Sibbald Point Provincial Park

Sibbald Point Provincial Park is located near the town of Sutton on the shore of Lake Simcoe in Ontario. Sibbald Point Provincial Park was opened in 1957. It is a popular destination for weekenders and daytrippers. It welcomes approximately 500,000 guests each year and is one of Ontario’s busiest parks.

Site Review

There are over 600 sites at Sibbald Point that are divided into 2 main campground areas:

• East Campground
• West Campground

All of the sites in the East campground are non-electric and all of the sites in the West campground are serviced with electricity. Ontario provincial parks only provide electric service- there are no sites with water or sewer hookups.

Both campgrounds are situated in a forest setting. There is no discernable difference in the quality of the sites between the two campground areas.

East Campground

West Campground

There are radio-free areas in both campgrounds:

• Sites #402-586 in West Campground
• Sites #200-381 in East Campground

Seven comfort stations with flush toilets and free hot showers are located in the campground loops (4 are in East Campground and 3 are in West Campground).

There are also comfort stations with flush toilets located in the beach area and near the boat launch. Vault toilets can also be found throughout the park as well.

The 500s loop in West Campground is explicitly reserved for trailers. No tents are allowed.

There are trailer water filling stations located in West Campground.We had site #521

The Dump Station At Sibbald Point

There is a trailer sanitation dump station that can accommodate 2 trailers/RVs at a time. It is set in one large parking lot type of area. You stay to the left to use the facilities and then turn your rig around and head back out the way you came in. There is no through road that is typical of most dump station set-ups. This is awkward.

You can expect line-ups- especially on weekend Sundays. The busiest time is between 10 am and 2 pm. You would be wise to go as early as possible.

Note: You can not get potable water to fill your trailer holding tank at the dump station as is typical at most other provincial parks. You must go to the filling stations located in the West campground. Refer to the map they issue you at check-in to find the potable water locations.

Group Camping:

There are 6 group camping sites. They are set in a field in West campground and can accommodate up to 50 campers. These sites are often full of youth groups and large family gatherings. They are loud. Check the park map when making your reservation if you do not wish to be near them.

Activities:

Beach/Swimming:

Sibbald Point has a large sandy beach that is marked off with buoys, that is designated for swimming. There are no lifeguards. There is a washroom with flush toilets, picnic tables in a grassy shaded area and a playground. Near the beach, you will find a park store for some basic forgotten items and a few souvenirs. There is also a small snack bar.

Boating:

There is a boat launch and parking for boat trailers within the park. As well there are boat docks for temporary mooring.

Canoe/Kayaking:

There are no rentals of any kind at Sibbald Point Provincial Park. You bring your own equipment and use it at your own risk.

Note: Lake Simcoe is a large lake and it can be wavy and rough at times.

Fishing:

 A fishing license is required. You must obtain your fishing license prior to arrival. Ontario Parks does not issue fishing licenses.

Hiking at Sibbald Point:

The Maidenhair Fern trail is a short, relatively easy, trail for hiking.

Discovery Centre:

There is a small discovery centre with some touch displays and a park employee to answer any questions you might have regarding the nature of the area.

Eildon Hall (Sibbald Memorial Museum):

There is a small museum located in the restored home of the Sibbald family who had lived there for 3 generations.  The property was acquired by the province in 1951 and shortly after was developed for use as a park for visitors to enjoy.

 

 

Biking:

You can bike on the campground roads. There is no designated bike path within the park. Just outside of the park however, you can access Hedge Road. If you turn left at the Discovery Centre and then travel to the end of this road (less than a kilometre) you will access a walkway to St. George’s church. The road at this point is Hedge Road. It is suitable for biking. It is flat and affords some nice views of the lake as you pedal by an eclectic assortment of homes and cottages.

Day Use:

Sibbald Point Provincial Park is very busy as a Day Use destination. There are a lot of picnic areas with tables and shelters for use but be forewarned, this place gets packed. You should also note that you can not just show up at the park and acquire a Day Use pass for the day- you must reserve ahead of time on the Ontario Parks website. Failure to do so means you will be turned away at the gate.

Things to Know at Sibbald Point:

1. Wood and ice are available at the camp store.
2. The town of Sutton is nearby for forgotten items.
3. Because the Day Use area is so busy in the summer you should be aware that you will be one of literally thousands of people all trying to enjoy the same beach. If this seems like too much there are other beaches nearby with picnic facilities and sandy beaches that are less busy and free.Willow BeachFranklin Beach 

For a complete list click here. Sutton and Jackson’s Point are the closest to Sibbald Point Provincial Park.

IMO:

Sibbald Point Provincial Park is a popular park. Its proximity to Toronto makes it particularly busy. If you are looking to get away from it all and have a serene nature experience- this is NOT the place for it.

I was, however, pleasantly surprised by the quality of the sites at the park. Many afforded more privacy than I was expecting.

We camped on site 521 in the “trailer only- radio free” section of  West campground and honestly, that is the only place that I would camp at this park. The park is noisy but at least in “radio free” it is a bit better and we enjoyed our campfire relatively peacefully.

Lake Simcoe is great for boating and I very much enjoyed biking along Hedge Road through the surrounding communities.

I would recommend Sibbald Point Provincial Park as an RV Place to Go if staying during the week or an off-season weekend- but a summer weekend is just too busy. Mara Provincial Park and McRae Point Provincial Park are other parks also located on Lake Simcoe that are not as busy.