Located only one hour and forty-five minutes from Toronto and under ninety minutes from Kingston, Presqu’ile Provincial Park is a natural haven situated on Lake Ontario, Popham Bay, and Presqu’ile Bay. With numerous activities and a number of campground options to choose from, the park is an ideal nature getaway.
Campgrounds and Facilities at Presqu’ile
There are eight campgrounds at Presqu’ile totaling over 390 individual campsites, in private wooded areas. Over seventy campsites have electrical outlets in the Pines, High Bluff, Trails’ End, and Elmvale Campgrounds. The non-electrical campsites include Maples, Lakeside, Hidden Valley, and Craigs which is also a radio-free campground. With the exception of Craigs Elmvale, and Trail’s End, all other campgrounds include a comfort station washroom or a comfort station that also includes showers.
Reservations for campgrounds at Presqu’ile can be made by phone or online and are recommended in the summer months although there are often day-of campsites available at the park office. Its location and amenities make it an ideal alternative to the popular but often over-crowded Sandbanks in Picton.
A camp store is on-site selling firewood and kindling, snacks, camping equipment, and household items.
Swimming and Water Activities at Presqu’ile ProvincialPark
Presqu’ile is ideally located on a peninsula surrounded by water on three sides. With a designated swimming and beach area on Popham Bay, fishing on Presqu’ile Bay, and campsite views of the rocky Lake Ontario shore, Presqu’ile Provincial Park offers the chance for many water-based activities.
The long sandy beach at Popham Bay is lined with picnic tables. The beach is not accessible by foot from any of the campgrounds due to the large nature of the park. However, there is ample parking at Popham Beach as well as overflow parking at the adjacent beach used for kite sailing and boardsailing. As well, there are several comfort station facilities with flush toilets located at the three main parking areas. The shallow water and sandy beach make it a popular destination for both campers and daily visitors.
Nature Trails, Bird Watching, and Hiking
Presqu’ile is well-known by bird watchers as it is home to a number of species. A bird sighting board is located near the park office where bird waters are encouraged to post details on their sightings around the park.
A new marsh boardwalk has been completed for the summer of 2010. The boardwalk trail winds its way through the natural marshland, home to many native species. Visitors should use caution and come prepared with bug spray as the wet area is usually rife with mosquitoes.
A hiking trail is located on the eastern end of the campground. The hiking trail covers a large area amid the trees near the shore of Lake Ontario.
There is also an amphitheatre on-site near the Maples campground which features weekend shows and information on the park. These are usually held in the evenings during the summer months on Saturday. Check the park schedule for updated times and events.
Lighthouse Interpretive Centre and Nature Centre
Located on the eastern end of the park, the Lighthouse Interpretive Centre- located at the base of the real lighthouse- features an informative display on the history of the park and Brighton area. Several interactive displays including how to tie several sailor’s knots and video displays featuring dive footage of some of the sunken ships located off the coast of Presqu’ile, and a theatre detailing the sinking the Speedy sailing ship during a storm on Lake Ontario are popular with kids and adults alike. A model of the Presqu’ile lighthouse is also a popular feature. During the summer months, the Lighthouse Interpretive Centre runs a history program on Friday nights featuring tales from area locals.
The Lighthouse Gift Shop run by the Friends of Presqu’ile is located at the Lighthouse Interpretive Centre offering gifts and local crafts.
The Nature Centre has live frogs, snakes, fish, and turtles that are native to the park. It details the natural history the park has to offer. Open daily during the summer from 10:00am to 4:00pm and weekends in the fall, the Nature Centre is located on Lighthouse Lane en route to the Lighthouse Interpretive Centre.
Rachel West - Rachel resides in Toronto, Ontario and works as an Online Merchandiser for Entertainment, writing about the latest DVDs and CDs for a high ...
