Point Grondine Park offers spectacular uncrowded wilderness in Northern Georgian Bay, right beside Killarney Provincial Park. Article sponsored by Point Grondine Park.
Words :: Robert Artspool
Looking for backcountry bliss with a bonus? I recently spent a few days camping at Point Grondine Park, and I can honestly say it’s one of the most rewarding wilderness experiences I’ve had in Ontario. Tucked between Killarney and French River Provincial Parks, this place is wild, beautiful, and deeply connected to the Anishinaabe culture— and it doesn’t get nearly the attention it deserves.
The park is run by the Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory, and you can feel the cultural presence as soon as you arrive—in a good way. Interpretive signs, respectful land stewardship, and the feeling that you’re walking a trail with history under your boots.
I stayed a night at one of their drive-in sites before heading into the backcountry. The campground is rustic—no power hookups or glam amenities—but that’s kind of the point. Each site has a fire pit, a picnic table, and brand-new composting toilets nearby. It’s quiet, it’s clean, and it feels like you’ve left the noise of the world behind.
Finding yourself in areas that receive very little to no human traffic in any given year.
The next morning, I loaded up for the Wemtagoosh Falls Loop, a 22-kilometre trail that winds through old-growth pine forest, past quiet lakes, and eventually to the falls. The terrain is no joke—rocky, rooty, and occasionally steep—but incredibly rewarding. I reserved one of the seven backcountry sites ahead of time (you’ll want to do that), and found myself camped next to a peaceful inland lake with loons calling across the water at dusk.
What I appreciated most? The silence. No traffic, no generators, no distractions—just the sound of water and wind in the trees.
The Best Surprise: Killarney Amenities
Here’s a huge bonus: when you camp at Point Grondine, you get free access to showers and the trailer pump-out station at nearby Killarney Provincial Park. After a sweaty, mosquito-y few days in the bush, that hot shower at Killarney felt like a luxury spa treatment.
I just showed my valid Point Grondine camping permit at the gate, and they waved me through — no extra cost. It’s a great perk that makes combining the two parks really convenient.
I didn’t get to try the canoe routes, but I talked to a group who had paddled from Collins Inlet into the park, and they couldn’t stop raving about the scenery. I also saw the Amikwa Gbaakwagan (Beaver House)—a solar-powered, off-grid eco cabin you can rent. It looked amazing and I’m definitely booking that next time I come with friends.
Point Grondine also offers cultural experiences led by Wiikwemkoong guides, but they weren’t running the weekend I visited. Still, I appreciated being in a place where the land isn’t just scenery — it’s story, it’s identity, it’s alive.
If you’re craving a real wilderness experience that still offers a few creature comforts, Point Grondine Park is a hidden gem. It’s challenging, peaceful, and thoughtfully managed. And with access to Killarney’s showers and services, it strikes the perfect balance between wild and practical.
Would I go back? In a heartbeat.
