Tea Lake Campground is located along the main Highway 60 corridor, at kilometre 11.4. The campground is located directly beside the highway, with only a short entry road leading from Highway 60 into the main campground. The latitude and longitude coordinates of Tea Lake Campground are 45.513677°, -78.719393°.

Tea Lake Campground is one of the smaller campgrounds in Algonquin Park, with only 42 campsites. It doesn’t have any electrical sites, dog-free sites, or radio-free sites. It does come with a range of amenities including a comfort station, flush toilets, showers, and laundry services. Motor boat access is allowed, however there is no good beachfront to enjoy. Tea Lake Campground is a good choice if you’re just getting into camping and may be intimidated by one of the larger campgrounds, or if you just prefer to camp at a smaller campground. 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). 

Tea Lake Campground operates during the May long weekend (with some surrounding dates) and then closes for a few weeks until mid-June, when it stays open continuously until Labour Day.

There are a few “best” campsites at Tea Lake Campground, in my opinion. One of the options on my personal “best campsite” list would be Site #16 or Site #18. I like these campsites because they are directly at the waterfront with their own tiny beach and a beautiful view onto the lake. The beach isn’t large enough to lay out in the sun, but it does provide easy water access, especially if you have a canoe or kayak. These campsites aren’t very large though, and are completely exposed to the elements with limited tree coverage, so they would only be ideal in good weather conditions.

Another campsite that I particularly enjoy is Site #30. I like this campsite because it is the only site at Tea Lake Campground that is totally different than the others. There’s a short trail that leads from the car parking into the main campsite, which is tucked away inland under heavy tree coverage. There are lots of rocks and roots and uneven ground. Sounds rough, right? It kind of is, but it’s very representative of a backcountry campsite rather than a car-camping campsite. And for that reason, I think it’s a great option if you’re travelling with a small group and are looking for something different.

Last but not least, I really enjoy Site #42 because of how private it is. The campsite is located at the very end of the campground, at a dead-end. There’s also a long driveway access into the main area, providing a bit of space from the next nearest sites. It’s spacious and one of the most secluded campsites at Tea Lake Campground. There is one big compromise though; the campsite is very close to the highway, so noise pollution will be a big nuisance. But if you’re ok with noise pollution in exchange for relative privacy, then you might really enjoy Site #42.

Tea Lake Campground only has non-electrical campsites, so all of the campsites throughout the campground have the same per-night fee, with a few exceptions. The per-night fee for most campsites at Tea Lake Campground is $43.79, with a few sites having a fee of $47.46. 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 Tea 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 – Tea Lake”.  Follow the steps from there, and in just a few minutes you can make your reservation for Tea Lake Campground.

You can also book a campsite at Tea 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 Tea 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.

There aren’t many attractions directly at Tea Lake Campground, but luckily there’s lots to do nearby! Tea Lake Campground is adjacent to the main Highway 60 corridor, in the heart of Algonquin Park. 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 Hardwood Lookout Trail. It’s a short trail, only about 1 kilometre in length. The trail is beginner-friendly but it does have an approximate 50 metre incline, so it may pose a challenge to some people. The trail takes you through a lush landscape of hardwood trees and leads to a beautiful vista overlooking Smoke Lake.

The area surrounding Tea Lake Campground is also rich with history. There are lots of sights to see directly on Tea Lake itself, plus you can paddle into the adjacent Canoe Lake to the northeast and Smoke Lake to the southeast. You can paddle past Camp Tamakwa on Tea Lake, stop for lunch at the Algonquin Outfitters Restaurant at Canoe Lake, and check out some Ranger Cabin Ruins and Logging Camp Ruins on Smoke Lake. The best part is, you can do all of this without any portaging!  

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 Tea 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.