And that’s where Ontario Parks comes in. If there was a more perfect partner to aid me in my aforementioned rediscovery, then I haven’t met them. I had always thought about my beloved provincial parks as places to visit in the dog days of summer, to go camping and all that comes with it. Last summer, I did just that in Algonquin Park. However, shortly after I arrived back in the country this August, I started to talk to Ontario Parks, and they let me know that they had their eyes firmly set on showing Ontarians, Canadians, and, well, anyone, that Ontario Parks are well worth keeping in the forefront of your mind when it comes to winter as well.

Let's get to the nitty gritty though to help you get out there and explore on your own!

The truth is Ontario camping reservations are easy as pie to make. You can make Ontario camping reservations by phone 363 days a year, and online 365 days a year, so you've really got no excuse. You can check out the in-depth rules here, but it's all pretty straightforward.

In sum, you can make reservations up to 5 months before your arrival date. You'll pay 11 bucks to reserve on online and 13 bucks via the phone. You'll be using these services to book campsites, backcountry sites, cabins, yurts and cottages, so the whole gambit. Reservations can't be changed more than 4 months before your arrival date. As I said, I've noted the rules page above if you want to check it out, but it's relatively straightforward. Not to mention every person I was in contact with at Ontario Parks was a treat to be in contact with. The love they have for the parks is clearly evident, and they want to show you what they're all about as much as you want to get out there and explore.

You can search for days and years for the best Ontario provincial parks, but I think you'll find that, for the most part, they all accomplish the same goal - getting you out in nature. It's also a relatively inexpensive experience, so don't stress so much about it. You can do it 5 times in 5 different places, then decide for yourself what your preferences are. You can do the northern ontario campgrounds, then check out the southern ontario campgrounds after. There's no limit, my friends, especially considering how easy Ontario provincial park reservations are to make. I'd start with destinations closer to you, then go from there. Windy Lakes Provincial Park was near Sudbury, which, personally, I didn't feel like was too bad of a ride.

In general, there are plenty of provincial parks worth your time in Ontario, though, such as MacGregor Point Provincial Park.

If you’re looking to spend a day in another province, you can also take a peak at what one winter day in Quebec city is like.

Yurt Camping in Ontario/Cabin Camping in Ontario

You'll note from the picture above that we opted for the cabin. In summer I'm all about the thin tent to get that summer breeze, but that doesn't quite work as well with winter camping in Ontario, now does it? First, let me talk about the "we" in this particular experience.