Earl Rowe Provincial Park is located just outside of Alliston, Ontario approximately an hour north of Toronto.

Earl Rowe Provincial Park is the closest provincial park to where we live. We decided on the spur of the moment to go camping because the weather forecast had turned quite favourable and we needed a quick camping fix.

What a hidden gem this park turned out to be.

Site Review:

There are some very good sites here. There are 2 main campground areas that have electric sites and can accommodate the larger RVs:

• Westside campground
• Riverside Campground

Each campground area has a dump station.

I found the electric sites in the Fletchers Field area in the Westside campground to be spacious and open. Whereas some of the electric sites in the Heydon Way area of the Riverside campground are more private.  Sites 82, 110, and 96 are a few examples of some excellent, large, flat, secluded sites.                                                                                                    site 74

There are no sites that are directly adjacent to Earl Rowe Lake, or the Boyne River. The Riverside campground area is a bit further from the lake and beach/swim areas than the Westside campground, but it is a comfortable walk and an even easier bike ride.

There are several comfort stations located throughout the park which is nice because sometimes provincial parks can be a bit stingy in that regard.

Activities:

Biking/Hiking:

There are numerous hiking/biking options at Earl Rowe Provincial Park. Nothing is particularly long, or strenuous. It probably wouldn’t appeal to an enthusiast so much, but it’s perfect for the camper who wants a nice walk around the lake on fairly level paths and doesn’t want to make a major time commitment.

Canoeing/Kayaking:

There are 2 main beach areas on Earl Rowe Lake. They rent canoes and paddle boats on the East Beach for use on the lake.

Fishing:

You can fish. They sell bait at the park store. Children under 18 and adults over 65 do not require a licence, but everyone else requires a valid Ontario Fishing Licence. These can be obtained online or in-person at Service Ontario Centres, as well as from licence issuers which are listed on the Service Ontario website.

In Alliston, a fishing licence can be obtained at the Canadian Tire Store at 110 Young St. They do not sell licences at provincial parks.

Swimming:

There is an acre-sized swimming/wading pool that can accommodate 1500 people. It resembles a manmade pond. There is an extra daily fee per person to use it (approx. $3). There are lifeguards on duty. The entire area is fenced in. The pool is located closer to West Beach and is just about as far away from the camping areas as possible. You can also swim at the beaches.

Things to Know:

1. There are 400 campsites in total. Car use is not really necessary to get around inside the park, but it might just be too big if you are trying to manage small children from the campgrounds to the various recreational areas.
2. There are a lot of Canada geese that frequent this park- more than you would normally expect to see. Efforts are made by park staff to keep the beaches tidy from their excrement, but this is a never-ending job given the number of geese.
3. Sometimes the bacteria levels are too high in the lake and it is closed for swimming. This could be due to the overall shallowness of the lake, lack of substantial current, or excessive rainfall. You should consider this if a major part of your camping experience involves swimming at the beach.
4. Earl Rowe almost always has availability, but should you find the park to be full you might consider Sibbald Point Provincial Park which is located less than an hour away.

IMO:

Earl Rowe Provincial Park is a great local park and perfect for a weekend getaway camping experience. I had read a reviewer’s comments about this park that essentially said: “There is nothing wrong with this park, it’s just that there is nothing special about it either.” While I don’t entirely agree with this assessment, I can appreciate it. What makes this park special is that you can feel that you are getting away from it all, and getting a nature boost to the system, while being less than 10 minutes away from all the creature comforts an urban centre affords.

I wouldn’t travel excessively and have this be my sole destination, but it fits the bill perfectly for those within a 2-hour drive radius, or those making a stop along their way. I would recommend Earl Rowe Provincial Park as an RV Place to Go.