georgian bay islands national park of canada

Truly enjoyed a lovely cruise around Georgian Bay. The scenery was beautiful! The staff was friendly. The service was great.

My review is limited to the waterways of the park, since we were on a boating tour and didn't set foot on any of the islands. From the water, though, it is simply lovely. So many coves and rocks, islands and shores. The fall colors were stunning, and not even near their peak--would love to see the area in a week or two. We were told it is very busy in the summer, not surprisingly, but on the first day of October, it was quiet, serene, and beautiful--trees, water, rocks, boats, and birds.

A trip to Georgian Bay Islands National Park is a great way to relax in September. If you can go during the week, you will find yourself almost alone. I stayed in one of their cabins which is right on the beach, close to the dock, trails, and amazing views. There's a firepit, BBQ, cookwaer, coffee maker, kettle, plates, utensils, glasses, cutting boards, and more. The fridge is large enough for a few days worth of food. Parks Canada staff will take you over to the island on their shuttle boat (see scheduled times) and then the island is yours to explore! Really great place to visit to experience Ontario outdoor life. Great for kids - there are some play structures near some of the cabins. The night sky is an amazing sight to stare at while around the campfire.

GBINP has become my family's go-to camping destination in Southern Ontario. There is so much to see, do, explore and enjoy on this spectacular island. The added adventure of ferrying over to the island from Honey Harbour gives you a sense of really getting away. Reservations from Parks Canada are straight forward, booking the Day Tripper from Honey Harbour is a breeze and once you are in the capable hands of Parks staff at GBINP you have little else to worry about. The campground is clean, well maintained and has a few extras that make tenting an exceptional experience in any weather. Specifically, some of the campsites have tent platforms (handy for keeping dry in a down pour) and there are several large shelters with wood burning stoves (perfect for baking pizza, cookies, bannock, etc.).The cabins at Cedar Springs are immaculately clean, new, modern, well maintained and equipped with basic kitchen supplies.The park grounds offer forested hiking/biking trails, miles of spectacular rocky shorelines, beaches and wetlands. There are several beautiful beaches - perfect for swimming and splashing with kids of all ages and there are a few maintained open spaces to throw a ball around and even a play ground with swings.My experience with customer service at GBINP has been second to none. Staff were helpful, accommodating, knowledgable about the park and a pleasure to interact with at every point during our stay. Facilities are modern, clean and well maintained and all the staff from maintenance, to boat operators to the visitors centre were friendly with a "how can I help you" customer service attitude.Get there - you won't be disappointed. Remember:- Your camera, the scenery, wildlife and light are a photographers dream.- A warm and dry layer - weather in Georgian Bay can change fast, prepare to deal with cool wet weather.- Your bike - riding the length of the island is a fantastic way to cover a lot of ground and see more of the incredible shoreline.- What poison ivy looks like as it can be spotted all over the island.

I believe this may be one of the nicer parks in Ontario in the fall and a real hidden gem that a lot of people maybe don't know about, but this summer (2014) the bugs were BRUTAL! There is parking in Honey Harbour and shuttle that goes out to the main island Boselie where all of the hiking and camping is located. It is very beautiful on Georgian Bay and there are lots of boats and people enjoying the water. The park itself is kind of cool because it is on an island, there are hiking trails, swimming areas, cabins and activities. Be careful that you are going to the right part of the island, there are two shuttles one to the North (the better side imo) and the South, they have a very difficult to follow schedule online so it is best to just call ahead. There is also only a short window to leave so make sure that you catch your ride back and don't hike so far that you will be cutting it close. As I mentioned before the bugs here are BAD, there were sections of the trail that I was running through to avoid the bugs so make sure you come prepared. Bug spray will only attract them to you, I would recommend a full bug suit for this place or better yet come in Sept/Oct when the bugs are dead!

Our three day trip to Beausoleil Island in Georgian Bay Islands National Park was the perfect summer get away for our young family. With a busy 2 year old in tow, equipped camping at the Cedar Springs Campground ensured that our time was spent having fun with our daughter and not hauling and setting up equipment. The offer comes with a large prospector tent, cots, tables and chairs, an easy to use coleman stove, cook tent and lantern. There is even a dining tent to get away from the bugs if you need to. Nearby, we enjoyed the warm shallow beaches, grassy picnic areas, play structure and exploring the Lookout Trail and the endless rolling granite rock. Our daughter particularely enjoyed the Interpreter and his reptile display and of course meeting Pineapple the Fox Snake. Don't forget a hatchet for kindling, deck of cards, lighter, dishes, head lamp, and ear plugs aren't a bad idea as with any campground there is always bound to be a few folks wanting to stay up later than most. One last note, Poison Ivy is very abundant on the Island so watch where the kids wander and if you're hiking, not a bad idea to wear hiking boots and long pants.

The boating on Georgian Bay is fantastic. There are many bays to be discovered & the boaters are the friendliest & helpful as anywhere in the world. Docks are available for even the largest vessels or just "stay on the hook" and enjoy the fantastic views and nature.

I just moved to the area a couple years ago, and because of places like Beausoleil Island, I feel it was the best decision I ever made. Beausoleil Island itself is just a 10-minute boat ride across the bay from me and by far one of the coolest, most peaceful places I've ever been. This place is such a gem, and it's the ONLY place my partner and I will camp.Beausoleil has multiple camp sites, but the best ones are Oaks, Chimney Bay and Honeymoon Bay. Honeymoon has one of the better views, as well as a pavilion that overlooks lots of bedrock islands with the famous Georgian Bay windswept white pines. Most of the camp sites have between 6 and 10 sites each. There is a main facility that has something like 36 sites, complete with showers and all the "frills" (by camping standards). Most of the other ones just have composting toilets, and a few have outhouses. Sandpiper is nice (has one of the better beaches), but there's an outhouse there and it can get pretty rancid in hot weather. The composting ones are at least raised up and inside cedar shacks, so they're not as bad.Each camp site has a mixture of tent stations that are either on wooden platforms, or just a plot on the ground. Go for the platforms if you can snag one - much better. Quite a few of them are in sunny spots, which sucks if you wake up feeling like you're in an oven. Chimney Bay and Oaks both have nice shady spots, and Chimney Bay has a pavilion with bear-proof food bins that you can store your coolers and stuff in.I think the trails are pretty nice. I have only done the ones on the north side of the island, but a few of them have beautiful panoramic views - fairy and massassauga trails being two of them. Bring hiking boots or running shoes if you plan on doing this. Flip flops and sandals are impractical.The water around Beausoleil is crystal clear, and very nice for swimming. Papoose Bay has an awesome sandbar, and it's perfect for just anchoring or beaching and lounging for the afternoon.I've yet to see a rattlesnake, but never assume that you won't. The ONLY problem I have with Beausoleil Island is the cost - particularly with dockage. It was going to cost my partner and I over $80 to camp in a tent for 2 nights... because we have a 26' boat that we had at the dock, and you get dinged $.90 a foot if you're staying overnight. That costs more than the camping itself! you can beach it for a lot cheaper, but they still charge you for it. And DON'T buy the firewood from the Parks Canada guy when he comes. It'll all poplar and soft wood, which means you'll burn through it in no time. Bring your own wood if you can.I saw some reviews in here making mention of a couple redundant things, like mosquitos, the noise of boats and cottagers. Why do you think they call it COTTAGE country? Yes, there are lots of cottages in this area of Georgian Bay, but it's one of the most popular cottage destinations in Canada. They're spread out; there's just a lot of them. If you're making a trip to Beausoleil Island on a weekend in the summer, and you want peace and quiet, then you're picking the wrong time. Weekends are when the cottagers come up, and when boat traffic is at a peak. Come during the week, when hardly anyone is around, and you'll get the experience you're seeking. If you're traveling to the island by canoe, then coming during the week and transiting over to the island in the evening, around 6 or 7, then you'll probably have calm water. But do that from Honey Harbour, as the canoe trip wouldn't be so long, and the risk of rough channel water is reduced.As for mosquitos... if you're aware that they are bad in spring and early summer, then you should know exactly what to expect. You're in the woods, on the water, surrounded by forest in hot weather. Don't go camping in June unless you want to look like a pin cushion. But, in August they're not bad at all. I'd be more concerned about ground wasps, personally.Lastly, reviews making complaints about rowdy campers really shouldn't reflect on the national park itself. It doesn't matter WHERE you go, if you're camping then there's always going to be that one group who wants to party... especially on busy weekends. If you're at an isolated spot that's far from the main camp, then there aren't any park staff around to come over and tell them to shut it down. The warden only comes, usually, once a day to the camp sites... and sometimes not at all during the week. All you would have to do is simply move to another spot if it's that bad, which shouldn't be a big deal if you avoid busy weekends.

We walked no more than 2 hrs then gave up. Mosquitos everywhere. None of our protection work. Chatted with staff and found they felt strange too. Keep close to water and avoid get into forest. Boat ride to the island is awesome! Few passengers, great view!

Hello Allison,Thanks for taking the time to share your comments with us.Our campsites are booked through a national reservation service on contract with a private firm. We are sorry you were disappointed with the cancellation policy and customer experience. We have reviewed your call and concerns directly with the reservation service. We trust that you found your experience dealing directly with the park to cancel your DayTripper boat reservation to be positive with a prompt refund of those fees. We also hope you will consider visiting Georgian Bay Islands National Park in the future. Thanks again and have a good rest of the summer.Georgian Bay Islands National Park staff