Bon Echo Provincial Park
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Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ Bon Echo
16151 ON-41, Cloyne, ON K0H 1K0 (613) 336-2228 No. of Sites (484) - 278 non-electrical sites, 201 electrical sites, 0 group sites, 5 walk-in sites, 6 Yurts, 13 cabins, 2 Exploration (soft sided) tents Wheel Chair Accessible Campsites - none designated but all comfort stations offer barrier-free access. There is also a wheelchair ramp at the day-use area, Gift Shop and Visitor Centre. Operating Dates: May 11, 2018 to October 21, 2018 |
Blog Entries: Bon Echo Tenting July 2018 - Forest Fires Force A Change In Plans
Bon Echo Backpacking July 2018 - Art In The Park and Counting The Dots
- Beaver Dam and Fire In The Middle Of The Trail
- Momma Loon Teaching Baby Loon
- Leap Frogs And A Search For Bears
Bon Echo Tenting July 2019 - "Vinegar!"
- Plans Gone Awry
Terrain: 100 metre high Mazinaw Rock featuring over 260 Indigenous pictographs
The park has an amazing canopy of tall tall trees (maple-beech forest) that provide a lot of shade for the campsites
Staff: Friendly and helpful, but their information seemed to be a memorized blurb that didn't completely pertain to us (ie." put your permit on the
post" but there are no posts out in the back country)
Bathrooms: Clean, and in good condition throughout the park. There are 7 flush toilets throughout the Mazinaw campground but none in the
Hardwood Hills campground except for the comfort station.
Comfort stations are located in Hardwood Hill, Midway, Fairway and Sawmill Bay campgrounds and at the Day-Use area.
Shower: Toilets and showers are in the same room which made for high humidity in the bathroom. The water is way too hot. The showers could do
with an update. They shower room felt old and grungy.
Beach: Hardwood Hills has no beach and you have to drive quite a distance to get to one of the beaches. There are 3 beaches in the park; the
North beach, the South beach, and the Main beach.
Boat launches are located near North Beach, the Lagoon, and along Bon Echo Creek.
Outdoor Water Faucets: Plenty of them, easy to find and good, clean drinking water
Hiking Trails:
Abes and Essens Lake Trail – 3 interconnecting looped trails: Clutes 3.5 km (1.5 hours); Essens Lake 9.6 km (4 hours) and Abes 17 km (7 hours) moderate to difficult.
Some sections offer panoramic views that are particularly spectacular in fall. Hike for a day or camp at one of the five campsites along the trail (campsite reservations required).
Bon Echo Creek Trail: 1 km (40 minutes), linear, easy
Take a leisurely walk along the Bon Echo Creek.
Cliff Top Trail – 1.5 km (1 hour), linear, moderate to difficult
This trail is only accessible by water. A ferry service (fees apply), will take you to the start of the trail. Canoe and kayak rentals are also available. Stairs and a pathway take hikers to the top of Mazinaw Rock to three observation decks overlooking the lake.
High Pines Trail - 1.7 km (1 hour), loop, moderate
Hikers pass a variety of forest and wetland communities including tall pines, groves of hemlock and quiet forest ponds.
Shield Trail - 4.8 km (2 hours), loop, moderate
Follow a section of the old Addington Road as it penetrates the rugged landscape of the Canadian Shield where you will see hardwood forests, cedar lowlands and a beaver swamp.
Pet Amenities: Pet swimming area between the main beach and the south beach
Pet Exercise Trail – 1.4 km (1 hour), loop, easy
Let your furry friend off-leash on this designated pet exercise trail.
Playground: none
Park Store: The park store, Greystones Gift and Book Shop, operated by the Friends of Bon Echo Park, is located in the historic Greystones
building which looks like a cabin. The Shop features clothing items, souvenirs, camping gear, has a penny pressing machine, boat
tickets, and books (there is no ice or groceries available here). It is located next to the Visitor Center which is another cabin structure.
Rentals: Canoes, kayaks and SUP’s are available for rent. Please contact the private canoe concession contractor, “Bon Echo Outfitters” at
1-800-985-2571. Personal Floatation Devices (PFDs) are also available for loan with a refundable deposit.
The park has an amazing canopy of tall tall trees (maple-beech forest) that provide a lot of shade for the campsites
Staff: Friendly and helpful, but their information seemed to be a memorized blurb that didn't completely pertain to us (ie." put your permit on the
post" but there are no posts out in the back country)
Bathrooms: Clean, and in good condition throughout the park. There are 7 flush toilets throughout the Mazinaw campground but none in the
Hardwood Hills campground except for the comfort station.
Comfort stations are located in Hardwood Hill, Midway, Fairway and Sawmill Bay campgrounds and at the Day-Use area.
Shower: Toilets and showers are in the same room which made for high humidity in the bathroom. The water is way too hot. The showers could do
with an update. They shower room felt old and grungy.
Beach: Hardwood Hills has no beach and you have to drive quite a distance to get to one of the beaches. There are 3 beaches in the park; the
North beach, the South beach, and the Main beach.
Boat launches are located near North Beach, the Lagoon, and along Bon Echo Creek.
Outdoor Water Faucets: Plenty of them, easy to find and good, clean drinking water
Hiking Trails:
Abes and Essens Lake Trail – 3 interconnecting looped trails: Clutes 3.5 km (1.5 hours); Essens Lake 9.6 km (4 hours) and Abes 17 km (7 hours) moderate to difficult.
Some sections offer panoramic views that are particularly spectacular in fall. Hike for a day or camp at one of the five campsites along the trail (campsite reservations required).
Bon Echo Creek Trail: 1 km (40 minutes), linear, easy
Take a leisurely walk along the Bon Echo Creek.
Cliff Top Trail – 1.5 km (1 hour), linear, moderate to difficult
This trail is only accessible by water. A ferry service (fees apply), will take you to the start of the trail. Canoe and kayak rentals are also available. Stairs and a pathway take hikers to the top of Mazinaw Rock to three observation decks overlooking the lake.
High Pines Trail - 1.7 km (1 hour), loop, moderate
Hikers pass a variety of forest and wetland communities including tall pines, groves of hemlock and quiet forest ponds.
Shield Trail - 4.8 km (2 hours), loop, moderate
Follow a section of the old Addington Road as it penetrates the rugged landscape of the Canadian Shield where you will see hardwood forests, cedar lowlands and a beaver swamp.
Pet Amenities: Pet swimming area between the main beach and the south beach
Pet Exercise Trail – 1.4 km (1 hour), loop, easy
Let your furry friend off-leash on this designated pet exercise trail.
Playground: none
Park Store: The park store, Greystones Gift and Book Shop, operated by the Friends of Bon Echo Park, is located in the historic Greystones
building which looks like a cabin. The Shop features clothing items, souvenirs, camping gear, has a penny pressing machine, boat
tickets, and books (there is no ice or groceries available here). It is located next to the Visitor Center which is another cabin structure.
Rentals: Canoes, kayaks and SUP’s are available for rent. Please contact the private canoe concession contractor, “Bon Echo Outfitters” at
1-800-985-2571. Personal Floatation Devices (PFDs) are also available for loan with a refundable deposit.
Things To Do At Bon Echo Provincial Park
- Fishing (Mazinaw Lake is a popular fishing lake for Lake Trout, Yellow Pickerel, Small and Large Mouth Bass, Lake Whitefish and Northern Pike)
- Swimming
- Birding
- Hiking
- Boating (Power boats are allowed on Mazinaw Lake but are prohibited on all other lakes in the park)
- Natural HeritageEducation
- Canoeing
Kishkebus Canoe Route – 21 km (6 hours), loop, moderate to difficult
This day paddle takes you past Aboriginal pictographs to the still waters of the nature reserve on the east side of the park. Please note: there is a 1.5 km portage.
Joeperry and Pearson Lakes
Spend a relaxing day paddling in motorboat free lakes or reserve one of the 25 backcountry campsites. There is a 500m portage from the parking lot to the launch. Joeperry Lake also features a natural sandy beach.
Mazinaw Lake
Launch your canoe or rent one at the lagoon and you can paddle on Mazinaw Lake. Head over to Mazinaw Rock to view one of Canada’s largest visible collections of Aboriginal pictographs.
Mississippi River Canoe Route – 104 km (5 days), 17 portages, moderate
For more information on this route, contact the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority
Attractions And Places To Go Near Bon Echo Provincial Park
Closest City (town) - Cloyne, Ontario
- Bon Echo Rock to view the pictographs
- The Mugwamp ferry boat
- Walt Whitman memorial
- Land 'O Lakes Rescue Petting Farm
- Skoot House
- Bonnechere caves
- Hell Hole caves
- Cloyne Pioneer Museum and Archives
- Explorers Eco Emporium 41, in Kaladar
- Lennox and Addington Dark Sky Viewing Area, in Erinsville
Closest City (town) - Cloyne, Ontario
- Bon Echo Rock to view the pictographs
- The Mugwamp ferry boat
- Walt Whitman memorial
- Land 'O Lakes Rescue Petting Farm
- Skoot House
- Bonnechere caves
- Hell Hole caves
- Cloyne Pioneer Museum and Archives
- Explorers Eco Emporium 41, in Kaladar
- Lennox and Addington Dark Sky Viewing Area, in Erinsville
Directions:
Do not rely on your Google Maps app for this trip. It will take you down the back roads and add time to your trip (and on one occasion told us to turn one road earlier than we were supposed to which turned out to be someone's driveway).
Bon Echo Park is located approximately 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) north of Cloyne, Ontario on highway 41.
From the southern direction you can take the 401 to where it exits to highway 41.
If you are coming from the north, travel from highway 17 to highway 41. There’s not too much along highway 41 so make sure you have enough fuel for the trip out there.
Signs For Directions To Park - signs are easy to see and easy to follow, although you don't see too many of them until you are almost there.
Do not rely on your Google Maps app for this trip. It will take you down the back roads and add time to your trip (and on one occasion told us to turn one road earlier than we were supposed to which turned out to be someone's driveway).
Bon Echo Park is located approximately 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) north of Cloyne, Ontario on highway 41.
From the southern direction you can take the 401 to where it exits to highway 41.
If you are coming from the north, travel from highway 17 to highway 41. There’s not too much along highway 41 so make sure you have enough fuel for the trip out there.
Signs For Directions To Park - signs are easy to see and easy to follow, although you don't see too many of them until you are almost there.