian Bay in the Midland-Penetanguishene area, is open for day-use from December to March.   The park offers 27 km of groomed and track set trails, radiating from a cozy, wood-heated log cabin. Although there are no designated snowshoe trails, snowshoeing is popular in the park's many hectares of forest. So pack a lunch, grab your skis or snowshoes, and get out and challenge yourself to some fantastic winter recreation!

Killbear

Enjoy unlimited hiking and snowshoeing possibilities in this Central Ontario park.   Discover the park by cross-country skiing and creating your own trails.   Gather a group for a winter outing and rent the lodge which accommodates up to 32 people.

Springwater

Springwater, located just north of Barrie and only a 60-minute drive from the GTA, is a wonderful place to spend a quiet winter's day with nature. Take an hour or the entire day to go cross-country skiing on one, or all, of three groomed and track set trails. These trails will take you through scenic mixed forest, red and white pine plantations, and open fields. Try snowshoeing on a 1.5 km trail specifically designed for this activity. The trail will take you through a grove of towering pine trees inaccessible during the summer months. Another 1.5 km trail is maintained for those on foot.

Rent one of two cabins to add comfort to your winter picnic. Each cabin is heated with a wood stove. Cabins can be rented for only $25 a day. For more details about Springwater's cabin rentals, call the park at (705) 728-7393.

The park's winter facilities also include a large playground for children, cleared foot and wheelchair access, plenty of parking, and heated handicapped accessible washrooms.

Springwater is open every day, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. throughout the winter (including Christmas and New Year's Day). Call the Park Office at (705) 728-7393 for details, directions and vehicle fees.

Wasaga Beach

With 30 km of trails, Wasaga Beach offers some of the most exciting nordic ski terrain in Central Ontario. Expert skiers are challenged on the groomed and track set High Dunes Trail, or you may choose a more leisurely ski on the Blueberry Plains Trail. Snowshoe and other ski trails can be found in the Dunes Area of the park. Groomed ski trails are available from mid-December to late March, weather dependent. Trails are designed to accommodate various ski techniques and all levels of expertise.

The Blueberry Nordic Centre offers modern equipment rentals, light refreshments, a warm-up shelter, and outback ski shelters to warm up a lunch on a crisp winter's day. A quiet skier will be rewarded with wildlife viewing as White-tailed Deer and winter birds are abundant. Special events hosted at the facility include Dog Sled Races, Loppet Ski Races, Moonlight Skiing and a Jack Rabbit Program for youth.

Call the Trail Centre at (705) 429-0943 for trail conditions, rental and ski rates, and general winter program information. For other inquiries contact the Park Office at (705) 429-2516.

NORTHERN ONTARIO

Blue Lake

Explore this popular recreational park northwest of Dryden. Enjoy wildlife viewing while hiking, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing in the park. Gather a group and rent the staff house. Go ice fishing or snowmobiling. To visit the park in the winter, call park staff in advance at (807) 223-7535.

Kakabeka Falls

The viewing areas at Kakabeka Falls are open all year. The main parking lot and viewing pods (on the highway side) are cleared of snow during the winter months.

Kakabeka Falls has a total of 13 km of cross country ski trails, groomed for both classic and skate skiing. Ski trails are rated at a beginner to intermediate level, with rolling topography and some nice vistas of the river gorge. For ski trail conditions call (807) 625-5075.

The Trans Provincial Snowmobile Trail also passes through the park.

Kettle Lakes

It's a convenient stop on the way to Cochrane, where people catch the Polar Bear Express to Moosonee. This recreation park is just 40 km east of Timmins, has 22 small lakes, and is an ideal location for snowshoeing, ice fishing and cross-country skiing. The park maintains an extensive cross-country ski trail network. Trails are well groomed and track set regularly, passing through the park's forest of poplar and Jack pine with views of many steep-sided kettle lakes.

Quetico

Quetico is being used more and more for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and ice fishing. There are no groomed trails in the park, and snowmobiles are prohibited. Choose this Northwestern Ontario park for winter sleep-outs. Quetico offers two yurts for rent.

Sleeping Giant

Sleeping Giant offers 50 km of groomed cross-country ski trails for both classic and skate skiing. Trails vary in length and difficulty providing ample opportunities for both novice and expert skiers.

Each winter Sleeping Giant hosts the Sibley Ski Tour , Northwestern Ontario's premier cross-country ski event attracting close to a thousand participants. Families and recreational skiers will find the 10 and 20 km events a challenge, while the competitive skier will relish tackling the 50 km event. Enjoy the ambience of the Visitor Centre, where you can sit in front of the fireplace or warm up with a cup of hot chocolate. This event is organized by members of the Sibley Ski Tour. Trails are groomed by the Thunder Bay Nordic Trails Association. For up-to-date information on snow conditions call the Snow Line at (807) 625-5075. For up to date information on the Sibley Ski Tour visit http://www.nordictrails-tb.on.ca/sibleytour.htm

The Friends of Sleeping Giant will host their Winter Open House and Silver Sled Dog Sled Race on Saturday February 14, 2004. Two spectacular winter events in a single day! Participate in a wide range of winter activities and view the fifth annual 20-km Silver Dog Sled race. Warm up in the Visitor Centre. The Friends of Sleeping Giant, who sponsor and organize this annual event, will provide hot food and beverages. For more information about the dog sled race please call (807) 857-2464.

Contributed by: Reena Besa, Public Relations Assistant, Ontario Parks