Reviews of Frontenac Provincial Park (Park)

Jacob Matthews

A really beautiful and well maintained park. Signage on trails is thorough. Picnic tables, food lockers, and packed tent pads at backcountry sites is a real treat. Privies at each site cluster might seem nice, but I think I prefer site …

Michelle-Andrea Girouard

A great provincial park for a beginner backcountry camper. I’ve gone solo camping twice now with my dog (leashed, unleashed at my campsite while keeping an eye on her). I’ve come across a few hikers on my route to the #6 campgrounds, so I felt both safe and relatively secluded. Being by the lake was perfect. Hiked in the summer during peak mosquito season and again in September when it was chilly and crisp.

Sharon Sajan

First and foremost, such great customer service. Derryl (sp?) and Kayla at the park office was so friendly, helpful, and just an absolute pleasure! …

Nikolas Brideau

Very well maintained park, lots of trail to hike. The park is extremely well marked, it is a joy to navigate. The staff is incredibly helpful and friendly. 90% of camping sites are equipped with bear boxes to keep you and your food safe. I've done backcountry backpacking there a few times as well as a few day hikes and would absolutely recommend this place to anyone.

Olaf Comes

Very nice park. Went on a 4 day canoeing trip. Nice clean camp sites. Just didn't like the fact that all the sites are grouped together at one end of the lake. Not Very private. The portage and hiking trails are in very good shape. Also they have bear proof containers at each camp site for your food.

Mark Cullum

Compact treasure of a park. Really well-equipped sites for "backcountry" camping, with picnic tables, food storage boxes, outhouses. Lots of snakes, frogs, beavers, turtles and deer. The trails are well marked and maintained. All sites can be reached by canoe or hiking in. Note that some involve long portages relative to the paddling distance.

Danielle Ryan

Stayed at 10d Devil Lake. It was a gorgeous spot and pretty easy hike in. Terrain only has moderate hills, way easier than Algonquin. Lots of gorgeous sites and lookouts, excellent hiking. I will definitely be back!

Joe Anstey

The best backcountry hiking and camping around. It's easy to get to so it can be hard to get a campsite. Trails are very well marked.

Air

Beautiful hiking trail and lake! Lots of different outdoor activities to do. If you live in Toronto, it's quite the drive so I would suggest coming in the morning and buying the day pass to stay all day. Day pass is 15.25 or something like that. Think it's cheaper for seniors...? Well worth the price though!

Cole Kash

The trails are super nice. However the campsites are sometimes right next to each other or along the main trail..you lose that back country feel. The bear boxes are excellent. Outhouses lack proper ventilation. For the most part it's a Decent hike in camp.

Ian Nairn

Not as accessible this year as prior years have been but thats expected. It is a great park with a number of access points. The backpacking and canoeing opportunities are enjoyable for all ranges of experience. For ease of access from the GTA and being able to feel that off-grid experience I prefer Frontenac and Algonquin.

Alina Witjes

Love this park, have hiked a number of the trails, but never partook in the off-grid camping here (only type of camping offered). Used to work at the park though, and there are tons of camp site options of varying portaging difficulties, need to book early though (especially in the summer).

Jessica Finnie

Just got back from a 4 day camping trip to Frontenac. It's really a lovely park, with easy trails and good swimming. Makes for a rewarding and relaxing trip, but definitely not challenging. Also the sites are extremely close together, but …

Rada Marza

Love the trail and the picnic area was clean and quite but not really safe for kids. also, there were a washrooms .

David Warner Henderson

Went on the May long weekend to Camp 7 site C. Hiking to the camp site is 5 kms from the office parking lot, however the incline/decline can be +/- 80feet in some locations. The trail is pretty well maintained however over the course of the winter some larger trees have fallen over selections of the trail that require minimal deviations. The mosquitoes are the worst of the trip, however with a good current of wind from the river and/or fire smoke they can be tamed. After 8pm they all but disappeared every night. Each site at camp 7 had it's own 'bear box' (pictures), picnic tables and grill fire pit. These items added more security and reveal knowing bears aren't an issue, there is a place to sit for meals and the food we bring can be luxurious in taste. We had steak the first night, chicken breasts for second and third nights. There is plenty of fire wood and material on the ground to use to start a fire, but having fire starters (lint from dryer and fire starters from dollar store) worked wonders for Day 2 when it heavily rained all day/night. If you plan a long stay make sure to have a day pack with your expedition pack to insure you can travel to other parts of the Park and it is a must to purchase a detailed park map which can aid in your exploration. Frontenac park has more to offer so do your research and call the office to be informed. October 14, 2018 Camp at site 11a Amaxing view of the lake and stars. Perfect spot for privacy and close enough to kingsford dam parking area to go back to get resupply or beer.

Tanya B

I was recently here for a few days and it was almost great... please note that the park is stunning including the drive up from 401. South Frontenac area is beautiful! I am giving this 5 stars because the nature is amazing and the park did try to make it a pleasant experience for the whole family even though it's the backcountry. So, unlike Algonquin, Frontenac is more glamping into the backcountry because they have bear boxes vs you trying to tie your bag up a tree. Secondly, there are flat tent pads that are 14' x 14' which would fit two tents tightly or there may be space on surrounding grass for another tent if you prefer to be a bit further away from your friends. There is a iron fire pit, a bench and a picnic table as well. My biggest con is that there is little privacy because the sites sit in clusters close together. Also, pictures aren't reliant as to how great a site might be...so I was recently at Little Clear Lake at site 9b and aside from the view, it had nothing else going for it. The water access was terrible; really steep or awkward and the swimming was full of dead wood and weeds. I found a spot between 9b and 9c that was perfect for water pumping. Also in pictures, 9c looks terrible but they have the best swimming/ water access - as soon as my neighbors left, I took advantage of the swimming ???? Aside from the camping, the hike in took about 4hours (I went from the left side and it was a bit tough but also it was a hot day. ) But on the way back, I went from the right (side of the trail map,) and it took me 2hrs to get to the car.... also was a cooler day, but the trail was easier too! I would go there again, but would think twice about the campsite option next time - I prefer more quite so perhaps a corner site or maybe something off a smaller lake because then you might not have too many families portaging (kids are kids and they will be loud...) Edit: Photos are from my second trip last year. Frontenac is perfect for beginners which is why I came back with a cousin who's previously never been to the backcountry. The forest photo is from the trail adjacent to little clear lake on right side (trail I longer but easier than going from the left side.) The lake photo is little Salmon lake that I highly recommend! Easy water access for all sites and crystal clear water!

Alireza Jalaeian

I liked they put new bridges along the hiking area. We went there in the first week of May and no flies were there. Had a chance to see some Beavers and turtles.

Daryl Tremain

Well marked trails, excellent map, beautiful terrain, Frontenac Park is an wonderful resource to have access to, less than an hour from Kingston. One inconvenience is having to go to the park office to buy a day pass to park the car, but it is not far, and worth the detour to support the park and also get useful info at the same time.

Bill Aubrey

Supremely well maintained! Signs are all excellent, there was zero trash anywhere. Everything was perfect. Even the lakes are nice clean lakes that taste excellent once filtered. Staff was ultra friendly and knowledgeable. Fantastic place to spend a couple of nights.

Daniel Hefford

GO HERE IN THE FALL. The colours here are amazing. The parking lots are easy to find with lots of spots. The trails are insanely well marked. Leave no trace please. I picked up quite a bit of garbage along the trail.

Tamon Gittens

Amazing Provincial Park!! Spent 3 days hiking at Frontenac while staying in Kingston for a mini vacation. Explore Cedar Lake Loop North (Dedication North), Little Slide Lake Loop, Arkon Loop, and Doe Lake Loop covering about 40kms over 3 days. Very helpful front desk, ran into some fun and friendly fellow hikers each day, and the scenery was great!! Tons of snake encounters day 1, and 2 Does on day 3. Overall great park, and will definitely be back for some backcountry camping soon

jean-pierre meloche

Amazing provincial park to explore. So many trails leading to beautiful lakes and ponds. Very family friendly place.

Nick Fedele

Great place, typical provincial park. The things you need to know. Pros - the portage routes are well labeled and maintained. They provide food lockers which make life easy. Tons of hiking trails. Beautiful scenery. Cons - sites are grouped in 4 and are really close togeather. Ticks, and lots of them. Poison ivy, and lots of it. Will probably go again because it's so close but only for weekend trips.

Ken Niemimaa

Wonderful hike, beautiful views. Many different trails fit for all levels of hiker

Thomas Lucas

Great backcountry sites! Locations to challenge hikers of most abilities. Beautiful country and abundant wildlife, and sites are well maintained by staff. PI is under control at sites I visited and clearly marked when near camping areas.

Sumit Kumar

It is nice secluded place in East. Donot expect all those amenities you get at recreational park. This is kind of back country park. It has tonnes of hiking trails. On weekends, its self service and cash only.

Ben Kelly

Gorgeous park with beautiful clear lakes surrounded by an amazing and special landscape. The park is on the Frontenac Axis, part of the Canadian Shield. Clustered campsites can be a little too close at times, and some campsites don't have …

Stefan Somborac

Beautiful, semi-wilderness provincial park. The campsites are clustered. Within a cluster, sites are sometimes close enough to hear conversations from your neighbours. So, there's much less privacy than at other parks, which isn't great if you're a small group on a single site, but is perfect if you're a large group with several tents.

Mehrwash Faruqi

Amazong views. A fun hike to do with friends and family, lots of bridges, tricky paths changing scenery. Thoroughly enjoyed. We did the Arab gorge trail and some of Doe Lake Trail. Our 5 year old enjoyed walking them.

Yan Iris

We rented snowshoes, they were well maibtained, 15/pair include poles. It was my first time trying snowshoeing. I really like it. They have self service for late return. quite convenience

Paul G

Solid option for hiking and backpacking trips. An abundance of incredible views from relatively easy hiking trails. Great for wildlife sightings (deer, wild turkeys, porcupines, beavers, snakes and more). Ticks are prevalent in the park so bring tweezers.

Nora Tremmel

On the way from Toronto to Montreal we looked for a national park to enjoy the Indian summer/ foliage. We chose the wonderful Frontenac Provincial Park. It is best to drive directly to the Park Office to get the required parking ticket (15 dollars per car) and a map of the various hiking trails. There are short and easy as well as more difficult paths. We picked the Arkon Lake Loop (11km). It leads over roots and rocks, so good shoes are helpful (but I survived in sneakers as well). The path is really beautiful, you pass several lakes and you can see a lot of animals.

A Zadeh

Many trail to walk. Just come early to have enough time to walk as much as you can.

Christopher Roth

We've made multiple trips to Frontenac and love this compact interior class park. We have canoed and backpacked through various parts of the park. The campsites have been stellar which good quality tent pads, picnic tables, food lockers and latrines. Some more distance between sites at some clusters would have been good. The southwest of the park is lacking campsites and could use two additional clusters, perhaps one for backpacking only. Park staff have been helpful and with multiple access points there many trips lengths possible. Enjoy the Canadian Shield!

criiickle83

A beautiful park! Amazing place for backcountry camping! I love most sites i have stayed at. Just make sure you can swim and drink the water before booking. I stayed at Lynch lake this past week and we had to hike to little clear lake for …

Courtland Ruel

A stunningly lovely and well-kept park. Picnic tables, food lockers, and packed tent pads at backcountry sites is a real treat. If you live in Toronto, it's quite the drive so I would suggest coming in the morning and buying the day pass …

Pavitra Ram

Just about my favourite place to hike, ever! And it's rarely busy, you won't bump into a lot of people on most of the trails (well, the ones that aren't right near the main office). The scenery is ever-changing and you won't get bored. Remember to get a parking pass and display it!

Armaan Ladha

Lovely provincial park with extremely well marked trails. Did the small slide lake loop and absolutely amazing. It is a moderate terrain with lots of climbing rocks which is a good change from city. Highly recommended this trail.

Sam deZ

Great park. Lots of hiking. Great back country sites. Did the Little Salmon Lake loop (11km). Moderately difficult beatiful trail with lots of wood platforms over ponds. Saw a few great sites that we intend to camp at some point. Great experience.

Dominik Rimann

Very beautiful Provincial Park. It is not too big, but it has many to offer. A lot beautiful Trails for any level of experience. The Trails are well signed and good prepared. The Park staff was very friendly and gave us good recomendations. We rented also a Canoe and made a short tour through a couple of small lakes. We saw a lot animals and could perfectly enjoy our hole trip in the park. We also enjoyed that the park was not to crowded and we could enjoy the silence of nature. There are also a few good spots to picnic. I would recomend to go to the park for a couple days and stay with a tent.