Image via Frontenac Provincial Park
Ontario Parks flood with visitors in the summertime, but in the colder months, select locations remain open so that winter lovers can enjoy the beautiful landscapes. Frontenac Provincial Park is a must if you’re looking to explore a vast, snowy landscape, taking up 5,355 hectares on the southern edge of the Canadian Shield.
Skiing, snowshoeing, winter hiking, you name it, they got it
Frontenac Provincial Park sits along the Canadian Shield in Sydenham, Ontario, 45 minutes outside of Kingston.
If you’re driving in from Toronto or the GTA, it will take you around four hours to get there. You will also need to grab a day pass, which starts at $12.25 per vehicle for the day.
Strap on those skis, people. Frontenac has 4 km (8 km loop) of trails marked for cross-country skiing, and the sights of snow-covered trees make it extra special.
There are “easy slopes for novices on the Big Salmon Lake Road ski trail,” and in addition to the track-set trails, a handful of spots along the way have “a rugged ambiance,” for experienced cross-country skiers.
If skiing is a little ambitious for you, try your hand at snow-shoeing. The park has no shortage of trails for snow-shoers. I’m talkin’ 100 km. Some of the most popular snow-shoeing trails include the 8 km Corridor Trail, the 3 km Doe Lake Loop and the easy 1.5 km Arab Lake Gorge Loop.
For those who are up for a longer journey, the 8 km Bufflehead Trail, located 2 km from the Park Office, is the perfect choice. If you don’t have a pair of snowshoes, you can rent a pair from the Park Office!
While back-country camping isn’t for me, it is for a lot of other people and this is the place to do it. According to Ontario Parks, “Frontenac provides a secluded connection with nature only a few hours from major cities such as Toronto, Ottawa, or Montreal.” The park boasts 51 interior campsites which come with a tent pad, firepit, picnic table, privy, and food locker.
Back-country campsites start at $11 per adult.
An epic winter adventure is ahead!
Where: 6700 Salmon Lake Rd, Sydenham, ON
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