Where to camp when your fave park is already full

Did you know over 50% of reservations made by the end of March are for our five most popular parks (Bon Echo, Algonquin, Sandbanks, Killbear, Pinery)?

If you can’t get a campsite at one of these parks, we’ve got some suggestions we’re sure you’ll love…

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Sudbury rocks for fall hiking!

September is one of the best times of the year to get out into nature and hike!

Most of the month of September is still technically summer. While usually cooler on average than August, it’s still warm and often without the humidity. Not to mention, bugs are just a distant memory!

The Sudbury region is rich with opportunities to get outside and enjoy nature as summer winds down.

Eight provincial parks within an hour’s drive of Sudbury, six of which are open after the September long weekend. Each one has its own character and set of recreational opportunities.

Here is a selection of parks and trails to consider if you live, are staying in town, or camping in the Sudbury area this September:

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Turtles: the ultimate survivors

In today’s post, Discovery Leader Olivia Bennett discusses turtles’ impact on Grundy Lake Provincial Park — and vice versa!

When I first started working at Grundy Lake, I was talking turtles with our park superintendent when someone asked, “Why do you care so much about turtles here?”

The answer is simple: while the park boasts a healthy turtle population and quality habitat, other areas are not so lucky.

This is only the beginning of why we should all care about turtles.

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It’s aster season!

Today’s post comes to us from Discovery Program Specialist Dave Sproule.

Around the middle of August, Ontario’s landscape starts to change colour. A bit of gold here, swaths of white there, and even a touch of purple in places. No, it’s not fall yet, although the odd maple tree may think so. It’s actually the “second flowering of summer,” and it lasts well into the autumn.

While many of the flowering plants in the landscape have quit for the season, the asters and goldenrods are just getting going.
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Square bashes with the Breeding Bird Atlas

Today’s post comes from Anna Sheppard, an Assistant Ecologist for Ontario Parks’ Northeast Zone.

I am admittedly not a morning person by nature — if I had it my way, I would sleep in every single day!

But I am passionate about birds, and for just a couple of months each year I’m willing to roll out of bed at 5:00 a.m. in support of the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas.

This past June, I joined a small crew of volunteers who were up at dawn for several days at both Grundy Lake Provincial Park and Mikisew Provincial Park to count birds for the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas.

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5 reasons to visit Grundy Lake Provincial Park

Grundy Lake Provincial Park is one of those places you have to experience in person.

It sounds nice on paper — scenic lakes, sandy beaches, tall pine forests, and lots of great campsites.

But when you start to explore, those features come to life. This is a park that’s more than the sum of its parts.

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A trip down the Pakeshkag River at Grundy Lake Provincial Park

Today’s post comes from Sonje Bols, a former naturalist at Grundy Lake Provincial Park.

Part of a park naturalist’s job is to familiarize themselves with the natural and cultural wonders of their park through exploration.

Whether it’s hanging out at bogs to catch and identify dragonflies, checking rocks for snakes, or canoeing along Indigenous canoe routes, naturalists set out to observe and explore every inch of their parks so they can bring that knowledge and experience to park visitors and managers.

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Turtle eggs and salamander spawn: spring monitoring at Grundy Lake

Today’s article comes from Emily Wright, Discovery Program Leader at Grundy Lake Provincial Park.

Spring at Grundy Lake is a quiet time of year. The lake waters are cold from the melting snow and ice, birds are just starting to arrive from their long migrations, and visitors are few and far between.

Park staff, however, are often busy and bustling about as they begin to prepare for another season of campers.

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Together, we’re protecting our turtles

We’re doing it!

We’re helping more and more turtles in our provincial parks with the support of our incredible donors.

Over the past several months, we have collected donations for our Turtle Protection Projects across Ontario.

We are thrilled to report that many of these projects are well underway. Our park staff are working hard to protect and monitor nesting turtles and their hatchlings.

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201.9 fm Learn to Camp: we’ve been everywhere, man

You are tuning in to the 201.9 fm Learn to Camp station. We will be your disc jockeys for this blog, and will be playing some of the sweet, sweet sounds of summer.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy reading about the “sites” and scenes of our Learn to Camp season!

Continue reading 201.9 fm Learn to Camp: we’ve been everywhere, man