Toronto 
One of the easiest ways to escape the city of Sudbury this summer is with a trip to Windy Lake Provincial Park. The park provides close beach access for anyone in the city or on their way in, as well as ways to stay overnight, and tons more recreational fun.
Credit: Ontario Parks
The 1.5km sandy beach and day use area offer the start to many other adventures on and off the water. And during an overnight stay with more time, the surrounding areas have even more to offer for hiking, recreation, or sightseeing.
Fun on Windy Lake
No matter your type of ideal summer day at the lake, Windy Lake Provincial Park, and the waters of the lake, provide plenty of recreational opportunities.
- Day use visitors and campers can take advantage of the 1.5km of sandy beach at the Windy Lake day use area. The area has space for swimming, lounging, picnics, sports like beach volleyball, and parking. There is also a large picnic shelter area that is open by reservation for larger group gatherings and picnics. Furry friends are welcome at the pet exercise area and beach near the group campgrounds.
- Windy Lake is a year-round fishing spot with ice fishing in the colder months, and permission to cast off from boats in the warmer months. The lake is home to trout, walleye, pike, and smallmouth bass.
- Enjoy almost any type of watersport on Windy Lake: motorized boating and tubing or waterskiing, canoeing, kayaking, sailing, or windsurfing. There are several kilometers of shoreline to explore along with small bays and islands. The large boat launch area is easy to access via Old Cartier Road with PFD or fishing equipment rentals available on your way to the launch.
Year-round Camping at Windy Lake Provincial Park
There is a wide variety of camping opportunities at Windy Lake Provincial Park. And no matter the type of camping you opt for, there will be access to comfort stations with flush toilets, showers, and laundry facilities, as well as firewood, and a small park store.
- The park’s main campground is open for tents, RVs, or trailers, from spring to fall. These are spacious sites with over half offering electrical hook-up.
- Additionally, Windy Lake Provincial Park has double-wide campsites for two groups or families, two large group camping areas, and walk-in tent sites.
- Comfort camping options are also available with the choice between rustic cabin rentals, or soft-sided shelter rentals. Those soft-sided shelter rentals are also available over the winter months with ice fishing packages available to add on to your trip. Those group campgrounds, the walk-in tent sites, and cabins and yurts are located directly beside the water (perfect for canoers or kayakers).
Hiking & Sightseeing in the Windy Lake Area
The campground roads, and the park’s Transition Trail, all offer great opportunities to explore Windy Lake Provincial Park on foot or bike. The Transition Trail is a unique opportunity to hike around the site of where a meteorite collided with the earth 2 billion years ago.
Windy Lake Provincial Park is part of the geologically significant Sudbury Basin with self-guided geo-tours available via Northern Ontario GeoTours.
- The AY Jackson Lookout and trail are among the stops on the Northern Ontario GeoTours and is a short drive down the highway from Windy Lake. The trail looks out over Onaping Falls from the sides of the river, and a pedestrian bridge that crosses the falls.
- Many more kilometres of hiking trails wind around Halfway Lake Provincial Park, a short drive north of Windy Lake on the ON-144. These trails range from 2-15km to offer several types of adventures. The park is also open in the summers for swimming, boating (motorized and paddle), and camping.
Accommodations & Dining near Windy Lake
Onaping is the closest town to Windy Lake Provincial Park. Between the park boundary and town are options for overnight alternatives like hotels and motels, and a handful of places that offer takeout snacks or picnic foods.
- Find nearby lodges and cabins with places like the Onaping Lake Lodge, Vermillion Lake Park, private Airbnb rentals, or private VRBO listings.
- Chelmsford is about halfway between Sudbury and Windy Lake (on Highway 144) with a plethora of dining options whether you’re after a sit-down meal, take-out and road trip snacks, or picnic foods.
Planning your Trip – Windy Lake Provincial Park
What: Windy Lake Provincial Park is one of the many parks that surround Sudbury in northern Ontario. And, it is one of the closest Provincial Parks or recreation areas to Greater Sudbury.
Windy Lake sits on the northern edge of the Sudbury Basin, a geologically significant area with rich natural and human history.
As a recreational park, Windy Lake offers year-round fun including ice fishing, snowshoeing, camping, and cross-country skiing in the winters. During the regular open season, the park is a favourite of boaters and fishers, paddlers, and campers.
Location & how to get there: 50km west of Greater Sudbury via ON-144 North
Cost: day use $15.50 per vehicle
Best time to go:
Camping May-September; Roofed accomodations like yurts available year round
Day use open year-round
For more information:
