Bon Echo Provincial Park is not too far where we live, maybe a 90 minute drive and we have been often, for day trips and multi-day camping trips. We started a trip this year at this park, staying in Ontario again this summer and moved on to other Provincial Parks.
The only issue this year is that they had a horrible derecho go through the park in May thereby shutting down part of the park. It tore through the Park destroying trees and property, it was quite something and I don’t mean that in a good way. The campgrounds near Joe Perry lake and the back country sites on Joe Perry lake were closed and not supposed to open until September. The damage was pretty bad and it was disappointing not to be able to paddle Joe Perry lake or Pearson Lake but there will be other times.
So Bon Echo is pretty famous, (around here anyways) for the “big rock” as seen in above photo. Another view is shown below
They have a couple of campgrounds in the main part and they all have nice sites, we have had several different ones and no complaints. Most are fairly private and a good size. They have lots of trails, 6 in total and one of them is for pets! It’s about 1.4 km in length so dogs can enjoy a nice trail all of their own. The pups even have their own dog beach, we like to walk by there sometimes and watch the dogs play in the water, they are always having so much fun. There are also people beaches !
It’s a great place for canoeing too. Mazinaw Lake, Joeperry Lake, Bon Echo Lake and Pearson Lake. If you are ambitious there is a route you can take, it’s about 21 kms and it takes you past Indigenous pictographson the rocks to the waters of the nature reserve on the east side of the park. One of the portages is 1.5 kms long so be prepared for that.
This is a river in the park that leads to Mazinaw Lake, you can’t go very far down the other end due to trees across the water and other debris.
A trail that goes along the water 
Another view of the river 
The Lagoon where you can rent canoes, kayaks etc 
Heading towards the channel on Mazinaw Lake 
Another view of the rock 
An engraved memorial to Walt Whitman carved on the Rock
If you want to read more about this carving, click here
As I mentioned, they have lots of trails. We like the High Pines Trail although about two years ago we were walking this trail and my camera died. I mean really died, it was not repairable. But I did end up with another, probably better camera, so there’s that…………
High Pines trail 
Bon Echo is a great park and you won’t be disappoined. Now I will mention, there is not a lot to do in the area but I think you will enjoy it. The town of Cloyne is about 6 kms away if you need a couple of groceries.
Until next time…..
Trums Travels 