managed undergrowth
Awenda Provincial Park is located just outside of Midland, Ontario from the top of a bluff overlooking Georgian Bay down to the Bay itself. There are 4 pet free beaches however a 5th is reserved for pets. The beaches front onto Georgian Bay and are protected from wind and large waves by Methodist Point that projects into the Bay. It’s large; having 6 separate camping areas which are separated in tenting or trailering sites. Some are radio free, two have electricity hookup, 3 have laundry facilities, none have water hookups, and all are connected to one of the 7 different hiking/biking trails. There are about 27 kms of trails, the longest, the Bluff Trail, being 13 kms in length. There are 2 lakes within the park as well. Both are large enough to canoe or kayak. Park staff are helpful, the park facilities are clear, and the water in the washrooms and showers is hot. They even gave us a free can of beans that we ate with the BBQ steak on our 2nd night.
We hiked a few of the trails, checking out the beaches, the old farm property of the Robitaille Homestead, as well as the trail overlooking the bluff. The trails going up and down the bluffs are steep. For part of the hike to the homestead we were escorted by 4 or 5 Blue Jays that kept leapfrogging ahead of us along the trail. They took flight every time I got one in camera focus. The remains of the barn and house foundations are still visible. They lived here from 1912 to 1974 and had 11 children. The house foundation didn’t look as big as the 2-car garage Jennifer and I built. It must have been quite snug. A sign at the homestead described the family and farm including the fact that a major part of the farm was incorporated into the park. We were here May 16-18 and it has been cool lately. The bugs, mosquitoes and blackflies, at the campsite are a nuisance but no more so than at home. On the trails and down by the beach we rarely saw or heard one. The soil in the area seems to be quite sandy even up on the bluff and there was very little standing water that we could see. Evidence, apparently, of the ancient ocean that covered this area of the Province.
We also kayaked around Kettle Lake. It’s about 1km long by 1/2 km wide. It was a nice easy size to navigate and, with the breeze and sunshine, an excellent way to spend part of the day.
Kayaking Kettle Lake
The water temp was cool and the air temp finally hit the mid to high 70’s. If we had our shorty wet suits Jennifer was going go for a swim.
Back at the campsite we sat outside enjoying the breeze, the sounds of the birds, including the woodpeckers around us tapping away in turn. The campsites are large, quite large, and even further apart. The Pinery Provincial Park is beautiful but this place beats it just due to the amount of treed space between sites. The forest in Awenda is made up of trees that are tall and straight and have a managed undergrowth allowing for an amazing tree canopy, privacy, yet the ability to have a breeze at ground level.
It is a great park and it’s one we will return to again, especially since it’s close to home.