Ontario’s Blue-Water Lakes
So blue you won’t believe your eyes.
By Virginia Marshall
A Perfect Park to Develop Your Backcountry Camping Skills
Local outfitters offer exceptional services for guided or self-guided adventures. #PaddleON
Charleston Lake Provincial Park is an easy drive from Ottawa (1 ½ hours) and Kingston (50 minutes). It is a favourite family camping destination offering car camping, backcountry camping and roofed accommodation. It has excellent swimming, fishing and wildlife viewing. Located in the Frontenac Arch UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve.
- Charleston Lake Provincial Park Store (canoe rentals)
- Sand Lake Campground & Cottages (canoe rentals)
- Kingston Cottage Shop & Outfitters
- Ahoy Rentals (Kingston)
- Charleston Lake Provincial Park
- Frontenac Arch UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve
- The Great Waterway – Regional Tourism Information
Discover more backcountry paddling experiences. For information on park fees and reservations, click here.
Recommended Articles
Idyllic Paddleboarding Near Timmins
Discover 8 places to explore by SUP.
Spectacular Rivers
11 easy day trips for canoes, kayaks and SUPs.
Get the most out of summer
Take the 2022 Paddling Challenge.
9 Best Day Trips by Canoe and Kayak
Find out where to go and why you need to do this.
Instagram vs Reality
You need to see this before your next paddling trip.
Paddle with Your pup
5 Insta-worthy places to go.
Spectacular and diverse scenery
Explore Lake Superior Provincial Park.
The Best Canoe Tripping in Ontario
Clear your summer schedule for a trip along the Path of the Paddle.
Level Up Your Paddling
Get a backcountry boost with these outdoor skills-based courses and trips.
Water Women
Meet nine female founders who are changing lives through paddling expeditions.
8 Unforgettable Lakes in Wabakimi Provincial Park
Which should you visit this summer?
The Big Lake is Calling
5 SUPerior destinations.
remote Island getaways
Play castaway in these idyllic archipelagos.
Backcountry Bliss
Algonquin: Paddle or hike the painted landscape.
Forget the West
Ontario is the best paddling playground.
Old growth forests
Paddle in Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Park.
Wild whitewater
Spring Paddling on Makobe-Grays River
A remarkable journey
Explore Sturgeon River Provincial Park.
Guide to the Animikii Trail
How to plan a trip on this leg of the Path of the Paddle.
Paddler's Bucket List
Choose from 10 different types of canoe trips.