White Lake Provincial Park

White Lake Provincial Park is located between the towns of White River and Marathon in Ontario.

White Lake Provincial Park is a good-sized park situated on one of the largest lakes included on the Lake Superior Circle Tour Route.

Site Review:

There are a total of 187 campsites, approximately 1/3 of them with electric hook-up, located in 3 campground areas:

• Wood Lily
• Moccasin Flower
• Sundew

We had site 129 in the Moccasin Flower campground.

It is an electric pull-thru site. Most of the sites are in a wooded area with some of them skirting the shore of White lake.

The sites are generally large and reasonably level with good privacy.

There is, however, only one comfort station with showers to service the entire park- all 3 campground areas. It is located in the Moccasin Flower campground. The rest of the park has vault toilets (outhouses) to use for bathroom purposes. There is a garbage recycling station located centrally in the Moccasin Flower campground near the comfort station. I only mention this because not only is it possibly the nicest garbage disposal site I have ever seen in a provincial park, it is also deodorized! I kid you not. It has a soapy/old lady perfume smell which is rather pleasant. However, even if that smell is not to your liking what it doesn’t smell like is dirty tuna cans and diapers.

Activities:

Swimming:

There are 2 beach areas that are maintained and roped off for swimming. Both beaches are sandy with a gradual slope.There are picnic tables and a playground at the Day Use area beach.

Hiking:

There are 4 relatively short trails marked for hiking. The longest is about 4.5 km. The hikes are not particularly challenging but are rather nice forest walks that I found to be actually quite restorative. 

Canoeing/Kayaking:

Canoes and kayaks are available for rent. Information is available at the gatehouse. Rates are basically $10 for an hour or $30 for the entire day.

Boating:

White Lake is nearly 20 km long with lots of bays and inlets. It is not a private lake exclusive to White Lake Provincial Park. There is public access as well as numerous houses and cottages. Boat traffic varies, but it is Northern Ontario so it’s never too busy.

It is a nice lake to boat, water ski and fish. There is a paved boat launch within the park as well as docks to attach your boat. You can also rent motorboats. These boats are suitable for fishing and touring around. They are not what one would expect from a boating pleasure craft that you would say water ski behind, for example.

You rarely see motor boats offered for rent at an Ontario provincial park. The cost for rental is $75 a day which includes a full tank of gas. You are required to put down a refundable $100 deposit on a credit card. You also need to have a Pleasure Craft Operator Card (an Ontario Boating Licence). which can be obtained online. The cost is $44.99.

The boats are non-reservable and available on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Fishing:

White Lake offers good fishing. The main species that attract anglers are Walleye, Northern Pike and Yellow Perch. You require a fishing licence to fish in Ontario. Ontario Parks does not issue licences nor can they be obtained online. Licences need to be obtained prior to your arrival.

There is a nice fish cleaning building available for free to use near the boat ramp.

Biking:

There are no designated bike paths here nor can you bike on the hiking trails. You are permitted to bike on the camp roads. The main road is paved and is about 3.5 km from the park entrance. There is also a nice gravel road which is about 3 km long and takes you to the Clear Lake Trail. A bike is a nice way to get to the beaches, the amphitheatre or the trails. The park’s amenities are just far enough apart to make walking a bit of a chore.

The town of White River:

You will likely pass through the town of White River on your way to or from White Lake Provincial Park. The town itself is fairly typical. It has a couple of gas stations and a grocery store and some fast-food chain restaurants. It does have one attraction that might be worth a 10-minute stop if you are passing through and that is the Winnie the Pooh commemorative site. A bear cub was purchased from a hunter for $20 by a soldier in White River, while en route to England during the First World War. He named the bear “Winnie” after his hometown in Winnipeg, Manitoba. This cub eventually inspired author A.A Milne’s Winnie the Pooh children’s books.

Things to Know:

1. There is a pet off-leash area and there is a pet beach.
2. There is no store on-site to purchase any forgotten items.  The closest towns are White River which is about 35 km away and Marathon which is about 60 km.
3. Wood can be purchased at the gatehouse near the park entrance. It is advisable to purchase what you need for the duration of your stay when you register as the campgrounds are about 2.5 km away. 
4. The campground road is wide and it is paved. It is a bit hilly but nothing that even the largest of rigs wouldn’t be able to manage. 
5. There is a train that goes by maybe a couple of times a day. I barely registered its noise, to be honest. 
6. The majority of sites in the campgrounds are good. There are a couple located very close to the comfort station which I personally would not want. You can avoid these by consulting the park map on the Ontario Parks website when you make your reservation.
7. The best site, in my opinion, is site #86 in the Moccasin Flower campground. It is a non-electric site but it is large, private and has access to the lake.

IMO:

I think this park tends to be overlooked because it does not have direct access to Lake Superior and many visitors to this area of the province are here because of that. Neys Provincial Park is less than an hour away and is situated on Lake Superior if that is more your interest.

To me, however, White Lake Provincial Park is the quintessential camping experience. It is the type of campground that I would like to come to with kids and spend a week. Fishing on the lake; taking a motorboat ride; paddling a canoe; spending a day at the beach; campfires and a big starry sky- memories are made here. It is definitely an RV Place to Go!