{"id":1841,"date":"2021-05-22T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-22T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/syderoad.com\/?p=1841"},"modified":"2023-05-08T15:57:15","modified_gmt":"2023-05-08T19:57:15","slug":"ontario-provincial-parks-free-day-use-in-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/syderoad.com\/ontario-provincial-parks-free-day-use-in-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Ontario Provincial Parks Free Day Use in 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>From <strong>May 1 to September 2, 2021<\/strong> you can visit any <em>operating<\/em> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ontarioparks.com\/dayuse\/faq\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Ontario Provincial Park<\/a> for the day <strong>Monday through Thursday<\/strong> for free! I can literally hear all the weekday adventure seekers rejoicing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is incredible news! Normally, the <strong>standard daily vehicle fee<\/strong> for visiting an Ontario provincial park is between <strong>$12.00 &#8211; $22.00<\/strong>. Some parks offer half-day daily vehicle fees as well, but doesn&#8217;t free sound a lot nicer?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;m really excited about this as these <strong>parks are normally open from 8:00 AM to <em>dusk<\/em><\/strong>. In the summer closing at dusk means provincial parks are open for day use until almost 10:00 PM!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This means even I can squeeze in a few free evening hiking adventures while working a 9-5 job in Toronto! I&#8217;ve included a <a href=\"#provincial-parks-near-toronto\">few provincial parks nearby<\/a> to help you and I get our evening adventures started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Looking for some provincial park inspirations? You might enjoy these posts!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#faf8f9\"><li><strong>Dog-Friendly Provincial Park Experiences<\/strong><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/syderoad.com\/dog-friendly-guide-to-bronte-creek-provincial-park\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1872\">Dog-Friendly Guide to Bronte Creek Provincial Park<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/syderoad.com\/dog-friendly-guide-to-forks-of-the-credit-provincial-park\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2698\">Dog-Friendly Guide to Forks of the Credit Provincial Park<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/syderoad.com\/long-point-provincial-park-review-spending-a-dog-friendly-afternoon-swimming-in-ontarios-warmest-waters\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"4284\">Long Point Provincial Park Review: Spending a Dog-Friendly Afternoon Swimming in Ontario\u2019s Warmest Waters<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"day-use-park-details\">Ontario Provincial Parks &#8211; Free Day Use Park Details<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before you drive off to your nearest Ontario provincial park to enjoy the free facilities, there are a few details you should be aware of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>The offer is restricted to <em><strong>operating<\/strong><\/em> Ontario Provincial Parks between May 1 to September 2, 2021<ul><li>Not all parks are open by May 1st &#8211; parks open on different operation dates depending on their location<\/li><li>Note: <em>Provincial Parks that are either closed for the season, non-operating provincial parks, or conservation reserves are accessible free of charge for self-guided activities<\/em><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><strong>Statuary Holidays<\/strong> that fall between Monday and Thursday qualify for this offer<ul><li>to minimize risk, prevent overcrowding, and maintain physical distancing, parks may operate at a reduced capacity so arrive early on these days to enjoy your time at the park<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li>Day Permit must still be displayed in your vehicle<\/li><li>Day Use Hours are generally between 8:00 AM &#8211; 10:00 PM but these hours may vary depending on the park<\/li><li>Facilities may be limited due to: COVID-19 measures, modifications and restrictions will apply<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>More details can be found on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ontarioparks.com\/dayuse\/faq\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.ontarioparks.com\/dayuse\/faq\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ont<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ontarioparks.com\/dayuse\/faq\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.ontarioparks.com\/dayuse\/faq\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ontarioparks.com\/dayuse\/faq\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.ontarioparks.com\/dayuse\/faq\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rio Park&#8217;s Day Use FAQ<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Finding an Operating Provincial Park<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"585\" src=\"https:\/\/syderoad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Ontario-Parks-Park-Locator-1024x585.jpg\" alt=\"Ontario Provincial Parks - Park Locator from Ontario Park Website\" class=\"wp-image-1860\" srcset=\"https:\/\/syderoad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Ontario-Parks-Park-Locator-1024x585.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/syderoad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Ontario-Parks-Park-Locator-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/syderoad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Ontario-Parks-Park-Locator-768x439.jpg 768w, https:\/\/syderoad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Ontario-Parks-Park-Locator.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Use the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ontarioparks.com\/park-locator\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Park Locator<\/a> feature on the Ontario Parks website to find out basic details about your desired provincial park including details like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>operation dates<\/li><li>available facilities<\/li><li>COVID-19 measures<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This site can also be pretty useful for finding Non-Operating Parks and Conservation Areas that are also accessible free of charge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Confirming Day Use Hours<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, while Ontario Parks is useful for figuring out most of the details, not all parks have their day-use hours listed on the site. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fortunately, you can find this in several different ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>calling the number listed on the park&#8217;s page on Ontario Park<\/li><li>checking the provincial park&#8217;s social media accounts (e.g. most handles have either an &#8216;op&#8217; or a &#8216;pp&#8217; attached to the park name like @opbrontecreek on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or @ForksCreditPP on Facebook and Twitter)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#f3e7d8\"><strong>Note:<\/strong> Each Ontario Provincial Park has its own Facebook page &#8211; like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/OPBronteCreek\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Bronte Creek&#8217;s Facebook page<\/a> . They&#8217;re frequently updated and have the information and features posted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"provincial-parks-near-toronto\">Ontario Provincial Parks Closest to Toronto<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You might think that this offer is only limited to a few folks that have the luxury of having days off between Monday and Thursday, however, those with day jobs can also take advantage of this offer by heading over to your nearest park for an evening stroll. Most Ontario provincial parks offer hikes less than 2.5km which can often be completed in under an hour&#8217;s time. With parks closing at 9:00 PM, there&#8217;s more than enough time to drive to your nearest provincial park, do a quick evening adventure, and head back home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Listed below are three of the closest provincial parks near Toronto (West, North, or East) to help get your evening adventure walks started. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bronte Creek Provincial Park (West of Toronto)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Address:<\/strong> (campground entrance) <a href=\"https:\/\/goo.gl\/maps\/tH1oVqp3UK14oaJTA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">3201 Upper Middle Road W<\/a><br><strong>Address:<\/strong> (day use entrance) <a href=\"https:\/\/goo.gl\/maps\/WW3DydZnHnaaKsCe8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">1219 Burloak Drive<\/a><br><strong>Day Use Hours:<\/strong> 8:00 AM &#8211; 9:00 PM<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ontarioparks.com\/park\/brontecreek\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Bronte Creek Provincial Park<\/a>, located just 50km from Toronto is an especially appealing free Ontario provincial park choice for me because of a few factors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>distance &#8211; this is the closest provincial park to Toronto at only about 30-45 min drive away, with the next one, an additional 20 km away (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ontarioparks.com\/park\/forksofthecredit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Forks of the Credit Provincial Park<\/a>)<\/li><li>two off leash dog park areas<ul><li>1.4 km loop located near the Campground Entrance: <a href=\"https:\/\/goo.gl\/maps\/tH1oVqp3UK14oaJTA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">3201 Upper Middle Road W<\/a><\/li><li>2.0 km loop located South East of Day Use Entrance: <a href=\"https:\/\/goo.gl\/maps\/WW3DydZnHnaaKsCe8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">1219 Burloak Drive<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li>several short (&lt;2.5km) dog-friendly (on leash) trail loop options &#8211; perfect for an evening stroll<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Head to Bronte Creek Provincial Park&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/OPBronteCreek\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Facebook Page<\/a> for the latest COVID-19 measures, facility updates, and day use hours. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Forks of the Credit Provincial Park (North of Toronto)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"585\" src=\"https:\/\/syderoad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Forks-of-the-Credit-Provincial-Park-Warren-Wong-1024x585.jpg\" alt=\"Forks of the Credit, an Ontario Provincial Park taken by Warren Wong from Unsplash\" class=\"wp-image-1859\" srcset=\"https:\/\/syderoad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Forks-of-the-Credit-Provincial-Park-Warren-Wong-1024x585.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/syderoad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Forks-of-the-Credit-Provincial-Park-Warren-Wong-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/syderoad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Forks-of-the-Credit-Provincial-Park-Warren-Wong-768x439.jpg 768w, https:\/\/syderoad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Forks-of-the-Credit-Provincial-Park-Warren-Wong.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Address: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/goo.gl\/maps\/gMDanDF2bLj5SV9f7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">17760 McLaren Rd, Caledon, ON L7K 2H8<\/a><br><strong>Day Use Hours:<\/strong> 8:00 AM &#8211; 9:00 PM<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ontarioparks.com\/park\/forksofthecredit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Forks of the Credit Provincial Park<\/a> located 70km North of Toronto is a great spot for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>hikers<\/li><li>picnickers<\/li><li>hobby fishers<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This provincial park is located on the Bruce Trail &#8211; Canada&#8217;s oldest and longest footpath spanning from the Niagara River to the tip of Tobermory, Ontario. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Note that most of the trails (excluding the Bruce Trail) at Forks of the Credit Provincial park are multi-use. The trails are shared with bikers and horseback riders alike. Please note that while the park welcomes doggie guests, dogs must be leashed at all times while hiking on these trails. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Check <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ForksCreditPP\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Forks of the Credit Provincial Park&#8217;s twitter<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/m.facebook.com\/profile.php?id=113630425314391\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Facebook Page<\/a> for the latest updates on parking capacity, COVID-19 measures, and facility updates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Darlington Provincial Park (East of Toronto)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"585\" src=\"https:\/\/syderoad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Piping-Plover-Mathew-Schwartz-1024x585.jpg\" alt=\"Piping Plover, a rare shorebird that nests on the shores of Lake Ontario during the spring at Darlington Park, an Ontario Provincial Park. Image taken by Mathew Schwartz in Connecticut from Unsplash\" class=\"wp-image-1861\" srcset=\"https:\/\/syderoad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Piping-Plover-Mathew-Schwartz-1024x585.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/syderoad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Piping-Plover-Mathew-Schwartz-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/syderoad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Piping-Plover-Mathew-Schwartz-768x439.jpg 768w, https:\/\/syderoad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Piping-Plover-Mathew-Schwartz.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Address: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/goo.gl\/maps\/cHSxa9nY6hT2835Z8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">1600 Darlington Park Rd. , Bowmanville, Ontario<\/a><br><strong>Day Use Hours<\/strong>: 8:00 AM &#8211; 9:00 PM<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Darlington Provincial Park is a hidden gem located 70km East of Toronto in Bowmanville. This small provincial park offers a long sandy beach on Lake Ontario and a few short (&lt;2.5km) trails. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I recently found out that Piping Plovers, a rare and endangered shorebird and they use the long sandy beach shores at this provincial park for nesting and resting in the spring! Hopefully, there&#8217;s still enough time this month to head on over and maybe catch a rare glimpse of these birds before Spring is over. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a great place to spend some time by the beach, walk a few 30 min trails with the family, and spend some time bird watching by the shore. Please note that while the beach is open for swimming, there are no lifeguards on duty and pets are not allowed on the beach. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From May 1 to September 2, 2021 you can visit an operating Ontario Provincial Park Monday through Thursday for the day for free. <\/p>\n<p>In this post I&#8217;ve included a few details about how the free day use works as well as a few provincial parks close to Toronto. <\/p>\n<p>Personally, we&#8217;ll be taking advantage of this offer by taking a few evening hike adventures at the provincial parks nearest us.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1858,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":39,"label":"Ontario"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/syderoad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/DSC_3968-optimized-1024x585.jpg",1024,585,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Maria","author_link":"https:\/\/syderoad.com\/author\/maria\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":39,"name":"Ontario","slug":"ontario","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":39,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":42,"count":17,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":39,"category_count":17,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Ontario","category_nicename":"ontario","category_parent":42}],"tag_info":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/syderoad.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1841"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/syderoad.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/syderoad.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/syderoad.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/syderoad.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1841"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/syderoad.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1841\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/syderoad.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1858"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/syderoad.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1841"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/syderoad.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1841"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/syderoad.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1841"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}