Pinery: Dunes, Riverside or Burley? Which Campground to Book

If you want to walk to the beach, book Dunes. If you're towing a trailer or want power and a spot to launch a canoe on the Old Ausable Channel, book Riverside. If you want the quieter, more treed end of the park and don't mind biking to the sand, book Burley. That's the whole decision for most people; the rest of this guide is the why.

Pinery, on Lake Huron near Grand Bend, is one of the biggest campgrounds in Ontario with about a thousand sites spread across three campgrounds. It has roughly ten kilometres of beach, an oak savanna that's rare in the province, a slow river called the Old Ausable Channel running through it, and a network of trails plus a paved bike path. It also has some of the best sunsets in the province, which is not an exaggeration if you've stood on that beach in August.

The three campgrounds at a glance

Exact counts of electrical sites and the current map change from year to year, so check the Pinery page on Ontario Parks before you lock in a site number.

Dunes: for the beach

Dunes is the campground that sits closest to Lake Huron. You can walk from many sites to the sand in a few minutes, which is exactly what most people come to Pinery for. The trade-off is what you'd expect from a campground on dunes: sandier ground, less cover on a lot of sites, and more sun in the afternoon. Bring a tarp or shade shelter and long tent pegs that hold in sand. If your trip is beach all day and a fire at night, this is your campground.

Riverside: for trailers and canoes

Riverside runs along the Old Ausable Channel, a calm, slow waterway that's ideal for a canoe, kayak or paddleboard with kids. It's the campground with the most electrical sites, which is why you'll see a lot of trailers here. It's busier and feels more like a campground "neighbourhood" than Burley does, but the channel out your back door makes up for it. Beach access is a short drive or a pleasant ride on the bike path.

Burley: for a quieter night

Burley is at the north end and has a more sheltered, treed feel. It's the campground to pick if you're in a tent, want more shade and privacy, and would rather bike to the beach than be right on it. Families with older kids and couples tend to like it. It still has some electrical sites, so it's not tents-only.

Two things that catch first-timers

Peak-season stay limits. Ontario Parks caps how long you can stay on a campground site during the busiest stretch of summer, roughly Canada Day to Labour Day, at some of its most popular parks. Pinery is on that list. The limit has been 7 or 14 days depending on the park and the dates. If you were planning a two-week stay in July, confirm the current cap on the Pinery page before you plan around it.

The beach isn't one spot. Pinery's shoreline is long and there are several access points. If you're at Riverside or Burley, the closest beach access may not be the busiest one, which is a plus.

Booking

Reservations open five months before your arrival date at 7 a.m. Eastern on the official Ontario Parks system at reservations.ontarioparks.ca. Pinery summer weekends fill up fast, especially Dunes. Pick your campground and a few backup site numbers ahead of time; our guide to 2027 reservation dates has the calendar and the morning-of routine.

You can look over the three campgrounds on the Pinery park page while you decide.

Quick answer, one line each

• Dunes if you want to walk to the beach.
• Riverside if you're towing, want power, or want a canoe on the channel.
• Burley if you want trees and a quiet night.

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Questions

Which Pinery campground is closest to the beach?

Dunes is the campground built for beach access along the Lake Huron shore. Riverside and Burley sit along the Old Ausable Channel, a short drive or bike ride from the sand.

Does Pinery have electrical sites?

Yes. Riverside is the best-known campground for electrical sites and trailers. Check the Ontario Parks site map for which specific sites are powered in each campground.

Is there a maximum stay at Pinery in summer?

During peak season, some of Ontario's most popular parks, Pinery included, cap how long you can stay on a campground site. The cap has been 7 or 14 days depending on the park and dates. Confirm the current rule when you book.