Ontario Parks Reservations: Window, Fees and Backcountry Rules

How the five-month window works

Reservations are accepted up to five months in advance of arrival. For example, you can book January 15 for an arrival date of June 15. Reservations with an arrival date of July 29, 30 and 31 first become available on March 1 at 7:00 am Eastern Time.

Car campsites can be reserved with the build your stay function, which lets you move campsites during your stay. The five-month rule is enforced as you move: a later night beyond the window cannot be added yet.

Fees and penalties

For April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027, the reservation fee is $11.00 online and $13.00 through the call centre or at a park, HST included. The minimum fee to change or cancel is $8.50 online and $10.50 by phone.

If you cancel or shorten a campsite reservation before 12:00 pm Eastern Time on your arrival date, Ontario Parks charges a penalty of 10 to 50 percent of the total value of the cancelled nights, based on how long you held the reservation. After that time, a one-night penalty is added.

Car camping stay limits

The maximum stay on a car campsite is 23 consecutive nights at most parks and in the off-season. At select parks it is seven or fourteen nights between July 1 and the Saturday of the Labour Day long weekend.

Backcountry reservations

Ontario Parks sells backcountry camping four ways. A specific campsite is reserved for each night. A lake zone or area is reserved for each night, with first come, first served campsites inside it. An entry quota, at Quetico only, reserves the access point where you start. At some parks every campsite is first come, first served.

Algonquin is a lake zone park, Killarney and Frontenac are specific campsite parks, and Quetico uses the entry quota. The maximum stay on one backcountry site is 16 consecutive nights, and the maximum across all backcountry sites in one itinerary is 23 nights. Backcountry fees are paid in full at the time of reservation.

Questions