Awenda Provincial Park is a

provincial park Ischigualasto Provincial Park A provincial park (or territorial park) is a park administered by one of the provinces of a country, as opposed to a national park. They are similar to state parks in other countries. They are typically open to the ...

in Tiny Township,

Simcoe County Simcoe County is located in the central portion of Southern Ontario, Canada. The county is just north of the Greater Toronto Area, stretching from the shores of Lake Simcoe in the east to Georgian Bay in the west. Simcoe County forms part of the ...

Central Ontario Central Ontario is a secondary region of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario that lies between Georgian Bay and the eastern end of Lake Ontario. The population of the region was 1,123,307 in 2016; however, this number does not in ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, located on a peninsula jutting into

Georgian Bay Georgian Bay (french: Baie Georgienne) is a large bay of Lake Huron, in the Laurentia bioregion. It is located entirely within the borders of Ontario, Canada. The main body of the bay lies east of the Bruce Peninsula and Manitoulin Island. To ...

north of

Penetanguishene Penetanguishene , sometimes shortened to Penetang, is a town in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada. It is located on the southeasterly tip of Georgian Bay. Incorporated on February 22, 1882, this bilingual ( French and English) community has a populat ...

. The park occupies an area of and was established in 1975. It is classified as a Natural Environment Park and therefore all land is protected. Giants Tomb Island, located in southern Georgian Bay approximately from the mainland and the majority of the island is part of the park. On the island, no overnight camping is allowed, and no facilities are provided. Recreational activities at Awenda include camping, swimming, canoeing and hiking. Geological features include the Nipissing Bluff and a

kettle lake A kettle (also known as a kettle lake, kettle hole, or pothole) is a depression/hole in an outwash plain formed by retreating glaciers or draining floodwaters. The kettles are formed as a result of blocks of dead ice left behind by retreating gla ...

formed during the retreat of the

glacier A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its Ablation#Glaciology, ablation over many years, often Century, centuries. It acquires dis ...

s at the end of the most recent

ice age An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages and gree ...

. The shoreline consists of a series of sand, cobble, and boulder beaches. Much of this area was logged around the beginning of the 20th century, so most of the mature deciduous forests here are actually second growth. Although dominated by mature deciduous forest, the park has an incredible diversity of habitats for its size, including: bogs, fens, coastal meadow marshes, dunes and pine oak savanna. It supports a rich variety of plant and animal life -including 32 species of

amphibian Amphibians are tetrapod, four-limbed and ectothermic vertebrates of the Class (biology), class Amphibia. All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terres ...

s and

reptile Reptiles, as most commonly defined are the animals in the class Reptilia ( ), a paraphyletic grouping comprising all sauropsids except birds. Living reptiles comprise turtles, crocodilians, squamates (lizards and snakes) and rhynchocephalians ( ...

Park information

The park contains 6 public campgrounds with approximately 330 sites available and 3 group camping sites allowing for large groups to camp together. Several sites are equipped with electricity and available for RVs. Camp sites are available in quiet zones (radio free) and one area of the campground (Snake campground) is pet-free and radio free. Check in times for campsites is 2pm on the date of arrival and campers must be checked out by 2pm on the date of departure. However, with the use of the vehicle permit that is given at time of arrival a camper can use park facilities until 10pm on the day of departure. The park includes 5 beaches, one of which is pet-friendly (pets are required to be on a leash). Kettlelake

The park also has over of hiking trails, with a variety of shorter and longer trails. These include the: * Robitaille Homestead Trail ( return), a trail which takes walkers to an ancient dune system. The age of these sand dunes has been estimated at 11,500 years, from the time of the last glacial retreat. The dunes are a very fragile environment and it is prohibited to climb the hillside, stand on the edge of the bluff or climb down the bluff. The purpose is to allow plants to reestablish themselves and to preserve this area for future park visitors. * Wendat Trail (Loop ), a trail which wraps around Kettle Lake following closely on sections of the shore. An area for wildlife viewing, specifically for birds such as the blue heron, loons, and small birds. A built boardwalk brings visitors over the wetlands. Canoes can be rented at the park to be used on Kettle's Lake. No bike or kayak rentals available. Natural Heritage programs are scheduled throughout the summer and include Owl Prowls, nature hikes, and children's programs. Park wardens are on staff at all times and are constantly monitoring campgrounds in case of emergency.

References

External links

*
Friends of Awenda
{{Authority control Provincial parks of Ontario Parks in Simcoe County Year of establishment missing Campsites in Canada Protected areas of Simcoe County 1975 establishments in Ontario Protected areas established in 1975