Camping at Sibbald Point

Sibbald Point Camping Grounds 

Sibbald Point Provincial Park is a beautiful outdoor family recreational spot with sandy beaches, sunny and shaded campsites, large grassy picnic areas and a forested hiking trail.  It is a rocky beach by the Simoce lake with all amenities to make your camping/outing/picnic a memorable experience.

The first time I went camping with my family for a weekend was when the boys were still young (about 8 and 11).  I live in the east end of Toronto and was looking to go away for a weekend outdoors to a place I could drive within one-two hours from Toronto.  We wanted to enjoy some time outdoors, disconnect the kids from all the electronic entertainment gadgets and simply relax, unwind, and appreciate nature. I wanted my boys to experience living, even if just for two days, without all of the amenities they take for granted being in the luxury of a home where everything just seems to happen like magic because of a person called “mom”.

The place I picked for this weekend trip - Sibbald Point Provincial Park , a provincial park located in Sutton West, Ontario, on the southern shores of Lake Simcoe, about 70 kilometres north of Toronto. To give you a little bit background, The Sibbald family sold the property in 1951 to the County of York and it was opened as a County Park until 1956 when the County conveyed it to the Province. The property was then renamed as Sibbald Point Provincial Park and opened in 1957. 

Besides being designated as provincial park by Ontario, the park also has a museum dedicated to life in rural Ontario during the mid-nineteenth century and is known as the Sibbald Memorial Museum or Eildon Hall.  Another important structure is the St. George's Anglican Church built in 1877 by Susan Sibbald's sons and was dedicated as a memorial to her.

Amenities at the Park

• Plenty of parking available all over the park depending on the spot you want to pick for a picnic or for camping.
• Barbeques
• Picnic tables
• Water park
• Public washrooms
• A small gift shop and restaurant
• Kids park
• Public Showers for campers
• Washing areas for dishes
• Electrical outlets in camping sites
• Outdoor movie shows

Activities at the Park

• Camping
• Hiking
• Biking
• Bird watching
• Boating
• Swimming
• Canoeing
• Fishing
• Sports such as volley ball, soccer, Frisbee, etc.

Fee for Camping and Entry to the Park

The entry fee for a day and for camping is very reasonable and you can get this information or making booking via Ontario Parks website.

Things to Pack for Camping

If you are keen camper, you know from experience what to take with you when you camp, but if you are going camping for the first time, here is a link that I use as a checklist which is a very comprehensive list. http://www.lovetheoutdoors.com/camping/checklists.htm

Lastly, make sure you take your camera to capture all of those Kodak moments of your life and share them with your families and friends.  Of course, do not forget to write back your comments about how helpful my blog is and what I could add to my blog in order to help new campers going to Sibbald Point.