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Presqu'ile Provincial ParkLocation: Southeast of Colborne in the town of Brighton, Ontario. Video: PRESQU'ILE PROVINCIAL PARK Review & Tour | Ontario Camping | Brighton, Ontario, The Average Tourist Presqu'ile Provincial Park is located southeast of Colborne in the town of Brighton, Ontario, between Toronto and Kingston. This park offers hiking, wildlife viewing, swimming, biking, winter activities, camping and much, much more. Presqu'ile Provincial Park is the perfect place to stretch your legs and enjoy tranquil and scenic lakeside picnic and camping areas, 3 km of warm sandy beach, 16 km of trails, 394 campsites of which 160 have electrical hook-ups, and spectacular bird watching. Educational Programs and two Visitor Centres open daily in July and August. InformationPresqu'ile Provincial Park has eight campground areas offering a total of 394 reservable sites. Comfort stations with flush toilets are available throughout the park; see park map. Presqu'ile -- French for "almost an island" -- is a boomerang-shaped spit of sand and limestone that juts sharply into Lake Ontario. The land formation is a tombolo, created as wind and waves piled sand and gravel from the lake bottom between a limestone island and the mainland. The action of the water and wind reinforces the peninsula with sand and causes the beach to grow by as much as 2 metres each year! Richly varied, the park's natural landscape features sand dunes, sand and pebbled beaches, limestone outcroppings, forests, reedy marshes and coastal wet meadows called pannes which are of international significance. The park is a haven for migratory birds. About 126 species of birds nest here, and at least 321 species have been sighted enroute to destinations such as South America, the Arctic, Europe and Asia. Each autumn, the park is a gathering point for monarch butterflies as they begin their migratory trek to Mexico. Day use fees and camping fees are charged. See: Fees. Pets: For health and safety reasons all domestic animals must be kept under control and on a leash not exceeding 2 metres at all times. Under the Public Health Act pets are not allowed in swimming areas or on the beach at any time. You must clean up after your pet. Pets are not allowed in the comfort station showers. Owen Point Trail is a pet-free zone to protect the birds. Swimming : A long, safe sandy beach is ideal for family swimming. Wildlife Viewing : As a major stopover for migrating birds and monarch, Presqu'ile is renowned among birdwatchers. At least 327 species of birds have been spotted within in the park and 125 species are known to nest here. The park is also home to a large population of white-tail deer. Winter Activities: Cross-country ski along 16 km of groomed trails. From the group camping parking lot, two loops head east and west. Information Guides & MapsCamping10 campgrounds with a total of 394 campsites (160 have electrical hook-ups). Campsites are of varying sizes: Tent, Trailers (less than 18'), Trailers (18' - 32'), Trailers (more than 32'). All camping reservations must be made via Ontario Parks using either the Ontario Parks Reservation Service or by calling
Points Of InterestActivities
Walking TrailsPresqu'ile has over 16km of trails.
See these resources & guides: BicyclingNote: Bicycles are not permitted on the beach or the beach walkways. The only trail that bicycles are permitted on is the Bicycle Trail; bicycles are not permitted on any other trail. There are two bicycles routes that you can take:
Nature Centre
Lighthouse & Lighthouse Interpretive Centre
BirdwatchingPresqu'ile Provincial Park is considered one of Ontario's best bird viewing locations. The peninsula's marshes, bays, sand dunes, beaches and field and forest communities meet the nesting requirements of 127 different bird species. 329 bird species have been recorded in the park. Presqu'ile is best known for the large numbers and diversity of waterfowl, warblers and shorebirds that migrate through each spring and fall. The park's location on Lake Ontario makes it a perfect stop over for migrating birds along the Michigan Flyway. For this reason is it also an important location for viewing migrating birds and Monarch butterflies. The park's long beaches make it particularly appealing to migrating shorebirds. Limestone islands near the park area support large nesting colonies of Double-crested Cormorants, Caspian and Common Terns, several gull species, Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, and Black-crowned Night-herons. In early spring, Presqu'ile Bay is an important staging area for thousands of migrating waterfowl. The park also includes a large marsh which provides nesting habitat for rails, bitterns and other wetland birds. Presqu'ile has been identified as a Canadian Important Bird Area. Map & DirectionsDistance from Toronto is approximately 150 km, approximately 1.5 hours drive.
In the vicinity, you should see Ontario blue-and-white road signs that point the way to the park.
Contact & Address
HistoryThe park area had been selected in 1797 as the site of a town called Newcastle which was to become the county seat. However, on October 8, 1804, the schooner HMS Speedy, which was bringing officials to a trial at the new courthouse, sank offshore with all on board lost. The ship was never found, nor the bodies of the passengers and crew. The county seat was moved to nearby Amherst (now Cobourg, Ontario).
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The "Speedy"The battle schooner or gunboat HMS Speedy sank in a blinding snowstorm in Lake Ontario south of Brighton, Ontario and west of Prince Edward County, on 8 October 1804, with the loss of all hands. The sinking changed the course of Canadian history because of the prominence of the citizens of the tiny colony of Upper Canada lost in the disastrous event.
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