Ontario Provincial Parks

Explore over a century of natural heritage, diverse landscapes, and wildlife across Ontario’s protected parks.

background image displaying a map of Ontario

The Ontario Parks system stretches over 125 years. It began in 1893 with the creation of Algonquin Provincial Park. In 1954 the management and creation of provincial parks came under the Department of Lands and Forests. There are now 330 provincial parks comprising 8% of Ontario's landmass which is an area larger (over 82,000 km2) than the Provinces of Nova Scotia and PEI combined.

HISTORY AND ORGANIZATION

Ontario's provincial parks system began in 1893 with Algonquin Park, Canada's first provincial park. Today, it includes over 300 parks, preserving diverse landscapes like forests, lakes, and wetlands. These parks protect biodiversity, showcase ecological heritage, and offer recreation and education opportunities.

Tap on the pictures to learn more.

Spanning over 1550 square kilometres, Lake Superior Provincial Park is one of the largest in Ontario. It features a mix of coniferous and deciduous forest representing the transition between Canadian Shield and boreal forest regions.

Located on over 645 square kilometres of rocky northeastern shore of Georgian Bay, the region has captivated visitors for centuries with its sparkling waters, pink granite shoreline, rich forest and white quartzite ridges and peaks of the La Cloche Mountains.

Painted in red ochre, the images depict various human and animal figures. In 1982, Mazinaw Rock, which is an Indigenous word for “picture” or “writing”, was designated as a National Historic Site. The park’s name reflects the acoustic result of sound bouncing off Mazinaw Rock and across the lake.

It is the most southernly located park in the country. And despite being one of the smallest national parks, it is the most ecologically diverse park in Canada. Point Pelee lies on a peninsula

NORTH AMERICA'S BOREAL
FOREST SONGBIRD NURSERY