Grundy Lake Provincial Park

Grundy Lake Provincial Park is located about halfway between Parry Sound and Sudbury in Ontario.

Site Review:

Grundy Lake Provincial Park is a large park with 9 different campground areas and access to several different lakes.

Trailer Campground:

• All sites have electric hook-up
• All sites are pull-thru
• Sites are large and basically level
• About 9 sites are lake facing
• Thin visual privacy between sites
• Beach on Gurd Lake

Poplar Campground:

• Mix of electric and non-electric sites
• Some nice waterfront sites though all of these are non-electric
• About a dozen pull-thru sites (which have better visual privacy between the sites than the pull-thru sites found in Trailer Campground)
• Nice beach on Gurd Lake (the nicest beach in the park)

Hemlock Campground:

• Radio free
• variety of sites (both electric and non-electric)
• no beach though close to Trailer Campground and the beach there

White Spruce Campground:

• Only campground on Gut Lake
• No electricity hook-up
• Smaller sites
• No beach
• Near the Jumping Rocks and the Day Use Area

Red Maple Campground:

• Radio free
• Pet Free
• All sites are non-electric
• Beach on Grundy Lake
• Near the slippery rocks

White Pine Campground:

• No beach though very close to Red Maple Campground and the beach there
• Some electric sites

Jack Pine Campground:

• No beach
• Shares a comfort station with White Birch Campground which ends up not being that close to many of the sites in either campground.
• Some of the sites at Jack Pine Campground are described on the Ontario Parks website as “adjacent to water”. What this means is that the sites with this description are overlooking the lake but have no actual access to the water.
• Both electric and non-electric sites
• The sites tend to be smaller and large equipment can’t be accommodated

White Birch Campground:

• Beach on Grundy Lake
• Shares a comfort station with Jack Pine Campground
• Has electric and non-electric sites
• Site #646 is one of the best sites in the park

Balsam Campground:

• Situated the furthest from the main hub of the park
• No flush toilets nearby
• The highway is across the lake from the campground and traffic sounds can be heard
• The campground is the only one situated on Clear Lake
• There is a beach
• All sites are non-electric
• Primarily for equipment 18ft or less

We have camped at Grundy Lake Provincial Park several times and usually stay in either Trailer or Poplar Campground but have also stayed at Hemlock campground.Site #235 in Trailer Campground

Typically we visit in May or early June and most of the park is still closed at that time and doesn’t fully open until later in June. So if you are considering a visit early in the season only Poplar, Trailer and Hemlock campgrounds will be open.

All sites have picnic tables and fire rings. Wood is available for sale.

There are only 3 comfort stations with flush toilets and free hot showers to accommodate the entire park. They are located centrally between the campground areas. Though it should be noted that many of the  Vault toilets (outhouses) that are available throughout the park are actually full flush toilets. The buildings from the outside look like typical Ontario Park outhouses but in fact are not. There are several in each campground area.

Activities:

Swimming:

There are 5 beaches including the main beach in the Day Use Area at Grundy Lake Provincial Park.

All are marked off with ropes and have sandy bottoms and gradual slope. There are no lifeguards.

There are many rock outcrops along the shores of the lakes with gradual slopes that lend themselves very nicely for swimming. Use a canoe or kayak to find one and enjoy your own private swimming spot for the afternoon.

Jumping Rocks:

The Jumping rocks are a popular spot on Gut Lake (though not an activity maintained by the park).

The cliffs vary in height from a few feet to the jump referred to as King Kong which is over 20 ft. There are some ropes attached to help you climb back up after you jump. Again since this is not an activity maintained by the park, the ropes have been put there by guests of the park. They could be old ropes and not suitable to hold the weight of a person- use caution. 

You can access the trail to the Jumping rocks from the White Spruce Campground located between sites #22 and #24.

Slippery Rock:

Another fun spot is Slippery Rock. This is a smooth granite rock shelf that gradually slopes into the water. It is covered in algae which makes it very slippery and fun to slide down. The rocks are so slippery you will need to use the rope to help you back out. Like the Jumping rocks, Slippery Rock is not an activity maintained by the park staff and you are advised to use caution.

Slippery Rock can be accessed from the Red Maple Campground between sites #414 and #416.

Boating:

There are no motorized boats allowed on any of the lakes at Grundy Lake Provincial Park.

Fishing:

Northern Pike, Panfish and Bass are the most popular. You will have to obtain an Ontario Fishing Licence prior to your arrival as Ontario Parks do not issue licences.

Biking:

There are no dedicated bike trails but you can bike on the campground roads.I biked the road out to Pakeshkag Lake.  It’s a linear trail about 2.7 km each way.

Hiking:

There are 3 hiking trails in the park:

1. Gut Lake Trail (2.5 km moderate difficulty)
2. Swan Lake Trail (1.5 km loop with moderate difficulty)
3. Beaver Dams Trail (3.6 km moderate difficulty)

Canoeing/Kayaking:

The activity I particularly like at Grundy Lake Provincial Park is the canoeing/ kayaking. We have two small recreational kayaks that are about 8ft long and are perfect for small lake use. There is a short portage to between Gurd and Gut Lakes- it’s about 190 metres. The path is wide and not difficult.There is also a creek (Nisbit Creek) that connects Grundy Lake to Gut Lake, a fun little paddle.

How to Rent a Canoe for Grundy Use:

1. You need to go out of the park to the Grundy Lake Supply Post. This is a private business and not directly affiliated with the provincial park. You can visit their website, drive there and inquire directly, or just ride your bike.
2. They deliver the canoe to your campsite between 4pm-5pm so plan in advance before you want to set out. 
3. They will also return and pick it up from your campsite when you are finished.

Discovery Centre/ Amphitheatre:

The naturalists at Grundy Lake Provincial Park run some very interesting nature and discovery programs in the summer that can be enjoyed at the outdoor amphitheatre.

French River Provincial Park:

If you wanted to venture out from Grundy Lake Provincial Park to explore the area a little bit, you could head north up the Trans Canada Highway (Highway 69) about 10 km and visit French River Provincial Park. There is a small Visitor Centre and some scenic trails to hike. Admission is free with your Grundy Lake park permit. There is no camping at French River Provincial Park it’s a Day Use park only. 

Sudbury:

If you wanted to venture out even further and take a nice day trip you could travel to Sudbury which is about 80 km from the park. There you could tour a mine 7 stories underground, explore Science North, and of course, see the famous Big Nickle.

Things to Know:

• Even though there are over 550 campsites you don’t feel crowded.
• There are 3 comfort stations with showers for the entire park. For many sites that will probably require you to drive to the nearest one.
• The main gate is also quite a distance from some of the campsites. For us, who had forgotten to get firewood on the way in, it meant either unplugging and packing up the motorhome to drive the 4 km round trip or walking to the main gate and borrowing a wagon to transport the wood back.
• No rentals of any kind are available. Instead, there is a close affiliation with Grundy Lake Supply Post located directly outside the park entrance where arrangements for rentals can be made for kayaks, canoes, SUPs and even bicycles
• There are a couple of dog exercise areas with beaches
• Bears are frequently spotted within the park
• If Grundy Lake is full, nearby is Sturgeon Bay Provincial Park (about 30 minutes away) 

IMO:

Grundy Lake Provincial Park is a great park and I would definitely recommend it for whatever equipment you are camping with. 

There are 9 backcountry sites and some simple canoe routes that are perfect for the novice. 

Grundy Lake Provincial Park is one of my favourite Ontario Provincial Parks. I definitely recommend it as an RV Place to Go!