Awenda Provincial Park is located near Penetanguishene on the shores of Georgian Bay in Ontario.

Site Review:

Awenda Provincial Park has 333 campsites in 6 campground areas.

• Turtle– tent (non-hydro) with laundry facilities.
• Deer– radio free (non-hydro)
• Hawk– hydro and non-hydro sites as well as laundry facilities
• Wolf– all hydro sites
• Bear– radio free (non-hydro) with laundry facilities
• Snake– radio and pet free (non-hydro)

All sites in all of the campgrounds at Awenda Provincial Park are in a forest setting. Most are large, private and have good spacing.

There are no open spaces. Cell/internet service is generally not available (I was able to get some spotty service down by the lake).

Due to the size and layout of the sites, the hydro posts may be quite far away. It is advisable to bring extra extension cords if you are utilizing a hydro site.

We had site 269 in Wolf campground when we visited and required about 80 ft of extension cord to hook up to the hydro outlet.

The comfort stations are the standard you typically find in provincial parks. They have flush toilets and showers.

Activities:

Beach/Swimming:

There are 4 beach areas along the Georgian Bay shoreline suitable for swimming. 1st Beach is the largest and is the closest to parking.

You will likely choose to drive to the beach here. You can walk to the beach from the campground areas using the Bluff Trail. This will take you a minimum of 45 minutes and that’s if you are joining the trail from Wolf campground. If you are coming from Hawk or Turtle campgrounds it will be much longer.

The Bluff Trail does allow bicycles. However, as you get near the beach area you will have to join the Nipissing Trail in order to descend the 32m down the face of the Nipissing Bluff. There is a 155 step staircase. Bicycles are not permitted.

You could ride your bike to the beach area using the campground roads but there is a VERY steep hill. I wouldn’t recommend it for the casual cyclist or for small children. Cars travel this road and there are blind curves. The speed you could reach descending would require some experienced control.

The beach is mostly soft sand and even though there are large rocks interspersed along the shoreline I was surprised that the beach sand was not rockier.

I would still recommend water shoes. There are no lifeguards. Pets are allowed at the pet beach only.

Hiking:

There is 29 km of marked hiking trails ranging from the easy Beach Trail ( a linear one-way trail that allows the hiker to walk beside Georgian Bay to each of the parks 4 beaches).

To the more difficult Robitaille Homestead Trail with its steep 60m incline that takes you to an ancient sand dune.

Biking:

Biking is permitted on

• Beach Trail
• Bluff Trail
• Brule Trail

as well as on the campground roads.

For the cycling enthusiast, you can bike into the nearby town of Penetanguishene where you can then connect with numerous trails.

Stop at the Tourist Information Centre in Penetanguishene and pick up a route map for all the trails in the area.

Penetanguishene:

The town of Penetanguishene is right in the heart of Georgian Bay and only about 15 km from Awenda Provincial Park. It is a nice place for a day trip.

Cruise the 30,000 Islands:

The Georgian Queen explores sites along the Bay and various trips can be accessed from the dock located at the end of Main St. 

There is a large parking lot that can accommodate big rigs. This is also where you will find the Tourist Information Centre as well as the “World Famous Dock Lunch” restaurant where you can enjoy a snack bar lunch while looking out over Penetanguishene Harbour.

Discovery Harbour:

Discovery Harbour is a picturesque waterside historic site situated on beautiful Penetanguishene Bay. It tells the story of the British Naval and Military outpost and its role in the War of 1812. 

King’s Wharf Theatre:

Located in Penetanguishene (near Discovery Harbour) on the shore of Georgian Bay.  King’s Wharf Theatre is a summer theatre. It usually runs about 5 different productions from the beginning of June until the end of September. Check out kingswharftheatre.com for info on ticket pricing and schedules.

Things to Know:

1. Leashed pets are allowed in Ontario Provincial Parks.
2. Wood is available for purchase at the woodyard near the main gate.
3. There is a small camp store with some supplies and souvenirs. Nearby Penetanguishene can provide anything else you might need.
4. Canoe rentals are available from the end of June until Labour Day. They can be rented by the hour or half day and need to be secured with a credit card deposit. The rate is $10 per hour or $25 for 4 hours.
5. Awenda has a greater-than-average population of chipmunks. I don’t know why, but there are a lot of them. These little guys are cute and fun to watch but you are reminded not to feed them as this leads to dependence and negative behaviour.
6. If Awenda is full, and you want to camp at a park with a Georgian Bay beach, about 80 km away is Craigleith Provincial Park.
7. Poison Ivy is located throughout the park:

• Identified by its 3 pointed leaflets
• The centre leaflet has a larger stem than the 2 side leaflets
• The stem of the plant is woody at its base
• It loves sunny areas along the edges of woods, roads and beaches.
• Much of the vegetation at the beach edge includes Poison Ivy.
• You are advised to not wander off the trails.

IMO:

Awenda is a great park with the standard amenities typically found at Ontario Provincial Parks. 

The beach is rather far from the campground areas so it does make travelling around the park a little difficult but if you don’t mind driving there is plenty of parking available.

There is a lot to see and do in the surrounding area and Awenda is an ideal base to explore from. The lack of cell service might be a negative for some people but I didn’t mind. The reception is better near the beach.

If Awenda is full, and you want to camp at a park with a Georgian Bay beach, about 80 km away is Craigleith Provincial Park

I would definitely recommend Awenda Provincial Park as an RV Place to Go.