Arrowhead Provincial Park, Huntsville, Ontario, Canada

Campground Review from G. Marcotte

I initially heard about the campground from working at the central reservation service for Ontario Provincial Parks. I later got more info from OntarioParks.com. I tent camped there in July 2008.

Arrowhead Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada is located off Highway 11 just north of Huntsville. It is easy to find with directions or a map. It is located on Arrowhead Lake and has some beaches for day use. I would consider this park a nature conservation park above all else, more than a recreational park. There are some sections that are radio free (roads 1-4 in the East River campground, from June 23 - Sept 5). The park is divided into 3 main campgrounds, East River, Roe and Lumby. I was camping solo with a dog for two nights midweek in early July 2008.

Pros: Lots of great things about this park. The campsites are excellent quality. The worst sites are slightly sloped, near the privy or are at the corner of two roads. Even given those factors, those sites were the same or better quality than the nicest campsites in most other parks I have visited, and I have visited man). There are numerous small beaches, some of which are walking distance from campgrounds. For example, sites 162 and 163 in the Lumby campground are at a dead end, a very short trail to the beach parking and beach. Just keep in mind the parking area means roads and people with cars, so expect a little more noise. Site 60 and 61 are interesting sites. There is a view of the river below and drops off the back, but they are different from the other sites because they have a view off the back of the site. Many sites have electricity in East River and Roe Campgrounds. In general, I would say the sites in East River were consistently nicer than those in the other two campgrounds, based on privacy, distance from other sites, level tent pad areas. There are very mature trees and good shade on all sites in all three campgrounds. Most sites are generous in size. This is a great park to see nature and take in some nice trails. In two days I saw a very small snake, two rabbits, three deer, toads, birds, chipmunks, fish, etc. No bear sightings for me, but they do have warnings posted. Interactions with staff at front gate and in store were pleasant.

Cons: The showers and comfort station facilities are the low point of this park and are just at a passing grade. The shower water is hot but is merely a trickle. Washrooms are very sparse: only cold water, limited access to soap and no towels or dryers for hands. The comfort station is too far to walk from many of the sites when nature's calling, so be prepared to use the privy. The ones I used were all large and as clean as could be expected; the smell cannot really be controlled, it is typical of that type of facility and is obviously unpleasant. The showers and washrooms are not enough to keep me away from this gorgeous park, and I will happily return. One night had some loud neighbors carousing until well past midnight. I am not sure what happened to the patrols of the campgrounds that are typical of the daytime, because surely the park staff should have said something to this group. The posted guideline for noise is that you are too loud, if other sites can hear you.

Nearby attractions: The park is located in the beautiful and scenic Muskoka region of Ontario. It is located near Huntsville and an easy drive of about 30 minutes from Gravenhurst. Both these towns have some shopping if needed, as well as groceries, gas, fast food. Gravenhurst has a nice park downtown with an impressive waterfall and nice path over and around it. The downtown is quaint with shops and facades that one would expect in a small town in "cottage country." I did not visit Huntsville, so I cannot comment on it as a town. For children and families, there are attractions like Santa's Village nearby.

Further comments: A real gem of a provincial park. I enjoyed my visit despite pouring rain and thunderstorms one night and relatively cold temperatures the next night. I will return one day to take in more trails.

As a solo female, I felt very safe here since I felt the front gate was well controlled, and during the day the park staff were present and patrolled the campgrounds. There is a pet beach here, which is the reason I chose this park over others in the general area within a 2-3 hour driving time from Toronto area. The pet exercise area did not disappoint. It is a nice grassy area away from roads, where the dogs can run around and play in the lake. Apart from that area, dogs are not allowed on any other beaches. This is emphasized by very frequent and clear signage at all beach access points.