Skip the Room Service & go Camping at Awenda one of Ontario's Provincial Parks

I love to get outdoors and go camping with family and friends. There's something about transporting tonnes of gear to the boonies just to enjoy fresh air and a roaring campfire that makes me smile! Depending on who's included, a camping excursion could range from roughing it with no amenties to deluxe with bathrooms and power. For the most part I prefer to rough it yet with little kids in tow this isn't the easiest task nor always the sanest option ;)

When our kids were younger we made a point of taking one whole summer to visit all of the provincial campgrounds within a two hour radius. We had such an amazing summer with a few camping mini drama's on the side but that's par for the course anytime one attempts to escape 'reality'.

If you haven't already discovered Ontario Provincial Parks has a website where you can view every campground within the province. You can then make online reservations in advance which is incredibly helpful. It's easy to do and sometimes the only chance you may have of securing a spot! Check out the birds eye view of each campground ie; the washrooms, playgrounds, water, garbage, firewood, parking, beaches etc. then pick your ideal spot according to your needs.

The first camping spot we chose was Awenda Provincial Park located in Pentetanguishene, Ontario. With camping gear in check we headed off to nature's paradise... the shores of Georgian Bay overlooking the island known as Giant's Tomb!

Awenda was beautiful and I felt as though I had been transported back to British Columbia (where I'm from). The forest cover was incredibly lush, thick and green and the hills well, that leads me to a little story FYI...

Once settled we figured we'd head down to the water and be back up by dark. So, off we went and went ...it was the longest 'shortcut' we'd been on in awhile, or so we thought ;) Georgian Bay was stunning and the beach was perfect as you can see below our feet. But, downhill there means up hill to get back! Only this time we took the road...the second longest 'shortcut'! ...about 2 hours later we finally reached our campsite, the kids went to bed without a second thought and we hit the cooler for bevies and munchies. That's when we discovered our gigantic bag of M&M's (cracked open earlier and not put away) was now empty and jammed in to the bushes. Hmm, sneaky racoons! Beside's a few silly oversights on our part Awenda was a gorgeous place to camp and I'd recommend it to all nature lovers.

General camping tips...

- Read the map (more accurately than we did ;) or take the car first!
- Do bring enough water to accommodate little 'shortcuts'
- Don't leave food out for the critters, oops!
- Dress appropriately, it can get cool once the sun drops.

While camping at Awenda we did find Poison Ivy within the dry, grassy sand dune areas down at the beach. Stay on the trails or on the sand, don't wander into the bushes or off the beaten path.


Awenda Provincial Park
Phone # 705-549-2231
Penetanguishene, Ontario