A lot of people inquire about which campground is the best at Arrowhead. While we have our favorites, so do you. This is just to explain for the first timers of Arrowhead the differences between the three campgrounds. Keeping in mind that Lumby is divided into two sections but basically is one campground.
Roe campground is the most private campground of the three. with the exception of the turn arounds at the bottom of each road. they are a little more open. Road seven in Roe is a little different that the rest of Roe. Not as private and even the forest there changes into mostly hardwood. Most of Roe Campground is sandy campsites which make for good drainage. Some of the sites in Roe have been turned into electrical sites but do not let that deter your decision on picking a site as they are all good anyway. The beach in Roe tends not to be as crowded as the other beaches because it is the last campground in the park and is not used for day visitors that much. Fishing is pretty good from this beach also. If you are facing the water walk to your right on the beach and the water gets deeper by the shore there. Lots of bass to be had at that spot. One more thing to there seems to be a lot more deer running around in Roe also.
One more thing in Roe Campground is the presence of Poison Ivy. Situated mostly around the Loops of the roads and a few pathways that lead to 
the beach or other roads. There are signs posted where it is prevelant in the area. Please use caution when traveling through this area as it could ruin a great holiday with a very nasty rash and blisters and a trip to the emergency ward in Huntsville. Educate yourselves and your children to it’s nature and it’s appearance. The leaves can be notched or smooth and always come in three’s with the middle leaf always having a stem of greater length. Do not let this discourage you from Roe Campground because in 20 years of Camping in this park and educating my children what to look for we have never contracted any Poison Ivy at all. The rest of the park is free from this irratating plant. There was a very sparse area of Poison Ivy in East River Campground.
East River Campground is mostly Electrical except for roads 8, 9 and 10. and a few at the end of some of the roads. Road 10 is built for larger RVs and have huge lots and are less private. But is also the closest to Stubbs falls which is a wonderful site to see. A good place to just lie on the rocks and listen to the roar of the water cascade down the chute. Just please do not enter the water here as accidents could happen. The rest of East River are more private campsites and even the first few roads are radio free. The soil is mixed between sand and dirt and drainage is pretty good here. The beach close to here is a little busier in the summer as it is also designed for day use.
Lumby Campground north and south is by far the most different of the whole park. This campground is designated for tents and tent trailers. The forest is mostly Deciduous with a few Coniferous trees thrown in for colour in the winter. This campground is by far the most beautiful to walk through in the fall. It also closes after Labour day weekend but is still accessable by foot. In the summer months this campground can be a little wetter than the rest of the park because of the type of soil that is here. It is mostly dirt so when it rains it could get a little muddy at times. The campsites are not as private though because of the way they are designed with the trees being cut back to the sides more, revealing almost the entire campsite. A little ingenuity in making these private by placing your vehicle sideways and turning your tent towards the back of the site is what most people do. Still a great place to camp with a different atmosphere.
All in all though what ever type of camping you enjoy from more roughing it in Lumby to the comforts of electricity in East River or a combination of both in Roe, Arrowhead has what it takes to make your stay a pleasant one from Spring until fall.
One last piece of advice for you very early spring campers. BRING BUG NETTING! and not just for your head either. The black flies can be a little bothersome, especially down in Roe. Once the weather warms up they die off thankfully. they do like to feed in the spring. OUCH!
East River Campground is open from May until Thanksgiving weekend.
Roe campground is open from June until Thanksgiving weekend. Roe is only open on the weekends after Labour Day.
Lumby is open from the end of June till Labour Day Weekend.
You can still hike even when they are closed for camping until winter sets in and then you can strap on your skis and cross-country your heart out until spring. Winter skiing is open from December Until March, weather permitting.
Please have a look at all the campsite pictures under the categories to see which one you like. Book early as they go fast. Plus while you are looking have a peek into what Arrowhead use to look like 20 years ago right up until last year.
If you still need any information on Arrowhead I can always try and answer any questions that you might have. Just email us and I always answer the emails.
PS…If you like my little website pass the word, especially to Ontario Parks and Arrowhead Provincial Park. They welcome positive feedback and are always quite appreciative of the comments about Arrowhead and this Blog.
Enjoy your stay 
Please share and enjoy
Hello, I have 3 questions.
We reserved site 307 and site 284 for our friends from August 2 until August 6.
a) is it easy to go from site to the other ?
b) the map shows that site 307 is beside a washroom, will we smell it because we are so close?
c) is site 307 bigger than site 284?
thanks for your help and anwers.
Hi Nathalie Carnevale;
Glad you like our little site.
I will try and answer these questions as best as I can.
Both campsites are of equal size and can accommodate a large trailer. We had our 32’ trailer on road six. While the sites can accommodate these large trailers the roads are rather skinny and you really have to manoeuvre the trailer to get it in there with out hitting any trees. We did it with a bit of trial and error. Always have someone guiding you and that way it is a lot easier.
Both sites are close to the main road so visiting is not a problem. If the campsites were further down the road there are paths leading from road to road making it easier to navigate with out walking all the way up to the main road.
As far as camping beside a washroom? No worries here. They are all flush toilets. At least they were when we there last. Last year…We have camped beside washrooms lots of times and not a stink could be smelt. These are cleaned every day by ten and again when needed in the afternoon.
Both campsites back onto one another so a quick jaunt through the bush is possible. It can get rather thick though. But sometimes paths are created by such an event by people over time between campsites.
You can access the official map here. http://reservations.ontarioparks.com/en/map.cgi?p=154&gstr=arrowhead_eastRiver
Click on the site and it will give you details. But details cannot justify what it looks like and that is why I took pictures of every campsite in the park.
The details say these are vault toilets but they are flush. So the Ontario website needs to correct that.
I hope this answers your questions
Enjoy your stay.
Ron Gaston
http://nabweekly.ca
http://arrowheadprovincialpark.wordpress.com/
http://northernads.nabweekly.ca
289-320-9903
Hi,
I really like you website it’s easy to navigate and lots of information…great job!
We are planning to camp this July at Arrowhead and my questions are: Is pet allowed in the park? and based on the information on your site we are planning to book a site at the Roe campground; could you please suggest which campsite are the best when it comes to privacy, quality of ground, accessiblity to flush toilet (not to close) and access to human and dog beaches?
Thank you and more power to you!
Germi
Most of the campsites in Roe are moderately to really private with the exception of all campsites around the loops at the bottom of each road except for road seven which takes you down to the beach. Road seven is non electrical and tends to be not as private but if you camp on the right hand side driving in there is nobody behind you except forest. On Road one some of the campsites are pretty close to the bike trail but there is still lots of bush between you and hikers. The great thing about Arrowhead is that most of the campsites are staggered so no two sites face each other and they are well spaced apart and the forest and bush is pretty thick also lending for added privacy. All the campsites in Roe are well drained because of the sandy conditions there, it is Lumby Campground that the sites are dirt and stay wet after rain. I have been to many Provincial Parks including the famed Algonquin and they tend to stack the campsites close together. Arrowhead’s campsites are some of the best in the Ontario Park system.
Dogs are allowed in the park as long as they are on a 10’ leash at all times. The dog beach is located in the North Lumby Campground, a fair jaunt from Roe. Almost best to drive there or go for a very long walk. The road is up by the front gate. As you come past the front gate turn left at the first road and follow it until you reach the sign that says dog beach and turn left there. This is directions for coming into the park. Turn right before the gate coming the other way from roe.
Click here for an overview of Arrowhead and click on each campsite for a review. http://reservations.ontarioparks.com/en/map.cgi?p=154&gstr=arrowhead_roe&sid=2062781064563816592110427369854812888165
Keep in mind that these are just reviews and might not be totally accurate when it comes to privacy. You will also notice that the toilets are said to be vault toilets in Roe (outhouses) but in fact are all Flush toilets. No need to worry about people going to the bathroom as they are all spread apart quite nicely.
Road 3 and 4 are also non electrical along with road seven. . Some of the campsites also at the top of the roads are a little less private like the campsites at the bottom around the loops, but only smaller. Everything else in between is pretty good. Have a look at the pictures and some of these sites are L shaped so when you are sitting in the site on the L part nobody can see you for the most part.
There are several ways to get to the beach one is to go down rd seven to the end and others are smaller foot trails that lead to the beach. All trails are not that far away from the beach at all and are marked for the most part with signs. There are other beaches in the park also but roe is the least crowded because the day time users seldom visit this beach.
Take your fishing rod to the beach at dusk and on the far right is lots of bass. Watch out for snapping turtles there they love worms. They do not bother people at all much too noisy and splashy for them. See the pictures also for these. The water is deepest there.
I hope I have answered your questions as best as I can for you.
If there is anything else drop me a line again
Thank you,
Ron Gaston
http://nabweekly.ca
http://arrowheadprovincialpark.wordpress.com/
289-320-9903
Pets are allowed in all parks – with the exception of designated campground areas in Awenda, Balsam Lake, Pinery and Voyageur and Achray, Canisbay, Mew Lake and Pog Lake campgrounds in Algonquin. Pets must be on a leash not exceeding 2 metres (6 feet) in length and are not permitted in swimming areas or on beaches or roofed accommodation sites. Pet owners should ensure that their pets are not left unattended, are properly leashed, do not make excessive noise and that any waste is cleaned up. Many parks now offer pet exercise/beach areas. Parks that offer these areas are listed below
Good explanation of the pet rules Steve. All campers should be aware of these rules.
Hey Ron,
I really love your website. It gave my family and I a really in depth look at the campgrounds that we were picking and it helped us make up our mind when choosing. We eventually chose sites 88 and 89 but I have a few questions.
Besides trails, are there other activities to do around the campground? Are there wide open spaces to do our own activites with our young ones such as throw a football around or play tag and stuff? In addition, what are the beaches like for size and water quality?
As well, how close is the closest store for groceries such as milk and other necessities that we may run out of? Is there one in the campground or do we have to go to Huntsville and look around there?
Thanks again!
Hi Aaron:
There is activities inside the park you might enjoy such as shows at the amphitheatre of different subjects usually about the history of the park dating way back to the last ice age when Arrowhead was part of the ancient Lake Algonquin to topics on the bears that thrive in or near the park and a host of other skits they put on. Usually done with a bit of humour added. Doug McCall the park naturalist has guided tours of pretty interesting subjects plus plays put on near the NHE Centre around a campfire.
See this page for some pictures http://arrowheadprovincialpark.wordpress.com/2009/05/05/a-guided-tour/
There are open spots around Arrowhead such as around the comfort Stations which are big enough for a small game of baseball. The beaches are big enough for some light Frisbee throwing and such but that depends on how many people are at the beaches that day. There are four beaches for all sorts of fun and usually there is room for plenty of fun with the kids. There is quite a bit of open space at the beach in Lumby Campground where you are staying. See here for a look at all the beaches http://arrowheadprovincialpark.wordpress.com/2009/05/04/the-beauty-of-arrowhead/
The water is fine to swim in although it looks a little on the golden colour of shades it is actually the colour of the sand that makes the water look discoloured. All is fine there. Be careful around the dock at Lumby Campground as snapping turtles hang around there waiting for somebody to throw them a worm. Nothing has happened with them but exercise caution if dangling your toes in the water there. I have been out in the canoe and have had snappers follow us around waiting for a hand out. They do discourage this.
There is an on site store that has basic necessities for camping just in case you run out of something, plus ice-cream and treats also. It is up by the main gate. A little expensive but convenient. You can also purchase wood there too.
Huntsville is all but 15 minutes away and there are a number of grocery stores there. It’s a pretty busy place in the summer time.
Check with the main office for activities and they always have literature there or posted at the bulletin boards around the comfort stations.
I hope I answered your questions. If there is anything else just ask.
Thank you and enjoy your stay
Ron Gaston
hehehe, carnivorous trees? i think you mean coniferous. exellent discription tho, very helpful in deciding which ontario park we want to try this summer…. just hope there are no carnivorous trees…
You did not know there was man eating trees there? LOL
Enjoy Your Stay
Amazing website – seeing pictures of the park and camp sites actually made me decide to visit Arrowhead this fall.
My question is about East Campground and site 251. We have a 27 foot long trailer with a 1500 Dodge Ram truck. Site 251 looks wide and easy enough to get the trailer in. However, looking back at another query you stated the road ways are very narrow. Will there be difficulties getting our trailer into this site? (We had difficulties at MacGregor Point because the road and the campsite driveway were very narrow.)
Thank you.
Lynda Turner
Hi:
It is very wonderful to see my countless hours paying off with so many questions about the park. Thank you for the wonderful comment.
You are right about the campsites being large enough to accommodate a large trailer. Yes some of the roads are a little tight to back a large trailer in but we did and ours was 32 feet long. The openings of the sites are not as wide as some other parks but that just makes for more privacy. It is worth the added extra turn to make it onto the campsite. Some of the campsite openings are wider than others. It took a few tries to manoeuvre the trailer around by having one person guiding you. On a couple of occasions it took about 6 tries before I managed to get it in there. Now you have to remember I am by no means an expert at backing up a trailer so somebody with a lot of experience it probably would be a cinch. Just like a seasoned tractor trailer driver. I would not let that deter your visit though as it is not impossible at all. We also stayed at Macgregor in the Birch Campground and they are all pull through sites there at that particular part of the park. Not as private as Arrowhead and we stayed there for the whole winter living in our little home. The real only difficult time I had was up in Algonquin Park and the road was wider so I am not sure why but it felt like forever up there. Besides if you think you cannot do it campers are pretty much helpful to each other and so are the wardens there. They always helped me and other campers in times of need.
One more thing is that the road you are staying on (road 4 ) is a little wider than the ones we stayed on which is roads 5,6,7. you should have no problem on that road.
Cheers
I hope this satisfies your curiosity and I know you can do it.
this is an awesome website, wish there were more like it
i was going to start taking pix of the sites around my campsites this year, now, no need to for arrowhead.
little bits & pieces & pix on some of the review websites.
only other website i’ve found like this is
http://www.algonquin-campsite-review.com/index.html
Thank you, always great to hear that all this work has given somebody the info needed and a very satisfied feeling.
Ron Gaston
Hi Ron
Great website, very helpful! I was wondering if the comfort station in Roe Campground is accessible from the end of each road, particularly Road 1 as we are thinking of reserving a site there. Thanks for your help.
Shannon
Hello and thank you for liking our vision.
Thats the great thing about Roe Campground is that all roads lead directly to the comfort station at the bottom. While some are closer than others it is still just a short walk . Road one at the bottom has a short roadway(trail) that leads diectly to the station.
Enjoy your stay
Ron Gaston
Hi Ron,
I have a few questions about this park, is there any waterfront sites? I’m looking for a site with the best privacy, it doesn’t matter which campground? Also i’m looking to do some fishing and would prefer to do so from land, so which site would be the best? and are there any good size fish in the lake or river?
Thanks
Karen
Hello Karen:
Unfortunately there are no direct campsites right on the water at this park. The closest you will come is in the Roe Campground at the end of Road seven. There a couple in the Lumby campground also that are close but offer less privacy also. There are two campsites close to the beach but you still have to walk to the water. Campsite 500 offers little privacy while campsite 501 is a little bit more private but the only problem is that you are in direct contact with campers walking down to the beach. Most Campsites in Roe are private except for the campsites at the bottom of the roads on the loops. They tend to be more open than most. Road three and four in Roe offer some pretty good sites as well as road six. It is hard to say which campsite is the best as we have stayed on a lot of them in all three campgrounds. Roe is the best there is as long as you stay back from the end of the roads. Fishing from shore is challenging but not impossible. Bass can be had In Roe at the beach on the most right hand side facing the lake. Or up in Lumby getting towards the dog beach. Mayflower Lake offers lake trout if you can get your line down deep enough. Approx 100 feet deep. These fish are down there and are hard to catch in the summer months. Have a look at some of the pictures of the campsites in Roe and you will notice that they are L shaped so when sitting in the L Part no one can see you. At night no one can see you anyway because it is so dark there. The bush is quite thick and the campsites are spread far apart so you cannot see your neighbour. Have a look at campsite 455 on road 4. The campsite is L shaped and the fire pit is out of site around the corner. Generally speaking if you cannot see the fire pit in the main picture have a look at the inset and see more of the campsite. This is not always the case as the tents can be set up around the corner also on some sites.
I hope I have answered your questions and enjoy your stay. One more note…Arrowhead is one of the parks in Ontario that offers the most private sites of all the campgrounds in Ontario. Bar none! Arrowhead puts the famed Algonquin to shame with regards to privacy. There they pile the campsites real close and offer little or no privacy especially at Mew Lake And lake of Two Rivers. The latter has no bush between the sites at all. It’s like living in a commune. Some people enjoy this but I love my privacy.
Thank you
Ron Gaston
Hi Ron
Love your website – does Ont. Parks know what a wonderful job you’ve done?
Arrowhead is our favorite park. We travel many hours twice a year just to stay at the park. We like that Huntsville is so close for food and supplies plus it has a CTC and Walmart!
I enjoyed your take on MacGregor Park. That is another park we visit each year. We too stay in Birch campground. Lucky you to stay a winter! How was it staying for the whole winter?
Thanks for your hard work with your website
Judy
Hi Judy
Thank You for your wonderful comment. As far as Ontario Parks goes they knew it existed but tend to ignore it. We have been trying to get them to take notice because it is such a success. It is about and for the campers. Staying at macgregor during the winter was great and we certainly had a lot of fun there. I actualy enjoyed the winter for the first time in years.
Cheers
Hi Ron,
I have a couple of questions. We want to stay at the East River campground and noticed that its all trailer sites. Can you still camp at any of these sites if you only have tents? I was looking at sites 340 and 344. Are these sites good for privacy?
Love this website!
Thanks Kathy
Hello Kathy:
While most sites are electrical in East River they can and have accommodated tents. Some campers like the idea of having that electricity around for a night light or what ever you choose. You have to remember that even though you have a tent you will still be charged for an electrical site. Most sites in east River are fairly private and well spaced apart. The bush and forest is relatively thick between the campsites and especially at night you cannot see your neighbours. Roads 8, 9 and 10 are non electrical in East River. Road 10 has huge sites and is not as private. There are some campsites located at the end of each road that are also non electrical.
Arrowhead is known for their staggered campsites with good privacy on most with the exception of a few.
I hope I have answered your question
Have a great time at the park
Ron
We love Arrowhead!! This will be our 4th year going!! We normally bring a canoe but we are thing about renting them this year. Do you know how much it is to rent a canoe?
Hello Nadine:
While we usualy do not give pricing on what they charge because every year their pricing structure changes and is beyond our control. They do have various ways of renting canoes. The fishermans special is when you rent the canoe the day before at night and you get the use of it until the morning. Approx cost about $12.00. Have to have it back by about 11:00. Another way is daily which is below $20.00 per day. These cost are approx and you should check with the park for actual pricing and packages.
Thank you
Ron
Hi Ron,
Your website is wonderful, it has given us an incredible view of the park and what it has to offer our family. We have never been to Arrowhead before and are looking into it sepifically for the ablility to bring our dog with us in all aspects of camping. Just a quick question about the dog beach, is it a beach for dogs or is it a people beach that dogs are allowed on? We have been to some beaches that have a specific section for dogs. Just wondering since we also have small children.
Thanks again for all your efforts, and the invaluble information.
Carol
Hi Carol:
The Dog Beach Is for the dogs and is away from public beaches. It is still nice there and kept quite clean. We have taken our dog there lots of times. The water is a little deeper their so I do not recomend little kids swimming there but lots of people do swim there. One thing is for sure the dog beach is usualy empty. It is a bit out of the way in the Lumby Campground area. You will see what I mean once you get there. I have pictures on the site of my dog at the beach with my kids
Have a great time
Ron
Hi Ron,
Your website is such a great resource! The pictures and info really helped me make my decision to camp at Arrowhead this summer! I was just wondering, a group of us booked sites #97 and #98 at Lumby North Campgrounds, are these two sites really far away from each other and/or blocked by a lot of trees/secluded from one another? Since we are a larger group we had to get two sites and thought due to availability of sites these sites would have been the best option.
Also, how likely would we come along bears or moose at this site in the summer? Any helpful safety advice?
Thanks again for all your valuable information, it’s been a great help!
Alan
Hi:
Thank you for the great comment. These two sites are really not that far apart and are separated by trees and bush. Although they offer some privacy, they are quite open at the front. What I do is park the vehicle sideways in the opening to provide more privacy. Luckily you are on road with only 6 sites on it so there is no need to worry about a lot of other campers continuously walking by. Moose tend to wonder through on the odd occasion in the spring so it is highly unlikely you will see a moose. You could travel up highway 60 if you have time into Algonquin which has a Moose population in the thousands. If it were spring on any given day you could see moose on highway 60 but this time of year they have moved back into the bush but still wonder from time to time out by the highway to pose for pictures. Now bears do come into the park throughout the summer right up until September. While most just come and go some do decide to camp out themselves trying to pick off a cooler or two. The park office always posts sightings of when and where in the park. If you do see a bear they usually just run away anyway. The ones that do stay have gotten to use to feeding like Yogi Bear and Boo Boo. They have set out live traps before to relocate the ones that will not leave. Even though it is not the bears fault because you are in its home and it is usually campers leaving food out that attracts the bears. Please keep all food tucked away in your trunk to avoid becoming the victim of theft. Besides if the wardens find you leaving food out while not there they will tell you to pack it away just to be on the safe side.
Enjoy your stay
Ron
Hello there Ron, I just had a few more questions before we go to the park this summer ( I feel that I must explain that we have never before camped at a provincial park, so these questions may seem a little silly to the well verse camper). Is the water that is provided at the park – drinking water quality- equivalent to tap water? And are there grills provided at the fire pits on the camp sites. I looked on the park site – but could not find the information. Thanks again for all your advice regarding Arrowhead, we are all very excited about going.
Carol
Hello Carol:
The drinking water at most Provincial Parks is tap quality while others is boil advisory. Arrowhead is Boil advisory. This water is filtered and no one has gotten sick from it from all the years my family has been going there. I do not think any one has gotton sick form the water there. It is a precaution because of beavers that live in May Flower Lake where the water is drawn from. You can phone the park office and they will tell you the same thing. We have consumed the water there a lot over the past twenty years and we have taken jugs of water also. I would not let this deter your trip as thousands of other campers before you have never let this slight inconvenience stop them. The campsites are equipped with fire places but the grills on top are to big to cook on. Take your own wire mesh if that is how you want to barbeque on the open fire as other people do the same thing. I bought mine at the Dollar Store. Plus I always took a hibachi. By the way they do test the water everyday there at all the campgounds to make sure it is potable.
Enjoy your stay.
Ron
Hello Ron,
I only visited Arrowhead one time as a child and my memories are gone. I have always shyed away from it and I don’t know why. We plan to spend a week this summer and with the advent of the internet and blogs like yours I have become excited about returning and creating wonderful lasting memories. thank you for your encouragement to everyone and the service you provide.
We plan on bringing a canoe and were hoping to do a short overnight excursion by access on or by access through the lake. Is this activity permitted, and provided for in the area?
KG
In Arrowhead there are no provisions and no permits granted for overnight camping in the park via canoe. Not to say you could travel down the Big East River a ways out of the park and camp on the bank. But inside the park no over night camping allowed by canoe. Only in the designated campsites provided. Algonquin a short drive along highway 60 does. Stop at the west gate and they can get you a permit for that as long as they are not booked up also.
Stay safe
Ron
Hi, thanks for the good website -my family enjoyed the pics of the campsites.
Is there wireless internet available in the park? I know, not a true camper question… but I need it for work twice while I am there for a week.
Any ideas?
Stephen
Hi Stephen:
There is no wireless in the park at all. To my knowledge I do not think any Provincial Park has wireless. In the Town of Huntsville I do believe there are two internet cafe’s.
One called: That Little Place By The Lights, 76 Main St. East, Huntsville, Ontario 705-789-2536. I am not sure of the other one. The Laundry mat also offered wireless when doing your laundry but I am not sure if they still do. Both these places are only 15 minutes away out of the park. We had internet service there but we had a satellite dish though. I am sure with all the tourism there in the summer There are more. The population in Huntsville grows by ten thousand people in the summer. I hope I have helped you. I know what it is like to be out of touch. Another item I used that the company I was working for had Mikes. I left mine on all the time and even hiking through the woods I would get called from somebody at work. Some parks under certain circumstances will let you hook up to their service if you ask but I am not sure about Arrowhead. You would have to do that at the main office where you register. I do not think they would there though.
Ron
ron the laundry mat still does have wifi as of last july when l was there for 12 days. arrowhead not the laundrymat. lol
Hi Donna; Most provincial parks do not have Wi Fi as i would guess that would not be a true camping experience.I guess as the demand warrants it they will too succumb to technology.
Thank You! We just got back from arrowhead and had the BEST time thanks to you! I had book a site in the north lumby campground but changed it to one in roe after reading your blog. Our site(411) was wonderful nice and priviate which is great for our dog who tends to bark “Hello” to all who pass our site! He did not get to be a welcoming commitee because the way the site is set up he did not see ALL! Thank you once again great info I made sure to pass the word on to others I met about your blog!
Thank you for the support. I am glad you made the right choice that so many have made. Most campsites in Roe are just like that. Fantastic for greeting dogs also just like ours who also says hello. I really appreciate your kind words and thoughts. By all means pass the word. It benefits all who enjoy camping. The one who it should be passed onto is Ontario Parks. They appreciate good feed back from happy campers both from hearing about Arrowhead and the Blog I created that works extremely well for their benefit but and it does not cost them a dime in marketing and advertising.
Happy camping
Ron Gaston
Hi there – Was wondering if you could help (great website by the way). We are thinking of going to Arrowhead and we have two seven year old boys and no dog. We are tent campers and are looking for something probably in Roe based on what I’ve read here. We want a larger, private campsite that would be in close walking distance to the beach. Preferably flat and well treed. I say large because we will be having day visitors and would like the extra space. Any suggestions?
Hello:
Roads 3,4 and seven are non electrical. Road seven at the bottom end is about as close you will get to the beach. But you sacrifice privacy on road seven. Roads three and four are more private especially up a bit from the loops at the bottom. Unfortunately you are that much farther away from the beach. Most are large enough to hold two tents and therefore can accommodate extra visitors. The beach no matter where you go is not that far away. The map on Ontario website are a little deceiving but a five minute walk is not bad at all. The electrical campsites are bigger and road six offers some pretty good spots as long as you are not on the loop. Those campsites tend to be a bit more open. of course the farther up the road you go the greater the distance from the beach. Campsites around the middle of the roads (halfway up) tend to be more private.
I hope I answered your question and thank you for the great comment. Always appreciated
Ron
Ron,
Your website has been a tremendous help in planning our trip. We’re about to embark on a last minute trip (July 25-28,2010) to Arrowhead. It’s our first time there and will be the only trip we’ll be able to take this year. We’re hoping for a private site! From what I can see 324,325, 447, 496 are still available. There are also quite a few sites in Lumby. Would you be so kind as to tell me what you would recommend we book. We plan on letting the staff at the park know what a great site you run! Thanking you in advance!
Sarah
Hi Sarah
Sorry I could not respond in time. But I am sure what ever site you picked you probably had a wonderful time. Most sites that you mentioned are private or semi private except for some in Lumby which are more open
Thank you for the wonderful comment
Always appreciated
Ron
Hi, I don’t have any questions as you’ve answered all if any I could’ve come up with having gone through most of your site so far, I just wanted to let you know this site is awesome, great for information, you did a great job, thank you and keep it up!
I’ll be at the East River grounds tomorrow
- T.
Thank you for reading this site. I am very happy I could have been some assistance to you. Your kind words go a long way
Happy Camping
Ron
Hey Ron,
Great site! My husband, myself, 14 yr. old son, his friend and our 1 yr. old Golden Retreiver Jessie will be camping at Arrowhead the 1st week of August. We are booked into East River #303 and are looking forward to our stay there. We are hoping we made a good choice booking 303…we are excited about the river trails as well as the falls. My only question…I assume there are no laundry facilities at Arrowhead? With 2 teenaged boys I will have to do laundry at least once during our stay…will I have to go to Huntsville? Thanks for the site Ron, it is superb!
Ann
Hi:
Glad you made Arrowhead your campground choice. your choice of campsite is just fine on road seven. It is L shaped for a bit of privacy also. You are right about laundry. You have to go into town to wash any clothes. There are two laundry mats in town. We used both and are not that far away. About a 15 minute drive to town. Just do not attempt to go to town on a Saturday or Friday as it gets pretty congested unless you like the crowds of course. The town grows by over ten thousand people in the summer time. You would not know it though that this town is that close while you are at Arrowhead. With all the wildlife wondering around that close including the odd Bear that wonders the campgrounds. Both laundry mats are located on main st. The one is called Fabricare and is the better of the two. Here is the address: 110 Main St. E. Suite #6 Huntsville, ON P1H 1K6 (705) 789-9122 and the map link.
http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&q=huntsville+ontario&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Huntsville,+Muskoka+District+Municipality,+Ontario&ll=45.326878,-79.216093&spn=0.002501,0.005681&z=18
It is actually behind the buildings on Main Street.
Have a wonderful stay
Ron:)
Hi Ron,
Just wanted your advice on something. I’m going to Arrowhead this long weekend and due to the last minute nature of this trip, not too much is available in terms of reservations…it is the last long weekend of the summer after all. The Ontario parks website mentions having a certain percentage of the park reserved for walk-ins, is this true? And what are the odds of us actually getting a spot if we arrive really early on Saturday morning (around 4am) and just waiting for the park to open? Alternately, they have north lumby (93) available and Roe (480 & 410) available as well. I’m a novice camper so wouldn’t know which is better or not. What do you think I should do? Go there without a reservation in the hopes that something is something better available? Or reserve one of the above mentioned? If so, which one? I would like something private. I noticed the sites in Roe are close to the bathrooms, which probably isn’t a good thing either. Your advice is greatly appreciated.
Cheers,
HP
Hi Helen:
Hi Helen:
Campsites at the last minute are a rare commodity. If you go there Saturday morning I can almost guarantee you there will be nothing left. I am surprised that they have any left. Out of all the campsites I would pick 480 first then 410 and Lumby last. I would also phone Arrowhead and reserve right now! Arrowhead has never had any left over campsites for walk-ins unless they changed this year. But I do not think so. Some parks do carry a few for walk-ins but Arrowhead does not. The washrooms are not that close as you think. I would not worry about that. I would worry about getting a site at any campground this week end. I have gone up on a Thursday just to get a site and drove back down just to drive back up on Friday night but I had a spot though. Reserve a site and if you cannot reserve this week end the thanksgiving weekend is even better with all the fall colours.
So in my opinion reserve a site and do not take the chance of going on Saturday with hopes that you get a spot. Going at 4 in the morning still will not get you a spot because the office does not open till around 7:30 or 8:00. Good luck on trying and if you succeed you will have a blast. If not this weekend then go on the long weekend on Thanksgiving, that is the best time.
Thank you,
Ron Gaston
great site Ron
it looks to me , by your pix, that most of the electrical sites in Roe, have there own electrical outlet…..
i’ve only camped in East River….but i’m going for Roe this year. road 1 or 2 looks like the area for me.
my only concern is the poison ivy..(don’t wander in the bush?)
Ahhhh, now everyone will be going to Arrowhead! Lol! You’re absolutely right, it is a great park. My family has been camping there every year for more then 25 years. Things sure have changed. When I was a kid we would jump down the cliffs at Big Bend and float down the big east river all the way down to Hwy. 11 where we would be picked up. Fun times!
We also have always camped in Roe… so if you’re thinking to book a site just remember, there is a large extended family booking sites on Rd. 1 and 2 of Roe for the Labour day weekend!
Happy camping and maybe we’ll see you there!
Thanks Ron
Found the site and pictures helpful
Been doing Killbear and Grundy last few years
Just booked Roe 454 for 2 weeks in Aug
Will send you our review when we return
Looking forward to it…Enjoy your stay. I think you will find a bit of a difference here in that it is not as congested as Killbear and the campsites are spread out a lot more. Arrowhead is not nearly as big either.
Best camp sites of any Provincial park. Period.
I would have preferred a larger site to #454 but picking one off the web, site (pun intended) unseen, it was more than fine.
We have several larger sites picked out to choose from for next year (we will return).
The beaches are good and the water is much, much warmer than Georgian Bay.
Now, while there are a few bum sites in the park you would have to be darned unlucky to chance upon one when random picking a site, as we did, off the internet.
After decades of going to Killbear, Grundy, Six Mile and umpteen others we know the good sites to book in those parks but they are few and far between.
Arrowhead sites, overall, offer privacy no other park can come close to matching.
While not as large or “wild” as Grundy or Killbear the park is excellent
Town is only 10 minutes away, which in years past was a negative when choosing where to go, and is nice to have at this point on our camping career.
Cheers.
Hi Ron,
Some friends and I are looking for a nice place for some casual camping. I heard Arrowhead is a great place to go, so we’re looking into it for end of June. I looked on the Parks Ontario website and can see sites that are available but there are no pictures attached to the site reviews. I was hoping you could help perhaps suggest an area or group of sites that could best suit our needs.
There will be 6 of us (3 tents) and I’ll have my dog with me. We’d like a spot that has access to a beach… my preference is to be near the dog beach… but I’m not sure what its like and I wanted to be fair to my friends who are coming with me so a spot within a close enough hike/drive of the dog areas would be fine.
What area and/or sites do you think would be best to consider?
Hello:
The closest you will come to the dog beach is in Lumby Campground. Lumby campground will just be opening up then too. The dog beach is nowhere near the campsites but a shoert walk down to it on the road or you can drive to it. Check these campsites out in Lumby as there are a number of sites close to the main beach but none are water front sites. Enjoy your stay…
Hi there,
I just book a week in August. We got campsite 46 in the Lumby North Campground. We were told it is across the road from water. Now, I have 3 children ages 8,9,14. What I am wondering is… will be have more bugs because we are closer to the water? Do you happen to know, if that is close to the beach? Or, it is just “water”. The lady on the phone wasn’t to helpfull. Also, I have been trying to find a link to a park map, that shows the sites.. would you happen to know where I could find that online?
Thanks in advance,
Stephenie
Hi Stephenie:
You are right it is across the road from the water but it is not the beach. Between you and the water is forest. The beach is actually located in South Lumby closer to the main road you come in on. As for the bugs depending on the heat there will be not many but only mosquitoes. Now if you went there in the spring you would be overwhelmed with black flies but they are all gone by then. I would rather have mosquitoes than black flies. They are really nasty. Here are a couple of links to the park map.
https://reservations.ontarioparks.com/Arrowhead%2fLumbyNorth%3fMap
https://reservations.ontarioparks.com/Arrowhead
I hope I have been helpful for your camping trip.
Enjoy
Ron Gaston
Hi Ron,
This website is so helpful and after my first visit last year with a friend I have almost 20 families that have booked the campground for the July 1st long weekend. We are extremely excited and I’m sure they will all be thrilled with my campgound of choice.
I have a question about site Roe-457. I am huge on using the campfire to cook and most campsites I have been on have a nice grill that is attached to the fire pit (half the pits width and you can flip it on or off the fire). It’s a crazy question but do you know what kind of condition the fire pit is in on this site, or will I have to purchase a grill to go over it.
Any help about the condition of this site as well would be great. How big it is, condition of site, etc., the poison ivy situation (as we are going to have 4 boys with us)
I greatly appreciate any information you can provide about this site.
Thanks,
Tawney
Hi Tawny:
Thank you for the great comment…muchly appreciated. The campfire grills are too big to cook on so a smaller wired one will have to be used. There was talk of installing new ones but not sure if they did on that site or not. The sit is flat and sandy. The privacy issue is not as great as some campsites but still pretty good. The poison Ivy is more down by road one and towards the beach more. But you never know where it will end up. There are signs posted but the best thing is make your boys be aware of what it looks like so they know not to go near it. I physically took my kids near it and pointed it out so they know what to look for. In over 20 years of camping in Roe we have never had poison ivy. Enjoy your stay I know you will
Hi Ron,
This is a great website. We have booked campsite #472 at Roe. There were not too many sites available as we booked only 3 weeks prior to when we plan on going. Just had a few questions about our site. 1) how far of a walk is it to the beach and to the showers? 2) Also how good is our site for privacy from the road. I know that you said road seven has less privacy but being at the end of road seven i was wondering if people/cars passing by will be able to see easily into our sight 3) is there a bike trail in roe? we were looking to bring a couple bikes and touring the grounds but i was wondering how bing the grounds are and if we could bike from our bike trail fairly quickly.
Look forward to response. Thanks again…this site is very helpful
Hi Brendan:
Thank you for visiting my little site. Always a pleasure to try and help other campers out when I can.
Campsite 472 is actually at the beginning of road seven basically on the main road that leads to all seven roads. So you will have all traffic passing by to go down road seven which also has parking by the beach. Lucky though this is not a freeway. So not that many cars will actually pass by. The site backs onto the forest where there is nobody and you have no neighbors either that you can see. The front tends to be open a bit more than some other campsites. The beach is at the end of the road which is a ten minute walk. Also near the end of road seven is the bike trail that can take you right around the lake. Some parts are pretty hilly and makes it all that more adventurous. There are lots of trails that you can walk or bike on. Some start at the main gate while others are in between. The park is not huge by some standards but is still fairly big. I have biked all over the park and while some people do others drive to the trail and park and then take the hike. You will see when you go from the front gate to your campsite which is almost the farthest away. By bike from the front gates to your campsite is about 1/2 hour but there are some challenging hills to attend to so the time may vary depending on how hard you peddle up them or get off and walk. puff puff puff. I have done both. Not easily done unless you are fifteen and in great shape…LOL. There is a trail in the Lumby campground that hooks up with the bike trail. That is a fair distance also from you site. There is parking though if you wish. I hope I was helpful in your questions and if you have any more just ask. Some times you can find your answer by going through some of the comments left but I am always here at your service. Enjoy your stay here is a link to a map of the trails. It is the ski map but utilizes the same trails both in winter and in summer. The only difference is they also use the roads as trails in the winter so just ignore that part. You can see the bike trail Going around the lake. They have maps at the park.
http://arrowheadnordic.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/2010-11-Arrowhead-Trail-Map.pdf
have a fantastic time there as we always did.
Hi Ron,
This is a fantastic site and really helped us to pick out our campsite for our upcoming trip. We just had a few questions about the site we chose and we hope you can answer them! We picked site 406. Is it as large and private as it looks on the photos? Our daughter is very young and enjoys riding her bike on the site while we set up & make meals. We’re hoping there is enough space for her to do this (she is too young to be on the roads). Also, where would the closest hiking trails be?
Thanks in advance & many thanks for all the great information on this site!
Sarah
Hi Sarah:
As you can see by the photo the campsite is L shaped. So part of the campsite is hidden from view from the road. The trees and bush in front of it should provide privacy and that is where the tent or trailer be set up, as long as you have enough space between you and that fire pit. Other than that that is where you can put the picnic tables for privacy. Great site all round. I would imagine your daughter would have enough space to bike around on but basically going in circles. She might get a little dizzy LOL. As for the closest trail there is one on the other side of the road behind the campsites. Enter near site 409 and turn right. This leads to the bike trail which also can be walked and it takes you all the way around the lake. Nice hike for a sunny afternoon. There are many smaller trails that intertwine their way down to the beach or take the bike trail the other way and it will take you to the NHE centre. One more thing if they trim back the bush there may be more visibility but they only do this periodicity, not every year. Watch for poison Ivy off the trails in some areas. Signs are posted. In twenty years of going there we never got it at all. If you know what it looks like you can spot it quite clearly. This never deters any campers from hiking. Virtually none around your campsite.
Happy trails
Ron
Hi Ron,
Thanks for all the great info!
We are a group of 18 and have 340, 342, 344 booked. I will let you know what a great time we had!!
Jayne
Hi Jayne
Have an awesome time. With that many people it should be a blast
Ron
Like many others have said, excellent information and greatly appreciate the work you put into it. Got real lucky and 2 campsites opened up for this coming long weekend ( August 1st ). Booked both of them at the Lumby campground. First time going, should be fun from what I can tell.
How are the bugs this time of the year. Came back from Algonquin a couple of weeks ago and was eaten alive
.
You mention this “main beach”. I can’t seem to figure out where this is. Is this the beach going from Lumby South to Roe? Does it go all the way around? Or is it sectioned off?
Again, thanks for all the information and keep up the good work
Hello:
There are three beaches. The first is in Lumby where you are camping. From there you can see the long main beach across the river. Down at the other end of the lake is Roe beach which is the farthest away. None of the beaches connect to one another and none surround the lake. As far as the bugs go it has been hot so the mosquitoes could be out. It might have cooled down by then but anything is possible. If it were any earlier I would be wary of black flies but they are long gone which to me are a bigger pest than anything.
I hope this helps you out
Have a great stay
Ron
Opps, forgot one more question. I’m the same poster as the above. Is there a place I can purchase firewood? As I live in a quarantined zone i’d have to purchase from somewhere there. If so, how much cash should I bring? Thanks again.
Hello: You can purchase wood from the store up by the main gate. They do accept debit there also. How much cash is up to you but if you run out the Town of Huntsville is about 15 minutes away.
Cheers
Ron
Hi Ron!
Love this Blog! It is exactly what I look for when trying to figure out a camping trip!
We just came back from Algonquin yesterday, but they are calling for another beautiful weekend coming up (July 22) and couldn’t resist another weekend on the beach instead of in the city. The only sites left are in Lumby South (148 and 149) or several in Lumby North. I noticed in an earlier post you mentioned that Roe now had flush toilets…any word on whether Lumby has been updated? It’s the one downfall of this area, but still a sacrifice worth making for the beautiful park!
Also, I read somewhere in an earlier blog about cliffs for jumping. We have only been to Arrowhead a couple of times and haven’t discovered this. Where are these? We are Killbear die-hards (there for 3 weeks in August) and the cliffs are a hi-light for the kids (12 and 15). But although I grew up in Killbear, it is a much busier park and we found Arrowhead the perfect balance to it. And the lake is much warmer than Georgian Bay in July!
Thanks again for all the insights and in advance for any more advice!
Happy Trails!
Mary
Pickering ON
Hello Mary
Answering kinda late but i am sure you had a wonderful time at Arrowhead. As you may have found out no flush toilets in Lumby Campground except at the comfort station. There are no cliffs for jumping into the water except for some small out reaches of rock in the Lumby campground. You can only see them from a canoe. Killarney has some amazing cliffs you can jump off of.
Roe campground has always had flush toilets but they have upgraded thier privies into better facilities.
Happy Camping
Ron
Thank you very much for all the info on Arrowhead. We just got back from Grundy Lake last week (it was quite busy) but a lot of fun. We have just booked a week at Arrowhead the middle of August our site is 277, how private is the site? I’m sure it’s big enough for our trailer which is a 18 foot Kodiac Hybrid, when fully pushed out it’s about 25/26 feet. What beach is the closest? My son plans on doing some fishing, so thanks for the tip on where to catch bass. We love hiking,boating, and canoeing so we are looking forward to some site seeing and nature walks. If there is anything else you can tell me that would be great. Thanks again for you wonderful site. Belinda Woodstock, Ontario
Hi Belinda:
That site is quite private as you are at the end of the road. The beach closest to you is on the main road as you come in towards East River Campground. As you cross the bridge you will see it to your left.. A bit of a walk from your site but hey that’s what relaxing is all about. The trails are quite nice in Arrowhead. Especially the one that surrounds the lake. If memory serves me well you are on the edge of a ravine with the river running below you. Quite scenic also. You are also near Stubbs falls which on a hot summer day relaxing on the rocks (big rocks) getting a tan. Have fun up there I know you will
Happy Camping
Ron
Hi Ron,
We are heading to East River next week and I was wondering if campers can swim on the river, or float down it on tubes. Thanks in advance for your reply!
Anne
Hi Anne:
Sorry for the delay in answering your question. Been away for a bit. Not to many people swim in the river but you can float down it on tubes if you want. personally I did down the Big east River. Canoeing is tops for me.
Enjoy your stay
Ron
Me and my familly love camping in Arowhead,it’s our favorite!However,we have always stayed in the east river campground area.Thankyou for informing us on the diffrent campgrounds(Roe and Lumby)and we will be shure to try them in the future thanks to you!Cheers!
Thank you so much for this blog. I have been trying to find somthing like this for a bit and came accross it. I do have a question I am heading up labour day weekend and just book. I notice Roe is the better campsites there is only 494, 493 and 490 left. When I booked I booked in Lumby 157. Now I am thinking of changeing to 493 do you know which is the better of the too. I am a tent camper
Thanks again for the blog
Hi, Never been to Arrowhead & would like to try it. We have 2 kids and a dog. Was looking at sites in East River. Would 342 be close to falls & walking trail? and how far from beach? Also looking at 336, 242 or 215. Don’t want to be near poison ivy! (camped at Balsam last year & it seemed to be everywhere!). Thanks
Hi Sharon: Campsite 342 is about as close you will get to Stubbs Falls. Keep one thing in mind is that there is a trail that runs near this campsite as as far as i can remember,hence a little bit more foot traffic to the falls. These campsites down on road ten where this campsite is located are rather large in size great for lots of room. You do not have to worry about poison ivy there. Only Roe campground has poison ivy and there was reported Ivy in East River but not confirmed. Rather small patches so none to worry. The beach is located at the beginning of East River which is a good ten, fifteen minute walk.Campsites 242 and 215 are in the radio free zone so this area designates a bit more quietness. Also campsite 215 is electric while the others you picked are non electric. there is a trail that runs up and down the Little East River in East River Campground. It is not difficult at all and is easily walked. I hope I have answered your questions. Enjoy Your stay. Happy Trails
My Wife and I are wanting to go here for the May 2-4 weekend 2012.
How is the park for that weekend, (kids/teens being roudy, Bugs, privacy and site selection.)
I heard there is a alcohol ban. Is that strictly enforced. I like a drink with dinner.
Right now it looks like the only sites left are mostly down near the end of east river camp. Most non-electric 222-251 and a few electrical spotted near the ends of the roads.
Any suggestions and better sites down here.
We are thinking of not making a reservation and going up on early friday morning of the long weekend (just to beat the traffic)
Also i heard the you can not bring any wood into park.
I live in a construction area at home and have a pile of “clean” 2×4 (no nails/not pressure treated). do you think i could use this a firewood, (i heard wood is expensive in the park)
Thoughts? Ideas? Comments?
Love the web-site
Thanks
Hi:
Thank you for visiting the site. I hope the info served you well. As with any park the week ends tend to bring out all the people from across the board. While the park is busy that weekend the alcohol ban has kept the week end warriors at bay for the most part. Expect Some black flys to be around. If they are in numbers netting is always a good idea. They do encourage you to buy wood from the park as transporting wood in from other areas could infect the park with an unwanted species such as the Asian Long Horned Beetle that can kill a forest in no time. You are probably safe with untreated 2 x 4′s. The proceeds from the sale of fire wood helps improve the park also. Not that expensive though. If you are thinking of going up there on Friday Morning you could be in for a disapointment. The park is generaly sold out that week end and any other long week end too. always best to reserve a site. Most of the campsites in East River are pretty decent for privacy. At this point and time if you are going a reservation is a must. I would book realy soon. Have a great time. cheers