Be Inspired Naturally,   All Year Round

Welcome to getting more from your winter! Outdoor activities aren’t just for summer and fall. Dive into Ontario Parks for all the reasons you love to visit us: fresh air, natural settings, healthy exercise, wildlife, recreation and relaxation.

The hush of gently falling snow, a clear starry night and the screech of a distant owl; winter camping has it all. With proper planning and the right equipment, the promise of stress-removing solitude is yours to savour.

Whether gliding on skis along our groomed trails, tramping up a ridge on snowshoes or simply hiking through fresh-fallen snow, winter delivers spectacular adventures for you, your family and friends. There’s always something different and fun!

Want to learn more about winter camping?

Take advantage of an Instructional Weekend at Frontenac Provincial Park (first two weekends in February). Or consider something completely different - bundle up the family and rent a yurt for the weekend at Silent Lake.

What’s a yurt? To find out more and to start your winter adventure, reserve one now by calling 1 888 ONT PARK or by visiting OntarioParks.com.

A rigorous day of cross-country skiing with the kids will guarantee rosy cheeks. Get up-to-the-minute ski conditions and winter safety tips here.

Need some ideas about how to celebrate the province’s first Family Day this February 18th? How about dogsledding in Algonquin or cross-country skiing in the shadow of the Sleeping Giant? Once you and your family get hooked on winter fun, there’ll be no stopping you.

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Win a Winter Wonderland Getaway

Imagine a winter adventure blending the best of both worlds: the great Ontario outdoors and a memorable eco-lodge experience. You and your guest will be outfitted and guided on a winter escape of ski, snowshoe and dogsled adventures. After the sun sets on a perfect day, enjoy fine regional cuisine and soothing massages.

Enter today, and you and a guest could receive:

• Three nights accommodation for you and a guest at Northern Edge Algonquin in South River, including:
• accommodation in a cozy private cabin
• all meals and snacks for two, featuring local foods served from the creative Northern Edge menu
  
• two massage treatments for two (one each of Hot Stone and Swedish massages)

• Outdoor activities (equipment rentals and instruction provided) including:
• half-day dog sledding adventure for two
• cross country skiing and snowshoeing experience for two

• A pre-getaway shopping trip including:
• $1,000 for winter clothing shopping spree, courtesy of Mountain Equipment Co-op
• a Nikon digital camera and binoculars package

Enter contest online
Hurry, the contest closes on February 14, 2008.
(only available to Ontario residents)

Just the Facts Please

We recently asked Ontarians to estimate the total number of provincial parks. Of 100 people asked, less than 12% came close to the official total of 329. More than 64% guessed there were 50 or fewer suggesting that most Ontarians are unaware of Ontario’s outdoor recreation opportunities. There’s plenty of room to play with provincial parks covering 7.9 million hectares, or more than 7% of the province.

Of the 329 provincial parks, 111 are designated “operating” parks open to the public and providing a full range of recreational activities. The remaining 218 were established to protect notable landscapes for future generations.

Many of these operating parks – Algonquin, Quetico, Killarney, and Lake Superior, to name a few – are known worldwide. And with more than 19,000 car camping sites and 6,800 backcountry sites, Ontario Parks is a leader in the outdoor adventure market.

So, if the next time you find your favourite park fully booked, we still have many other choices for you.

If you’d like to know more about all of these provincial parks, visit OntarioParks.com, go to Park Locator and click on Operating Parks and Non-Operating Parks.

No Vacancy

Imagine the look on your family’s faces as you pull up to the park gate, only to have your vacation plans ruined by two simple words? Campground Full. Thanks to the Ontario Parks’ Online Reservation System there will be smiles all around. Check campsite availability and pre-select your site in 76 provincial parks up to 5 months before you arrive. View park and campground maps and pre-book your adventure today!

Just log onto OntarioParks.com or call 1 888 ONT PARK (668-7275).

Share Your Memories

Thanks for the memories…and keep them coming!

Where better to share your special moments than inside the Insider? E-mail your best story or photo today – like the time you burned all of the marshmallows or Dad lost a large trout. You’ll get a chance at fame and be entered into our monthly draw for a chance to win some great prizes!

From Ed Schaefer:

I have camped in the backcountry sites mainly in Algonquin over the past years. Since I have discovered Killarney, the solitude and remoteness is quite unique in comparison to Algonquin. The hiking and canoeing is breathtakingly beautiful and having a meal one day by the rocky shores of a seemed desolate lake, the quietness, other than the soft warm winds brushing thru the pines, was accompanied by the blue skies, and white quartz rocks set against the azure blue water. This gave me what I truly wanted to experience. I must agree that Killarney is the Crown Jewel of Ontario Parks.

Watching a young moose cautiously drink down stream of me, made the experience a total package of adventure.

Since then, I continue to visit Killarney twice every year, each time just as rewarding as my first visit. I have attached some photos that I have taken from this year’s trip that I would like to share with others.

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• Be Inspired Naturally
• Winter Wonderland Getaway
• Just the Facts Please
• No Vacancy
• Share Your Memories

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