Fall is almost here again – time to think about prime leaf-viewing locations!

Awenda Provincial Park is a truly amazing provincial park. It has it all. Stunning shoreline, beaches, hiking trails, canoeing and large, private campsites.
It is located on Georgian Bay, near Penetanguishene and Midland.

Our Experience
We stayed one night in Snake campground, site 277 on Thanksgiving weekend, 2014. We chose Snake because it was radio-free. It is also a dog-free campground.
I was impressed with the sites. All the ones I saw were large, well-treed and private. We chose one with a “good” privacy rating. At Awenda, they really mean it! Though I think even a rating of “poor” at Awenda wouldn’t be too bad! The only bad thing about the site was the acorns. Thousands of acorns covered our entire site. We had a few tumbles before perfecting “The Acorn Shuffle”. It took awhile clearing space for the tent and walking paths. I suggest bringing a rake, if camping in the fall.
The park is large and sprawling. Which is great, but be prepared to drive within the park. I didn’t mind, but I could see how this may be more of a hassle in the future if we stay for more than a couple nights, or camp in the summer and plan on hitting the beach every day.
Recreation
There are seven trails, all of them rated easy or moderate. We did the Beach Trail and the Beaver Pond Trail with our 2 kids, aged 4 and 6. Both were wonderful and great for kids. Beaver Pond Trail is pretty much all boardwalk, rather pretty and informative. Great easy stroll with kids. It is rated easy and is a 1 km loop. The other trails look fantastic. I’m particularly looking forward to hiking the Bluff trail with its scenic views of Georgian Bay from the high bluffs. It is a 13 km loop, rated moderate.

I am also looking forward to renting a canoe and paddling around Kettle’s Lake. We spent some time by the look-out there. The fall colour was beautiful and I wished we had more time to explore the area. There are no motor boats allowed on the lake and it is so peaceful. Next time!
The closest boat launch to access Georgian Bay is in nearby Penetanguishene.
Awenda Provincial Park is open for day use only during the winter. With 17 km of cross country ski trails, I’m sure it is a delight for those who live close enough to explore the ski trails!

I just came back from Awenda and it was lovely. I ended up at site 283 just up from the one you were at and I totally agree that the sites are great. If you have the flexibility to stay an extra night do it. There were only four sites occupied in Snake for Sunday afternoon and evening so it was extra quiet to listen to the bird chorus. For such a dry spring the Mosquitos were out in force though. I’ve been enjoying your blog and thought you might like to know that I picked awenda based on your blog entry as I had never heard of it before.
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Thanks, Bobbi – I’m happy you’re enjoying the blog! Too bad about the mosquitos, but glad you liked the park. Definitely one of the best campgrounds we’ve been to and will make a point to stay longer next time 🙂
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