Oastler Lake Provincial Park is about 5 km from Parry Sound, Ontario.
Site Review:
Oastler Lake Provincial Park is part of the Ontario Parks system of recreation parks. It is a relatively small park with a total of 140 sites. Half offer electric hook-up and of these, 22 of them are near the beach. The sites while close together can accommodate bigger rigs. We had site #6 in the Beachside section.
This was a level site, but the sites in the Hardwood Hill and Point areas are extremely hilly and uneven.
A couple things to note about camping at Oastler Lake Provincial Park:
- The park’s proximity to Oastler Park Dr. This is a secondary highway that leads directly into the town of Parry Sound. You can clearly hear traffic noise within the park.
- There are railway tracks that run close to the park. There are frequent trains. I personally heard trains as late as midnight and as early as 7 am during our weekend stay.
There is one comfort station with flush toilets and hot showers that services the entire campground. There are vault toilets located at various locations.
Activities:
Boating:
Oastler Lake is a small inland lake and is suitable for small boats less than 20ft long. There is a boat launch and docking facilities.
The lake does not connect to nearby Georgian Bay.
Canoeing/Kayaking:
Oastler is a great lake for personal watercraft use. You can rent pedal boats, canoes, 2 person kayaks as well as SUP boards. Each watercraft rented requires a $100 credit card deposit. Life jackets, paddles, bailing buckets, heaving lines and safety whistles are included in the rental price.
Fishing:
Summer is the best time to fish for Rainbow Trout, Pike and Bass. You can fish from a boat or from the dock at the boat launch.
All anglers age 18-64 require a fishing licence. You cannot purchase licences at Ontario Provincial Parks. The nearest place to purchase one is at the Canadian Tire store in nearby Parry Sound.
Swimming:
There is a sandy beach with an area marked off with buoy lines for swimming. It is close to the campsites in the Beachside section.
Parry Sound:
Parry Sound is a picturesque town located less than 5 km away on the shores of Georgian Bay. It is definitely worth a visit when staying at Oastler.
Boat Cruise Tours:
A popular tour company is Island Queen Cruise. Enjoy a captain’s-eye view of Georgian Bay’s 30,000 Islands Biosphere Reserve aboard the 550-passenger Island Queen. There are a variety of cruise options and tickets can be purchased from the Island Queen Cruise location a 9 Bay St.
Bobby Orr Hall of Fame:
The Bobby Orr Hall of Fame is an interactive sports museum paying tribute to home-town hockey legend, Bobby Orr. The many exhibits include Orr’s NHL rings, a number of his trophies and awards, a pictorial history of his career and interactive games and activities that let you test your own hockey skills. It is located in Charles W. Stockey Centre for the Performing Arts near the waterfront. 
There is ample parking in this area- even for the larger units. The parking lot area affords access to the Island Queen Cruises, the Bobby Orr museum, as well as all other waterfront activities.
Biking:
There is not much biking at Oastler, but it is an easy 5 km ride into Parry Sound. From there you can access the Fitness Trail. This is a 6 km multi-use waterfront trail along Georgian Bay.
Hiking:
There are no designated hiking trails within Oastler Lake Provincial Park.
Things to Know:
- You can purchase ice and wood at the park office.
- Parry Sound has all other shopping options including a Walmart, fast food restaurants and grocery stores.
- Leashed pets are allowed.
- Traffic and train noise within the campground is an issue.
- This is bear country. Know how to bear-proof your site to discourage any unwanted visitors. The park office will happily provide you with information to do this.
IMO:
I actually did sort of like Oastler Lake Provincial Park. I liked that it’s small and I liked its proximity to Parry Sound. In that respect, it is a perfect “lodging only” park. The lake is nice for some recreational paddling and swimming. However, given how close you are to Georgian Bay and yet not be able to access it from here makes me wonder why you would choose to camp here instead of nearby Killbear Provincial Park (which is located only a half hour down the road).
It is true that sometimes the lesser known park is overshadowed by its nearby popular neighbour and people miss out on a hidden gem. That is not the case here. Oastler Lake Provincial Park is loud and without much in the way of activities. Killbear is much better.
