Bon Echo Provincial Park - One of Ontario's most popular parks!

One of our favourite provincial parks in Eastern Ontario is Bon Echo. It's not a very big park. It's only 66 square kilometres. But what Bon Echo might lack in size, it makes up for in things to do and see. Of course, there's the incredible Mazinaw Rock. There's great hiking, swimming. And it's the only provincial park that has a boat tour to go and see over 200 native Canadian pictographs. It's a really special place. We are Terry and Cindy O'Keefe. And we've been camping together for more than 40 years. And we invite you to join us as we share our latest RVing experiences and adventures. When you arrive at Bon Echo, proceed straight to the gatehouse. From there, you'll be directed to a second gatehouse a little further in the park. And that's where you will actually register. Bon Echo has a modern double-lane sanitation station with potable water and a separate water-fill facility. Very nice. Hope you're paying attention, Algonquin. There's currently three front country campgrounds that are open. Fairway, Midway, and Sawmill Bay, which is our favorite and where we were staying. The campground roads wind through a forest of tall hardwoods and pines. The trees are close. That's a really pretty sight. The view down through the trees to the lake and Mazinaw Rock. I remember walking down there. 125 and 126. Here we are. Electricals here. It's going to be a long run, though, of course. So we carry the 25-foot electrical cord that came with the trailer. And then we've got a 40-foot and a 25-foot extension. Thought we were going to need them all, but literally, the two cords are going to work with about six inches to spare. See your hammering skills? Oh, look at that. Like a pro. And just since we're talking about hydro, it's very common in Ontario parks to put the hydro post right in between two sites so that this post right here is for that trailer and for ours. And that means you sometimes have to have a lot of extension cord with you. We have used up to 100 feet of cord to get plugged in. If you don't have that kind of cord, before you unhook, make sure that whatever cord you do have will reach the pedestal before you disconnect from the truck. So we are here at Bon Echo. We have a fantastic site. As you can see with any site, sometimes you're nice and smooth and nothing's there. And this one here has a lot of roots sticking out, which you have to be aware of. Sometimes, though, you can have more hazards, such as these two big rocks sticking out here, which you notice when you get there. But very often, if you're like me, you'll forget, and you're going to be tripping and falling over. A few years back, I started using these. So you should have these with your vehicle anyway in case you were ever broken down to put on the side of the road. But for me, they have a secondary purpose. I will pop them on top of the hazard to remind me that they are there because I will forget. Another item that comes in handy to do the same thing is kids who are playing soccer very often use these little orange cones, and they come in handy. You can get them at Walmart, Dollarama, but anything to help you remember the hazards there. Bon Echo's most prominent feature is Mazinaw Rock, a 330-foot sheer rock wall rising from the 475-foot depths of Mazinaw Lake. And a few of the sites here have a view through the trees. Bon Echo has a small visitor center that showcases some of the local wildlife. And there's displays that explain the events that led to the park's creation. Including the building of Bon Echo Inn that was originally used as a religious retreat. Then, in 1910, the property was sold to Flora MacDonald Dennison, and it became a favorite haunt of artists and philosophers. Nine years later, Dennison commissioned stonemasons to carve a huge tribute to Walt Whitman, whom she admired. Known as Old Walt, the memorial is still visible on the face of Mazinaw Rock. The original inn was destroyed by fire in 1936, but the property remained in the Dennison family until 1965, when they donated it to the province of Ontario for the creation of Bon Echo Provincial Park. Next to the visitor center is the Greystone Gift Shop and Cafe, where you can buy tickets for the boat cruise. Boats had about 20 or 24 people. There was lots of shade on board. And there was a park staff there who provided a guided narration. It got us up close to the aboriginal pictographs, explained what they meant, or what they thought they might mean, and that some of those pictographs are many hundreds of years old. And they also get you in to see that stone inscription that Flora MacDonald had created, Old Walt. So one fun part about the whole boat ride was we stopped in the water, and the guide said, tell me someone who has a one-syllable name. And one of the fellows there was named Serge. So we were all to yell out, Serge, as loud as we could. 3, 2, 1, Serge! And we all did, and what happened was it actually echoed back to us from the Massenot Rock. And that's literally how Bon Echo got its name. It's a good echo. Yeah, it was a really, really nice ride. We had a beautiful day. Another great way to explore Bon Echo and Massenot Lake is by canoe or kayak. And if you don't have your own, you can rent one. If you're quick enough. It can be very busy here. Are you threatening to ram me? I'm pretty certain that's what you said you were going to run right into me. What do you think? Beautiful. Bon Echo also has three swimming areas. The main beach, near the day-use area, as well as the north and south beaches. But Ranger's favorite spot is the pet beach. Are you getting off leash, Ranger? Oh, yes, you're free! Free! Bon Echo has a really nice area that includes a beach where dogs can play off leash. There's even a trail for walking your dog off leash. Bon Echo rates two paws up from Ranger. And just a few minutes drive south of the park is a great ice cream spot where a hot dog can cool off. Leave some for me. Crazy dog. And while Terry's recovery from his broken ankle has limited our hiking somewhat, there are some wonderful trails in Bon Echo. And that includes Cliff Top Trail, which is one and a half kilometers rated moderate to difficult. There's some stairs and a pathway that will take you right to the top of the Mazinaw Rock with some incredible views. But of course, you've got to get over to the island there and there is a water taxi or you can just go over in your canoe or kayak. Currently, Bon Echo has three main campgrounds with about 400 sites. And then there's a couple dozen backcountry sites available. But the staff tell me that they are working on reopening a campground that's been closed for quite a while that hopefully will soon open up another hundred sites at Bon Echo. And that's a great thing because certainly the pandemic taught us one thing. It was that people love camping and we need more places for them to do it. Get her! Get her, Ranger. Go get her. Get her! Oh, are you running away? Coward. According to Ontario Parks, Bon Echo is in the top five most popular of its parks. And for good reason. From the sand beaches to Mazinaw Lake with its kayaking and canoeing to the imposing Mazinaw Rock with its aboriginal pictographs. It's a really, really special park. And the good times at Bon Echo really do reverberate. Surf!