Mikisew Provincial Park is located north of Huntsville and south of North Bay in Ontario.
Mikisew is Ojibwe for eagle and Mikisew Provincial Park is situated on Eagle Lake a short drive west of the town of South River.
Site Review:
There are approximately 300 sites at Mikisew Provincial Park. This is not large by Ontario Parks standards. The park though is spread out giving it a roomy comfortable feel.
There are 2 campground areas:
- Hardwoods Campground
- Pines Campground
Both campgrounds are about the same size. Each has a comfort station with flush toilets, free showers with hot water and laundry facilities.
Hardwoods Campground:
- Has both electric and non-electric sites
- Has better access to the beaches
- The forest area where the sites are located has both coniferous and deciduous trees which provide more visual privacy between the sites because you get more bush undergrowth
Pines Campground:
- The sites are all in a forest setting
- The trees are all Red Pines planted in straight rows that while offering a majestic canopy effect there is not much privacy between the sites
- Has both electric and non-electric sites
We had site #148 in the Hardwoods Campground.
This site is a pull-thru site with minimal pad slope. It is one of the longest sites in the park at 40m long. It is a short walk to both the comfort station and the beach. Privacy is very good. I would stay on this site again.
Activities:
Biking:
There are no designated trails for biking within the park. You can bike on the campground roads but they are mostly hilly and dirt-packed and not really that great for biking. The road outside of the park is paved and not very busy.
You can also access a dirt road from the park 
that will take you approximately 2 km from the park to The Narrows where you will find a country store.
It’s a short comfortable bike ride.
Hiking:
The trails are designed to interconnect so they can be combined into one continuous 5.4 km hike or enjoyed individually.
Maple CanyonTrail (2.3 km- 45 minutes)
Rock outcrops and a changing forest are the significant features of this trail. Nice forest walk.
Beaver Meadow Trail (2km- 40 minutes)
The trail loops around an open beaver wetland. Nice view of the beaver pond from the bridge.
Old Dog Trail (800m – 15 minutes)
A short hike that connects to the trailhead of the Beaver Meadow and Maple Canyon Trails. Another nice pond view.
Lakeview Trail: (300m- 10 minutes)
A short trail along the shoreline of Eagle Lake. The trail has some great lakeside views and is close to both campgrounds.
Canoe/Kayak/SUP:
Eagle Lake is shared amongst cottagers, year-round residents as well as the campers at the park. The perimeter of the lake is about 45 km (28 miles) and has an average depth of about 6 m (20 feet). It is dotted with several islands and rocky shoals. I did not find the lake to be busy with boat traffic and in fact, was a very nice lake to paddle around.
The park does not rent canoes and kayaks (it does rent the SUP boards). Rentals for the canoes and kayaks can be arranged through the Eagle Lake Narrows Country Store.
Boating:
There is a boat launch in the park suitable for small boats.
You can also rent motorboats from Eagle Lake Narrows Country Store for use on the lake.
Fishing:
Fishing for Small and Large Mouth Bass, Walleye, Perch and Northern Pike is popular. You will require an Ontario Fishing Licence which needs to be obtained prior to coming to the park. Ontario Parks does not issue fishing licences.
There really isn’t a good spot to fish from shore at the park. Though some did try from the dock at the boat launch.
Swimming:
Mikisew has 3 sand beaches for swimming:
North Beach
Centre Beach
Both of these beaches are located in the Hardwoods Campground.
Day Use Beach
All of the beaches are roped off and have a very shallow slope. There are no lifeguards.
Disc Golf:
I don’t know very much about disc golf. It is not an activity that very many provincial parks have. Certainly looks like it could be challenging. You can borrow the discs from the gatehouse.
Volleyball/ Basketball and Horseshoes:
The gatehouse has equipment that you can borrow.
Things to Know:
- Mikisew Provincial Park, like all Ontario Parks, is pet friendly. In fact, they have one of the nicest pet beaches and enclosed off-leash areas that I have seen at an Ontario Park. I know my dog enjoyed it.
- There is no store at Mikisew but a short distance (less than 2km) from the park is Eagle Lake Narrows Country Store.
which is well stocked with any forgotten items.
- The only hook-up offered is electrical service.
- There is an easily accessible trailer sanitation dump station.
IMO:
Mikisew Provincial Park is a nice park for the typical Ontario Parks family camping experience. There are many large sites to choose from. The beaches are sandy and the trails are picturesque. I don’t usually like it when provincial parks are on a shared lake with cottagers. Boat traffic and noise can sometimes be an issue. Restoule Provincial Park and Arrowhead Provincial Park are within an hour driving distance if you are looking for a park on an unshared lake. At Mikisew though, Eagle Lake seems to have enough room for everyone. I would definitely recommend Mikisew Provincial Park as an RV Place to Go.