Guide

Glamping in Ontario: Structures, Regions, Seasons, and Rules

By Sylvain Lachance

Rocky limestone shore on a turquoise lake with a small group of people on the rocks and tree-covered cliff above
Photo: Surinder Singh on Unsplash

Glamping in Ontario comes down to what stands between you and the weather: canvas, a dome’s skin, a yurt’s round wall, or the plank walls of a pod. Behind that comes a bed, a heat source, and a washroom at some distance from the bed. The structure affects how loud a July storm is inside and how cold a January night gets.

The Structures

Destination Ontario, the provincial tourism agency, keeps a list of 25 glamping properties. Geodesic domes are the most common type on it. The rest are tents, yurts, and small buildings.

  • Domes. Some on the agency’s list have heated floors, and one four-season dome has climate control. The guide to glamping domes covers how they behave in heat and cold.
  • Tents. Safari tents, platform tents, luxury canvas tents, and group tents. Northern Ontario Travel, a regional tourism body, adds bell tents, tipis, and treetop tents.
  • Yurts. Round, framed, and in some cases heated with a wood stove. At the simpler ones, you may need to bring your own bedding.
  • Tiny homes, pods, and cabins. Small wooden buildings with solid walls and a door. In black fly season, that counts for a great deal.

Many units sleep two, according to the agency, and some sleep four. For the wider category, see what glamping is.

Regions and Settings

The agency sorts its 25 properties into 11 tourism regions:

  • Algonquin Park, Muskoka and Parry Sound
  • Bruce, Grey and Simcoe
  • York, Durham and Headwaters
  • Kawarthas and Northumberland
  • Southwestern Ontario
  • Southeastern Ontario
  • Huron, Perth, Waterloo and Wellington
  • Niagara Region
  • Northeastern Ontario
  • Haliburton Highlands to the Ottawa Valley
  • Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma

Algonquin Park, Muskoka and Parry Sound has the most, with five. Niagara, the southwest, and Algoma have their own entries. Check the drive from your starting point before you fall for a photo. The Ontario page collects the places this site covers.

The settings vary as much as the structures. The agency describes stays on inland lakes and on Great Lakes shorelines, in forest, on working farms, and near wine country.

Access varies too. Many of these stays are reached by road. Northern Ontario Travel describes one lodge that is reached only by boat shuttle, and a dome that floats, moored on a lake. For a water-access stay, ask where to park, when the boat leaves, and what happens to the schedule in wind.

Seasons and Heat

Of the agency’s 25 properties, 12 operate year-round, 11 are seasonal, and 2 do not say. Northern Ontario Travel calls summer especially busy. The agency advises booking well in advance, since many sites are small and seasonal. Dates change from year to year, so confirm with the owner.

A winter stay depends on the heat. The two tourism bodies mention wood stoves, gas and wood fireplaces, propane fireplaces, electric heat, and heated floors. Ask which one the structure uses, how it is fuelled, and who tends it overnight. Ask too whether there is a carbon monoxide alarm inside the unit.

Some stays are off the grid. The agency mentions solar power, portable power stations, and battery lanterns. Ask what the power will run before packing a hair dryer.

Dark Skies

Some stays are built around the night sky. Northern Ontario Travel says one glamping property in its region holds a Dark Sky Preserve designation, and several domes and pods have stargazing windows or skylights. The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada’s first dark-sky preserve is the Torrance Barrens Conservation Reserve, about 11 kilometres (7 miles) west of Gravenhurst. It covers 1,906 hectares (4,710 acres), has no power or amenities, and is open to visitors who bring their own red flashlight.

Bugs, Ticks, and Bears

A canvas wall keeps out less than a cottage wall, so the calendar of biting insects matters more. Ontario Parks says black flies are usually a May and June concern and mosquitoes are around from June through September, particularly at night. Repellent, long sleeves, and a bug net help.

The province says blacklegged ticks live in wooded areas, tall grass, and brush, and are spreading to new parts of Ontario. They are most active in spring and summer but can turn up whenever the temperature is above freezing. Cover up, use a repellent with DEET or icaridin, and check yourself and your children after time outdoors.

Bears come with the forest. Ontario’s Bear Wise program asks people to keep food and garbage secured and not to leave dog food outdoors or on a porch. Its reporting line, 1-866-514-2327, is open around the clock from April 1 to November 30. A bear that threatens people is a 911 call. Ask the host where food and garbage are kept overnight.

Fire

A fire pit appears in many glamping photographs. Ontario’s fire season is April 1 to October 31. The legislated fire region covers the north and excludes the areas south of Owen Sound and Ottawa. Inside it, no open fire is allowed in a restricted fire zone. Municipalities everywhere can add their own bans. Ask the host what the rule is on your dates, and check the province’s fire map before lighting anything.

Local Rules

Ontario has no single licence for glamping. Municipalities decide. In Haliburton County, Highlands East does not allow a short-term rental in a tent, trailer, camper, or similar structure, and Minden Hills limits short-term rentals to dwelling units. Dysart et al allows tent camping only on land zoned Tourist Commercial and in certain exception zones. Elsewhere the rules differ again.

A legitimate operator can say how the site is permitted, whether by zoning, a business licence, or a short-term rental licence. Ask before booking.

Comfort and Facilities

The word glamping covers a wide range of comfort. Destination Ontario describes bathrooms from an off-grid private shower with a compost toilet to ensuite washrooms with soaker tubs. Some stays supply linens, towels, and robes. At least one asks guests to bring their own comforters, sleeping bags, pillows, and towels. Some add hot tubs, saunas, or cold plunges.

Guest rules differ as well. The agency’s list includes adults-only stays, minimum ages of 18 and 30, and at least one that allows no pets. Northern Ontario Travel says pet policies vary, so confirm before bringing a dog.

Before You Book

  • Ask what the structure is made of, how it is heated, and what the temperature inside is likely to be on your dates.
  • Ask whether there is a carbon monoxide alarm and who tends the stove.
  • Ask whether the bathroom is private, shared, or outdoors, and how far it is from the bed.
  • Ask what is supplied: linens, towels, firewood, cooking equipment, and drinking water.
  • Ask about access: road, boat, or a walk from the parking area with your bags.
  • Ask how the site is permitted under local rules, and what the fire rules are on your dates.
  • Check the age rule, the pet rule, and the number of guests allowed.
  • Check the season. A property that is open in July may be closed in January.
  • Weighing a tent of your own? See glamping versus camping.

For a lake cottage in place of a tent, see Muskoka cottage rentals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you go glamping in Ontario in winter?

Yes, at some stays. Of the 25 properties on Destination Ontario’s list, 12 operate year-round. Ask what heats the structure, how it is fuelled, and whether there is a carbon monoxide alarm.

What is the most common type of glamping in Ontario?

Geodesic domes. They are the most common type on Destination Ontario’s list of 25 properties. The rest are tents, yurts, and small buildings.

Which Ontario region has the most glamping?

Algonquin Park, Muskoka and Parry Sound, with five of the 25 properties on Destination Ontario’s list. The agency sorts its properties into 11 tourism regions, among them Niagara and Algoma.

Can you have a campfire at an Ontario glamping site?

It depends on the dates and the place. Ontario’s fire season is April 1 to October 31, and municipalities everywhere can add their own bans. Ask the host what the rule is on your dates and check the province’s fire map.

Do glamping sites in Ontario need a licence?

There is no single provincial licence. Municipalities decide: Highlands East, for one, does not allow a short-term rental in a tent, trailer, camper, or similar structure. A legitimate operator can say how the site is permitted.