The best camping near Pinery Provincial Park

With 1,000 campsites near the Lake Huron shore, family-friendly Pinery Provincial Park is one of Ontario’s most popular destinations for campers. Set 230 kilometres from Toronto and 60 kilometres from the US-Canada border crossing near Sarnia, Michigan, the Pinery has 10 kilometres of beaches, with sand dunes above the lakeshore and hiking trails through the woods. You can swim, go biking or canoeing, or kayak along the Old Ausable River Channel. The Burley and Dunes Campgrounds are close to the lakeshore, while Riverside Campground (which also has a dozen yurts) abuts Old Ausable Channel. All have comfort stations with washrooms, showers, and laundry facilities.

• Best for camping near the lakeshore and beach: Dune Campground
• Best for quieter campers: Burley Campground
• Best for campers who want year-round adventure: Riverside Campground

1. Campers can book sites at the Pinery up to five months in advance through the Ontario Parks Reservations Service. Take that five-month window seriously if you hope to book for a summer weekend, since many sites fill as soon as they’re available. Mid-week dates are always easier to find, as are dates in spring and fall.
2. If you can’t secure a campsite, keep checking. People do sometimes cancel, and the sites will pop up in the reservations system again.
3. If there’s nothing open at The Pinery, try Point Farms Provincial Park, further north along the Lake Huron shore.

Pinery Provincial Park is open year-round. As a beach destination, the park is busiest in the summer, from June through Labour Day in early September, but the autumn months of September and October are a favorite time to visit, with a mix of cooler weather and fewer crowds. While springtime weather is more variable, you can snowshoe or cross-country ski along 40 kilometres of walking trails during the cold, snowy winter.

• The Pinery Park Store sells some groceries, camping supplies, and snacks. In the town of Grand Bend, less than 10 kilometres north of the park entrance, you’ll find grocery stores and other shops, where you can stock up on food or beach gear.
• Several wineries have opened north of The Pinery, so take time to taste your way through this emerging wine district.
• The park rents bikes for kids and adults, canoes, single and double kayaks, and paddle boats. On winter weekends, you can rent snowshoes or cross-country skis.
• The Pinery’s day-use beaches and picnic areas are separate from the camping areas, giving campers a little buffer from the beach-going hordes.