One-Tank Trip for
June 28/14
(c) By Jim Fox
Camping out in the
woods was never like this.
Taking a page from
glamping – or camping with glamour – five Ontario Parks now offer new roofed
accommodations and there’s a pilot project creating more options.
No more pitching a
canvas tent or sleeping on the ground, as these cabins, cottages, yurts and
even lodges take camping to a higher, more-comfortable level.
 |
| Visitors to Finlayson Point Provincial Park can stay in a cottage by the water. (Ontario Parks) |
The roofed
accommodations are “popular,” said Lori Waldbrook, senior marketing specialist
for Ontario Parks.
“The accommodations
appeal to visitors who want a little extra comfort and they attract new
visitors who may not have camping equipment” she said.
They are also ideal
for dedicated summer campers who want to try visiting in the colder months
while staying warm and dry.
Suiting your nature
Anglers are
enjoying the new cabin at Fushimi Lake Provincial Park, north of Hearst, while Finlayson
Point, near Temagami, and Bon Echo, north of Kaladar, also have new cabins.
A new backcountry
cabin accessible only by water has also opened at Charleston Lake park near
Brockville.
Additional options
are becoming available this summer in a pilot project to test new types of
roofed accommodation at three parks: Arrowhead (Huntsville); Murphys Point
(Perth) and Pinery (Grand Bend).
Three types of
accommodations are available:
 |
| Deluxe tents are now available for campers at Arrowhead Provincial Park. (Ontario Parks) |
- Deluxe Tents are a reminder of the canvas
prospector’s tent that sits on a wooden platform and is equipped with rustic
log furniture and two queen-size beds with comfortable mattresses.
A kitchenette
includes a mini refrigerator, coffee maker and counter space while there’s an
outside gas barbeque.
- Camp Cabins consist of one room that
sleeps five with a queen-size bed and double/single bunk, all with comfortable
mattresses.
There’s also a
kitchenette, propane/electric fireplace and outside gas barbeque along with a screened-in
porch for bug-free space.
- Deluxe Yurts are an expanded version of
the existing Ontario Parks’ version with additional floor space and an entrance
vestibule.
It sleeps five with
a queen-size bed and double/single bunk and has the kitchenette and gas
barbeque.
Cabins, cottages, heritage houses, lodges
Overnight
accommodation options now available are varied at other parks across the province.
- Backcountry Cabins: The Ranger Cabins
in Algonquin, northwest of Huntsville, were built in the early 1900s for use
by park workers.
 |
The Jacques Cottage
is available for overnight stays at Sandbanks Provincial Park. (Ontario Parks)
|
These log
cabins have been refurbished to provide a “unique shelter” for visitors, with
most only accessible by canoe or portage but a few can be reached by road.
They offer
basic amenities including sleeping platforms without mattresses, table and
chairs and an outside closed-in toilet.
- Rustic
Cabins: These are a little more spacious than yurts with a few more
features.
At Bonnechere
in Killaloe, four cabins are along the banks of the Bonnechere
River with each having rustic pine decor, two bedrooms, kitchen and a sitting
area. The Cabin on the Hill at Bon Echo is from the 1870s.
- Cottages/Heritage Houses: These are former
private cottages, a large farmhouse and a superintendent’s house.
The Maple
Rest Heritage House at Sandbanks at Prince Edward was once a farmhouse and has
four bedrooms, each with its own bathroom and a gas fireplace, screened porch
and other amenities.
The
cottage at Balsam Lake in Kirkfield was once home to the park superintendent while
the Stone Cottage at Awenda, northwest of
Penetanguishene, has a private beach overlooking Georgian Bay.
Finlayson
Point and Sturgeon Bay (Point au Baril) parks also offer these
facilities.
- Lodges: Killbear (Parry Sound District)
and Sleeping Giant (east of Thunder Bay) have well-appointed lodges available
from September to late spring, that sleep more than 30 people in
double-occupancy rooms.
Common
areas include a modern kitchen and living and dining space.
 |
| Kids enjoy the bunk beds in the roofed cottages at Murphys Point Provincial Park. (Ontario Parks) |
- Yurts: These round tent-like structures
for up to six people are mounted on a wooden deck floor and offer
electric heat.
They
have windows and are furnished with two sets of bunk beds and a small dining
table while outside is a propane barbeque, picnic table and fire pit.
There’s a
“comfort station” nearby and some yurts are heated and have electricity.
Yurts are available
at Algonquin; Bon Echo, Bronte Creek; Charleston Lake; Killarney; MacGregor
Point; Pancake Bay; Pinery; Quetico; Silent Lake; and Windy Lake.
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Jim Fox can be reached at onetanktrips@hotmail.com
For more One-Tank Trips: http://1tanktrips.blogspot.ca
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