Ontario Parks Summer Pass 2014
It finally arrived! In an effort to ensure that I get myself to as many parks as possible this year, I picked up an Ontario Parks Summer Pass. Not only will it be great for random day trips and hiking, but I also hope it leads to some great photo opportunities and stories as it’s now even easier for me to visit our provincial parks.
The pass is good for 8 months (April 1, 2014 to November 30, 2014) and it costs $114.46 after shipping and taxes. The last time I went to Forks of the Credit Provincial Park it cost me $14 to park for the day. The cost was similar at Mono Cliffs Provincial Park too. The Ontario Parks Fees Page says that the cost of day use access ranges from $10.75 to $20.00. So with all that information you can assume it costs about $10-$15 to visit most parks. That means in 8-12 uses you will have saved the cost of your pass. If you visit a park about once a month while the pass is valid you should have no problems hitting that mark!
There’s also the added benefit of not having to carry change for the older meters or waiting to pay with your credit card at the newer ones. I also assume you’ll be able to dodge the lines at the gatehouses when entering the staffed parks. And really, it never hurts to support the Ontario Parks program.
You can get your own pass from the Ontario Parks Store. For the record, I get nothing if you buy the pass. I just think it’s a pretty good deal if you visit the parks.