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7 Things You May Not Have Known About Camping On Crown Land In Ontario, Canada

This post was updated on March 15th, 2024

If you’re not familiar with Crown Land, you can discover it in Ontario, Canada. Crown Land represents 85% of the entire province. It not only provides opportunities for economic development, but also tourism and recreation – including an unforgettable camping trip! However there are a few certain things that you may want to keep in mind before hopping in your RV and heading up north – for example:

Landscape Pic

1. First and foremost, you might need a camping permit.

If you’re from Canada, you can camp for free up to 21 days on any one site in a calendar year. Non-residents will need a camping permit to camp on Crown Land north of the French and Mattawa rivers, unless you rent a camping unit (i.e. tent or a trailer), your spouse owns property in Ontario, you work in Canada, you’re on an overnight watercraft, or you’re part of a charitable or non-profit group. If none of these criteria fit, permits are available online here.

2. You can camp for up to 3 weeks straight at any one site throughout the whole year.

This ensures that sites are available for other campers and also helps reduce the impact on the environment. Nevertheless, a full 21 days should be plenty of time to fully enjoy your stay – and you can always plan for another trip later on in the year!

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Down the Road

3. If you’re 18 to 64 years old, a fishing license is required if you’re out on the water.

In addition, you must also follow certain limits for how many fish you can catch and also how many you can keep. Check out their full list of fishing limits and size restrictions here for more information.

4.  Before you start a campfire, be sure to check if it’s permitted in your area.

There are several places where campfires are prohibited altogether due to seasonal conditions. Be sure to take a look at their specific outdoor fire restrictions on their website here!

Tracks and Trails

5. You can enjoy endless outdoor recreation for free!

Excluding provincial parks, there are many activities you can partake in around the area that don’t require a lot of money or a license, including hiking, biking, boating, canoeing, cross-country, water skiing, swimming and much more.

6. Crown Land is generally not maintained, remote and should be used at your own discretion.

Don’t forget to always leave the site clean, never harm the surrounding nature, stay on existing trails and never leave your campfire unattended!

7.  To find out where to camp, check out the Policy Atlas!

This Policy Atlas allows you to view Crown Land and the conservation reserve boundaries in the area to create your very own maps for a variety of purposes.

Jibs / Reddit

All in all, Crown Land is one amazing region for a trip. Have you gone camping in this area before? Share your thoughts below!




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