Fall Camping at Killbear

Picture this: relaxing in a cozy sweater under a blanket full of fall colours. Fires burning and the campsite is all setup.

This was a weekend to remember at Killbear Provincial Park !

We’ve never been fall camping before. But with pandemic protocols and the unexpected summer many were facing we thought postponing our usual July or August trip to September could be a good idea. With the weather on our side we likely experienced the “softer side” of fall camping, shorts were still in order.

However, the beauty of the season was not missed. The colours are absolutely spectacular through Barrie, Muskoka and Parry Sound – and only getting better for the next few weeks.

Killbear Provincial Park has over 1500 campsites. All intertwined through the iconic rocky landscape of Georgian Bay. The windswept trees perfectly outline the sunsets. The water is usually a little rough but we lucked out with a pretty calm weekend, especially for the fall.

It’s such a perfect spot to make some family memories. I think I find it extra special since my Dad has so many fond memories growing up here. Sometimes staying for weeks at a time during the summer. Jumping off the rocks, looking at the stars and burning a campsite fire for days. I love listening to his memories.

And lucky for me I got to spend the weekend with my three favourite dudes. My husband, my Dad and my brother.

This time we walked the nature trail that takes you to the lookout point on the east side of the peninsula. It was a great hike with lots of changing colours. It’s about a 4 kilometer round trip with various terrain. Lots of inclines, boardwalks and rocky trails. If you are familiar with the park you can catch the start of this trail close to the amphitheatre.

This was our dog Sunny’s first camping trip. She did quite well! At first a little unamused at the thought of sleeping in a tent- however she came around! Plus she was the perfect model for some amazing sunset photos. It was nostalgic as I have the same photo with my previous dog Rainbow, always loved this shot so much! Majestic puppies.

After experiencing camping in the fall I have to say the colours make it really special. It’s also a little quieter, which was nice for hiking and space through the sites. It certainly can get cold, just the weekend before the overnight lows were down to 3C , we lucked out with the temps staying about 15 at night and over 20 during the day. It was an above seasonal weekend! The nights get darker a lot quicker so be prepared for the lack of light after 6 – 7 PM.

If you want to capture some amazing colours, hike fascinating trails and maybe even see a rattlesnake ( we did!) Killbear is a great spot to camp this Fall.