Algonquin Park: Which Campground Should You Book?

Short version: if you want the easiest first Algonquin trip with kids, book Lake of Two Rivers or Mew Lake. If you want quiet, book Pog Lake or Canisbay Lake (both radio-free). If you're there to paddle, Rock Lake or Canisbay put a canoe in the water from your site. If you want to feel far from everyone, drive the long way to Achray, Brent or Kiosk. If it's October or later, Mew Lake is your only option.

Everything below is the "why". Booking is at reservations.ontarioparks.ca, and the window opens five months ahead of your arrival date. See when 2027 reservation dates open so you're ready at 7 a.m.

The lay of the land

Algonquin is enormous, but nearly all car camping happens along one road: Highway 60, which cuts through the south end of the park for about 56 km between the West Gate (Huntsville side) and East Gate (Ottawa side). Eight campgrounds sit along that corridor. Three more sit on the park's far edges, reached by gravel roads from Highway 17, and they feel like a different park entirely.

Distances on Highway 60 are marked in kilometres from the West Gate, and Ontario Parks uses those markers, so it helps to think of the campgrounds that way.

Highway 60 campgrounds, west to east

Site counts and the exact number of electrical sites change with upgrades, so check the Ontario Parks page for the current numbers before you book.

Tea Lake (near km 8) is the smallest and most basic of the corridor campgrounds. No showers, no electrical. It's close to the Canoe Lake and Smoke Lake access points, so it works as a night-before base for a backcountry trip. Not where you'd spend a week.

Canisbay Lake (near km 23) is one of the two I'd pick for quiet. It's radio-free, sits on a big lake with a beach, and has a comfort station with showers. It also has walk-in and paddle-in sites for people who want a car-free site without doing a real backcountry trip.

Mew Lake (near km 30) is the park's year-round campground and its workhorse. Lots of electrical sites, yurts, showers, a beach, and the Old Railway Bike Trail runs right past it. It's the only campground open in winter. The trade-off is that it's busy and some sites are close together. It's near the Two Rivers store and the airfield.

Lake of Two Rivers (near km 31) is the largest campground on the corridor and the classic "first Algonquin trip" choice. Big sandy beach, many electrical sites, showers, and the store, snack bar and bike rentals are a walk away. If your kids are small and you want everything close, book here. If you want privacy between sites, look elsewhere.

Kearney Lake (near km 36) is smaller and quieter than Two Rivers with a nice beach and shaded sites, and no electrical. The bike trail passes here too. A good middle option when Two Rivers feels like too much.

Pog Lake (near km 37) is my other quiet pick. It's a large campground, but radio-free, with showers and sites near the Madawaska River. It fills with families who want calm evenings rather than a party.

Coon Lake (near km 40, down the Rock Lake road) is tiny, radio-free, and has no electrical or showers. Think of it as car-accessible near-backcountry. Great if you want to hear loons and nothing else.

Rock Lake (about 8 km south of Highway 60 at km 40) is the paddler's campground. Rock Lake is big, connects to Pen Lake for day trips, and the Booth's Rock trail starts nearby. Showers and some electrical sites. It's also where a lot of people start short canoe trips.

The remote three: Achray, Brent, Kiosk

These are reached from Highway 17 on gravel roads, not from Highway 60, and none of them has showers or electrical sites.

Achray is on Grand Lake on the east side of the park, reached through the Sand Lake Gate. It's the base for the Barron Canyon trail, one of the most dramatic short hikes in Ontario, and the site where Tom Thomson painted The Jack Pine. Small, quiet, and worth the drive.

Brent is on Cedar Lake at the north end, down a long gravel road. It's mostly a canoe-trip jumping-off point, with a small campground and a store. Brent Crater is nearby.

Kiosk is on Kioshkokwi Lake, also in the north, and is the smallest and simplest of the three. If you want solitude with your car nearby, this is it.

All three open later in spring and close in late October, later than most Highway 60 campgrounds. Check the dates on the Ontario Parks site each year.

Quick picks by what you're after

• First trip with young kids: Lake of Two Rivers, then Mew Lake.
• RV or trailer that needs power: Lake of Two Rivers or Mew Lake.
• Quiet, no music: Pog Lake, Canisbay Lake, Coon Lake.
• Canoe from your site: Rock Lake, Canisbay Lake.
• Feel remote without a portage: Achray, Kiosk.
• Dogs: dogs on leash are allowed in all campgrounds. Mew Lake has a designated dog beach; check the park page to confirm it's still in place.
• October or winter: Mew Lake.

When to book

Summer weekends in Algonquin sell out within minutes of the five-month window opening, especially at Two Rivers, Mew Lake and Pog Lake. Weekdays and September are far easier. Have two or three backup site numbers ready before 7 a.m.

Once you've picked a campground, PitchPeek lets you save the sites you're eyeing, plan the trip with your crew (shared gear list, meals by day), and rate the site when you get home so the next person knows what to book.

Free · plan the trip with your crew · rate the site when you get home

Questions

Which Algonquin campground has electrical sites?

Lake of Two Rivers and Mew Lake have the most electrical sites. Several other Highway 60 campgrounds have a smaller number. Achray, Brent and Kiosk have none.

Which Algonquin campground is open in winter?

Mew Lake is the only Algonquin campground open year-round, including winter camping and yurts.

Which Algonquin campgrounds are radio-free?

Canisbay Lake, Pog Lake and Coon Lake are designated radio-free campgrounds, so no music or amplified sound at the site.