Toronto parks are good for more than just tossing the ball around or lounging in the sun. In addition to sports facilities, our parks are also home to fire pits, the latter of which allow city dwellers to soak up a bit of the country vibe with nightly camp fires. It's not too much of a pain to book one and it's pretty affordable, too.

Here's what you have to do to book a fire pit.

Getting a permit

In order to use the fire pits a permit must be obtained. During the spring, summer and early autumn months, it's relatively simple to book a fire pit.

To make a permit request, you need to physically pick up a telephone and dial the customer service permit call centre (416.396.7378, select option 2, call from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday).

You tell the customer service rep which fire pit you're interested in (see our list below), they check to see if it's available, permit and insurance are issued with payment and signature due at time of booking.

Now that was for booking a "designated fire pit," to book a "non-designated fire pit" it's a bit trickier. A "non-designated fire pit" is a facility with a fire pit that has not been pre-approved by Toronto Fire Services.

Call the customer service permit call centre, they'll forward you the Toronto Fire Services Form & Parks Protocol Form to complete. Once that form has been approved by Toronto Fire Services, someone from the customer service permit call centre will contact you and issue a permit that'll you sign and pay.

The cost

The cost of renting an approved pit depends on the size of your crew. It's $26.96 for 25 people or fewer, and $88.42 for 26 or more. An unapproved pit is $88.42 regardless, plus an undisclosed additional fee.

Insurance is mandatory, and it's an extra $27 to $54, depending on the crowd. All not including HST.

So is this a seasonal thing?

The regular fire pit permit season is May 1 to October 30, weather permitting, but you can book select fire pits year-round.

Parks with pits

Ashbridges Bay Park

Campbell Park

Carlton Park*

Christie Pits Park*

Corktown Common

Derrydowns Park

Dovercourt Park*

Downsview Dells Park

Dufferin Grove Park

Earl Bales Park

Etienne Brulé Park

G Ross Lord Park

Greenwood Park*

Home Smith Park

Macgregor Playground

Morningside Park

Northwood Park

Orchard Park*

Perth Square Park

Stephenson Park*

Taylor Creek Park

Thomson Memorial Park

Toronto Island Park - Centre Island

Toronto Island Park - Hanlan's Point

Toronto Island Park - Olympic Island

Toronto Island Park - Snake Island

Wallace Emerson Park

Wilket Creek Park

Withrow Park*

*can be booked year-round, depending.