8+ Free Campsites In Ontario!

Motorcycle camping across Ontario doesn’t have to drain your wallet

One of the main ways I was always able to afford traveling at all was deciding that I would do my best not to pay for sleep. A great way to do this is through Couchsurfing (if you like meeting new people), but a couple of years ago I discovered the Allstays Camp & Tent app. This app is phenomenal for finding free areas to camp in, as long as you are in the USA.

 

 

I am currently motorcycle camping across Canada, and found free campsites a few times so far by using freecampsites.net. I started this trip on July 9, 2017, and don’t have a return date. Since Canada is more remote than the states, it is INCREDIBLY easy to just find a random place to pitch a tent! As long as there are no signs saying “no overnight parking” or “private property”… chances are, you will most likely be fine camping there. I am absolutely NOT promoting trespassing or any illegal behaviour. I am just sharing my experiences, which will hopefully help you.

So, while motorcycle camping across Ontario from July 9-22 (2017), I only paid for camping ONCE. It was for site in the beautiful Lake Superior Provincial Park, with an ungodly nightly fee of $41.

You should also check out my post on how I afford to live as a motorcycle traveler for more tips on affordable travel, or even just saving money.

 

Here is the list of all the places I stayed when motorcycle camping across Ontario, with locations & reviews!

 

July 9 (Day 1)

Location: Blind River, ON.

My experience: I basically just showed up, parked my motorcycle, and pitched my tent right by the beach. It’s quite sandy and soft, so be prepared. A kickstand wasn’t enough for my bike, I had to use a piece of wood! The generator (and lights!) nearby kept me VERY awake, so I had to put in some earplugs. There was a camper van parked nearby, and no one bothered me.

There was no washroom here, but there are few places (Tim Horton’s, etc) nearby that would have restrooms. The beach has a warning sign about the water, something about it being polluted. So don’t bother using the water here! No signs here prohibiting overnight parking. No picnic benches here either.

 

July 10 (Day 2)

Location: Rabbit Blanket Campground in Lake Superior Provincial Park (Site #35).

My experience: This was the only PAID campsite I stayed at while motorcycle camping across Ontario. It was worth the $41 to me, since this was the beginning of my trip, and I thought of it more as paying for a good hiking experience. The campsites are very private, the showers are warm, and the hikes are incredible. My campsite had a little trail leading to a lake. It was a lovely, peaceful, and an awesome private spot for my morning coffee! 🙂

 

July 11 & 12 (Days 3 & 4)

Location: High Falls in Wawa, ON.

My experience: This is a beautiful spot, right by the falls. I was worried about heavy rain in the forecast, so I parked my motorcycle & pitched my tent right under the picnic area shelter for 2 days to wait out the weather. The road leading up to this place is dirt/gravel, so it will get soft when wet. There’s a bathroom here! A lot of people came and went (to see the falls), but no one seemed to care I was camped there.

The worst thing about this site was the mosquitoes. so be prepared! There is no way to access water here either; I actually had to ask people for water because I ran out, haha. I guess I could have collected rainwater. Another motorcycle traveler showed up here and camped with me one night, and there were a couple of other people who parked overnight in their camper vans. There is also a mini trail nearby, with a sign that says “keep out” and a broken fence. No signs here prohibiting overnight parking.

 

July 13 & 14 (Days 5 & 6):

Location: Pukaskwa National Park, located by Marathon, ON (Site #50).

My experience: National parks in Canada are free for the year of 2017, but campsites are not. I was lucky enough to get to camp here for free, because I was on someone else’s site. Otherwise, I would have camped at one of the free sites in Marathon, ON; either this one or this other one. Tip for you: sometimes you can simply ask other campers if you can share a site (and split the cost), which will be easier on your wallet during long-term travel.

I highly recommend that you visit this incredible national park. This is hands down one of the most magical parks I have ever been to… I can’t believe how empty it was. I was on the beach, alone, for a solid hour! The mosquitoes were the worst I have experienced in my life, so be prepared. At this campground, the washrooms are SO warm, so it was quite a treat. I also let my battery pack charge overnight in one of the washrooms, and no one stole it, so that’s nice!

 

July 15-17 (Days 7-9)

Location: The rest area along HWY 17 in Rossport, ON, or as I call it, “Blissful Rocks Campground”.

My experience: I would say this is the best free campsite in Ontario, in my experience. I basically just saw a picnic sign along HWY 17 and impulsively pulled over. It turned out to be a perfect place to camp! A total score. There were clean outhouses and this place was right on Lake Superior (so, there’s your shower and water source!). It’s right by the Trans Canada Highway so do be prepared for some noise. There is a great spot to pitch a tent, right next to the lake, that is hidden behind some bushes. There are picnic benches there, and even a short trail! I wrote a whole blog post about it here.

The highway service men came by each morning and said nothing, so I eventually approached them, and was told that camping at these rest stops was just fine. I camped here 3 nights and LOVED it. The rocks on the lake are wonderful to relax on, and there are two trees here perfect for hammock hanging. Other people parked overnight here, and some cyclists pitched a tent one night. A hitchhiker even slept right on a picnic bench one night. No signs here prohibiting overnight parking.

 

July 18 (Day 10)

Location: A rest area along HWY 17 near Martin, ON, or as I call it, “Bold Chipmunk Campground”.

My experience: This is another great place I randomly pulled over to. It’s right next to a small lake. There are plenty of places to pitch a tent, and the bugs weren’t that bad. The chipmunks here are INCREDIBLY brave, and way too cute for their own good! Someone showed up to fish and gave me good bug spray and awesome company. There are outhouses here (like most rest areas) but the area near the water is kind of marshy from what I remember. I didn’t use the water here for bathing or drinking but I’m sure it would be fine. A service guy showed up the next morning and said nothing to me once again. No signs here prohibiting overnight parking.

 

July 19 (Day 11)

Location: A random person’s backyard, in Dryden, ON (I was invited!).

My Experience: I was sitting at a Tim Horton’s all day getting some wifi stuff done, and didn’t realize the time was slipping past so quickly. I had been chatting with some random people sitting beside me, so they heard me grumble about being “so tired” and suggested I camp in a nearby parking lot. After a few doubtful responses to “can I camp in this parking lot?”, one of the men, Jimmy (who is a rider), simply invited me to camp on his lawn. I was wiped out, so I agreed. I rode behind him and followed him home.

This was the BEST campsite ever! Reason being… Jimmy actually gave me access to an extension cord. I was able to camp, do some stuff on my laptop in my tent, and charge all my stuff overnight. His granddaughter loved my hair, and his wife didn’t care I was camped on their lawn. I was really happy that someone offered me their lawn rather than let me ride away into the sunset feeling exhausted. I woke up early the next morning and packed up before anyone woke up (to be polite I guess?). Anyways, if you’re in Dryden, ON, apparently the Walmart there allows people to tent camp on the grass by the parking lot.

 

July 20 (Day 12):

Location: Dixie Lake rest stop along HWY 17, 30 minutes west of Kenora, ON.

My experience: So… this place DID have a sign saying “no overnight parking”, but I was tired & sick and pitched a tent anyways, already plotting what to tell the police officer who was probably already on his way over. Nothing happened. There are picnic tables here and a few places to pitch a tent here (but not many), and the highway noise is pretty bad all night. A lot of people parked overnight here, despite the warning sign! I found out later that the warning sign mainly targets truckers.

A service dude came by the next morning and said absolutely nothing when he saw me. It was nice stop, right by the water! This spot was right by a lake, which was sorta warm, so I took a bath there early in the morning and it was great (it’s very bushy and private). A lot of people came to fish here, and there are outhouses as well. The sunrise here was one of the beautiful ones I have ever seen.

 

July 21 & 22 (Days 13 & 14)

Location: The information centre (closed) right on the border of Ontario & Manitoba, by the Ontario welcome sign.

My experience: I camped here for 2 nights because I was sick, and because there was a bad thunderstorm (which I somehow survived). This place was extremely busy, with people constantly coming and going. There are outhouses as well as a “proper” washroom here, with running water (with signs saying it’s unsafe to drink), a private washroom with sink (for birdbaths?), and working plugs in the building in case you want to charge anything.

A cop on a motorcycle, as well as the service people also came by twice, said nothing when they saw my tent. There were picnic tables here, only a few places to pitch a tent, and no signs prohibiting overnight parking. Many other people stayed overnight here. On my second night, TWO other people actually tent camped with me. I wouldn’t want to camp here again because it’s so busy. I saw a picnic area right as I rode into Manitoba the morning that I left, so you might want to check that out too! It’s probably a 1 one minute drive away.

 

Final Words

So there you have it! Motorcycle camping across Ontario doesn’t have to be so expensive. It’s been mostly a combination of freecampsites.net or simply looking for the picnic rest stop signs! It can be exciting not knowing where you’re going to sleep each night. What matters to me most right now is making my road life as affordable as possible.

Please keep in mind I am a slow traveler or more of a “meanderer” which is why I had the luxury of stopping for hikes, wifi sessions, and spending multiple nights at some sites while motorcycle camping across Ontario. I definitely didn’t make a lot of progress in 2 weeks. If you are more of a fast-paced traveler, you might want to put more planning into where you will stay and how much riding you want to do each day. This will ensure you make more efficient use of your time.

 

 

You should also check out my post on how I afford to live as a motorcycle traveler for more tips on affordable travel, or even just saving money.

 

Have you tried free or stealth camping? Are there any awesome places in Ontario you would recommend for free or cheap camping?

I’d love to hear any of your thoughts in the comments below! Also, please share this article on social media or with anyone you think might benefit from this information!

 

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