Notable Campgrounds
- Best for family-friendly camping: George Lake Campground is a car-camping area with washrooms and showers.
- Best for tent campers: Blue Heron Circle at George Lake Campground
- Best for backcountry camping by canoe: Killarney’s 183 backcountry wilderness sites
Tips for Snagging a Campsite Reservation
- Reserve campsites in Killarney Provincial Park up to five months in advance through Ontario Parks online reservations service. And book early! Since this is one of Ontario’s most-visited parks, the year-round car-camping sites and yurts at George Lake Campground fill up early, as do the backcountry sites reachable on foot or by canoe.
- Hikers can reserve specific campsites along the La Cloche Silhouette hiking trail. Paddlers reserve a particular zone or lake area to camp in each night, but the specific campsites within that area are first-come, first-served.
- George Lake Campground becomes a walk-in area from late November until early May, when campers haul gear to their sites or yurts on park-provided toboggans.
When to Go
With mild days and crisp nights when the trees turn red and gold, September and October are the best months to visit Killarney Provincial Park. July and August are warmer, though normally more crowded, especially on weekends. In spring and early summer, mosquitoes and black flies can be fierce—come prepared with repellent and protective clothing. The park and George Lake Campground stay open year-round for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and camping, although washrooms close in winter.
Know Before You Go
- From the Trans-Canada Highway (Hwy 69), it’s 67 kilometres to Killarney Provincial Park along Highway 637, which has a gas station but limited services.
- The tiny town of Killarney has a general store, a couple of pubs, and a legendary fish ‘n’ chips stand. For a broader selection of groceries, shop in Parry Sound to the south or Sudbury to the north.
- Near the park entrance, Killarney Outfitters stocks camping gear, rents kayaks and canoes, and offers trip-planning and outfitting services. Other Ontario outfitters can organize multi-day backcountry canoeing trips or backpacking adventures as well. The Friends of Killarney Park sell detailed maps of hiking trails and canoe routes for backcountry trip planning.
Killarney Provincial Park
Camp, hike, and paddle amid distinctive pink granite rocks in this forested park.
The early 20th-century Canadian landscape artists known as the Group of Seven captured the wind-swept pines, granite ridges, and white quartzite peaks of the La Cloche Mountains across this region, and if you trek the hiking trails or go paddling across the lakes of Killarney Provincial Park, you’ll see why. Set along Georgian Bay, Killarney is one of Ontario’s most striking outdoor destinations and one of its most-visited provincial parks. Day-hike “The Crack” for awesome views, check out the pink granite along the Chikanishing Trail, plan a backpacking adventure on the 80-kilometer La Cloche Silhouette Trail, go canoeing on Bell Lake, or follow canoe routes into the backcountry.
The early 20th-century Canadian landscape artists known as the Group of Seven captured the wind-swept pines, granite ridges, and white quartzite peaks of the La Cloche Mountains across this region, and if you trek the hiking trails or go paddling across the lakes of Killarney Provincial Park, you’ll see why. Set along Georgian Bay, Killarney is one of Ontario’s most striking outdoor destinations and one of its most-visited provincial parks. Day-hike “The Crack” for awesome views, check out the pink granite along the Chikanishing Trail, plan a backpacking adventure on the 80-kilometer La Cloche Silhouette Trail, go canoeing on Bell Lake, or follow canoe routes into the backcountry.
Notable Campgrounds
- Best for family-friendly camping: George Lake Campground is a car-camping area with washrooms and showers.
- Best for tent campers: Blue Heron Circle at George Lake Campground
- Best for backcountry camping by canoe: Killarney’s 183 backcountry wilderness sites
Read more...Notable Campgrounds
Tips for Snagging a Campsite Reservation
When to Go
With mild days and crisp nights when the trees turn red and gold, September and October are the best months to visit Killarney Provincial Park. July and August are warmer, though normally more crowded, especially on weekends. In spring and early summer, mosquitoes and black flies can be fierce—come prepared with repellent and protective clothing. The park and George Lake Campground stay open year-round for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and camping, although washrooms close in winter.
Know Before You Go