Canisbay Lake Campground is located along the main Highway 60 corridor, at kilometre 23.1. The campground is located directly beside the highway, with only a short 1 kilometre paved road leading from Highway 60 into the main campground. The latitude and longitude coordinates of Canisbay Lake Campground are 45.56060°, -78.595666°.

Canisbay Lake Campground is one of the largest campgrounds in Algonquin Park, with 242 campsites. It has electrical sites, dog-free sites, and radio-free sites. It also comes with a range of amenities including a comfort station, flush toilets, showers, and laundry services. Motor boat access is not allowed, however there is a good beachfront to enjoy. Canisbay Lake Campground is a great choice no matter what you’re looking for in your car-camping experience. With the variety of campsites to choose from (some with great privacy) and the wide range of amenities, Canisbay Lake Campground has something for everyone. Being directly beside Highway 60 also means you can easily access other areas of Algonquin Park, and you’ll never be without cell service (which may be a comfort for new campers). 

Canisbay Lake Campground is split into four separate sections; Campground 1 (Site #1 to Site #52), Campground 2 (Site #53 to Site #101), Campground 3 (Site #102 to Site #175), and the Hydro Campground (Site #176 to Site #242). Campground 1 has non-electrical sites and is located closest to the canoe-launch area. Campground 2 contains the dog-free and radio-free campsites. Campground 3 has a mix of electric and non-electrical campsites, and the Hydro Campground contains all electrical campsites.

Canisbay Lake Campground operates from mid-May until mid-October.

With so many campsites to choose from, it’s hard to determine the “best” campsite. Everyone will have their own preferences. If you prefer campsites close to the beach, you may enjoy Campsite #227 and #228 in the Hydro Campground. If you prefer having more shelter from the elements and privacy from other campers, you may enjoy something tucked away in Campground 3, like Campsite #129 or Campsite #163. Of course, if you’re travelling with a dog or if you require an electrical campsite, your choices will be narrowed to the areas within Canisbay Lake that can accommodate your needs.

Canisbay Lake Campground has a combination of electrical and non-electrical campsites, so the fees will vary depending on the campsite you require. The per-night fee for a campsite at Canisbay Lake Campground ranges between $47.46 to $59.33, depending on the campsite. This fee is inclusive of tax. One vehicle permit is included in the price of the campsite fee. For additional vehicles, the price is $14.13, per vehicle, per night.

In addition, there is a non-refundable reservation fee when making your booking. If you book over the phone, the fee is $13.00, and if you book online, the fee is $11.00. If you need to modify or cancel your booking, there is a minimum fee of $10.50 when modifying/cancelling over the phone, or $8.50 when modifying/cancelling online. The above prices are inclusive of tax.

^{More Info:
Developed Campground Fees
Ontario Parks Reservation Fees
Ontario Parks Change/Cancellation Penalties}

To book a campsite at Canisbay Lake Campground, you’ll need to visit the Ontario Parks website. Making a reservation is very straightforward. First, start by visiting reservations.ontarioparks.com. You should automatically be on the “Campsite” tab. In the “Park” dropdown, select “Algonquin – Canisbay Lake”.  Follow the steps from there, and in just a few minutes you can make your reservation for Canisbay Lake Campground.

You can also book a campsite at Canisbay Lake Campground over the phone by calling Ontario Parks directly at 1-888-ONT-PARK (1-888-668-7275).

Remember, reservations can be made starting at 7:00 AM from up to five months in advance of your arrival date! For example, if you’d like to book a campsite at Canisbay Lake Campground for an arrival date of September 1st, you can make your reservation as of 7:00 AM on April 1st.

Please note that Algonquin & Beyond (this website) is a personal blog and is not affiliated with Algonquin Park or Ontario Parks. Reservations cannot be made on this website.

With Canisbay Lake being such a large campground, there’s a lot to explore directly in the area. Canisbay Lake is also a canoe access point, meaning there will be people venturing into the backcountry from Canisbay Lake. Canisbay Lake has 16 backcountry paddle-in campsites as well, making it a popular attraction for people that want to experience backcountry camping without any portaging. If you’re camping at Canisbay Lake Campground, you could consider making a backcountry reservation for a night or two and paddle-in to one of the backcountry campsites.

Even if you didn’t want to camp in the backcountry, you could always rent a canoe or kayak and paddle around Canisbay Lake. If you don’t have your own canoe or kayak, you can rent one from a nearby outfitter. There aren’t any rental services directly at Canisbay Lake Campground, but there are a handful of outfitting rental services nearby that will deliver directly to the campground for you. You can check out this article “A Complete Guide to Renting Canoes in Algonquin Park” to learn more.

If you wanted to venture outside of the campground, there’s plenty of things to do along the Highway 60 corridor. A short drive east or west along Highway 60 will take you to a number of different hiking trails, lookout points, access lakes, and key park attractions like the Visitor Centre, the Logging Museum, and the Art Centre.

One of the nearby hiking trails is the Peck Lake Trail. It’s a short trail, only about 2 kilometre in length. The trail is beginner-friendly and circles the entirety of Peck Lake, offering different views out onto the water throughout different points of the trail. It’s a lesser-known trail but can be a great way to spend a few hours.