Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada Non-Resident Camping on Crown Land in Ontario

I have posed this question on another site but am still looking for some answers. I understand that there are some areas of Crown land that non-residents are not allowed to camp. My question is pretty specific. Are there camping areas that have some type of potable water, designated sites, outside of provincial parks that are open to non-residents if they pay the 10.00/per night per adult fee? If so, is there any publication or source of information on these areas? I'll be spending a week fishing at a lodge near Ignace and thought that my grandson and I could do a little moving around the area and fishing some lakes that have public access. Thanks for any information or tips.

Sportdog,This is a good question. The potable water is a tough one. My advice would be to google it,and check the Ontario MNR websites. The lodge you are using may be of some help. I would advise taking bug spray.

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Gracie Allen to George Burns, I thought we were past that.
Help Sportdog out a bit Brother K.

From the Ontario MNR web site -

Ontario�s Crown land provides the opportunity for many outdoor recreational activities including camping.

Although most Crown land is available for the enjoyment of both Ontario residents and visitors, access to some Crown land may be restricted or limited. The Ministry of Natural Resources may post signs to limit certain kinds of travel or activity (including camping), as well as close forest access roads for reasons of public safety or environmental protection. Please contact the local MNR Office for more information about the Crown land in the area you hope to visit.

When camping on Crown land, all users are asked to undertake their activities in an ecologically sound and responsible manner, accepting the risks associated with their activities. Please remove all litter and enjoy and respect Ontario�s Crown land.

If you are interested in camping in an Ontario Provincial Park, please visit the Ontario Parks website for more information.

Residents of Canada

Residents of Canada may camp free of charge on Crown land for up to 21 days at any one site, except where posted otherwise.

Non-residents of Canada

If you are a non-resident of Canada, 18 years of age or older and wish to camp on Crown land north of the French and Mattawa rivers, a Crown Land Camping Permit is required, unless:

*You are a non-resident that is 18 years of age or older and are renting a camping unit (a camping unit can include a tent, trailer, tent-trailer, recreational vehicle or camperback) from a commercial outfitter in Ontario.
*You are a non-resident that is staying on a watercraft equipped for overnight accommodation, anchored on a Crown land water bed and not located within a regulated (green) zone or other signed prohibited area.
*You or your spouse owns property in Ontario - NOTE: access to regulated (green) zones remains prohibited.

Where Can You Get a Crown Land Camping Permit?

Non-resident Crown Land Camping Permits are available from numerous fishing and hunting license issuers and from Service Ontario centers in northern Ontario. The cost of a Non-resident Crown Land Camping Permit is approximately $10 per person per night. Members or persons in charge of a charitable or not-for profit organization may be eligible for exemptions to a Crown Land Camping Permit by applying in writing to the District Manager well in advance. Please contact the local MNR Office or call 1-800-667-1940 for more information on camping on Crown land.


Downloadable Map of Green Zones, where no non-resident camping is permitted - Click Here

I've spent up to a week in the Canadian bush several times with no potable water other than the lake water by our campsite. I brought along a water purifier and two gallon plastic jugs. Each day I'd filter the water into the two jugs for our daily drinking and cooking water with no ill effects health wise. I highly recommend a good portable water purifier, even though it will cost you for a good one. Bring along powdered Gator-aid and a couple of those Nalgene bottles to mix it in for a change of pace from drinking regular water. I use Folgers coffee singles for the morning coffee. They're just coffee in tea bags. All I need to do is boil water and I've got coffee.

Walt,any need to give bears any thought?
We used to make coffee with lake water, and never had any proublems. That would have been boiled. Lot's of cabins on the lakes pump lake water. I don't know if they drink it.

At my place in NW Ontario I pump lake water for washing, but I'd never drink it. There are to many old septic systems and the Laurentian Shield doesn't perk, so you know where it goes eventually, to say nothing of all the outhouses that are used after the lake freezes. Plus, there is still so much logging in my area that I'm concerned about mercury. From what I understand, mercury is ever present in the environment, but lies in low spots like under rocks and such. Logging equipment disturbs these deposits, meaning they will run downhill until they find another resting place. Ontario mitigates this risk somewhat by banning logging within a few hundred yards of any waterway, but it is still a concern to me. I will say that some drink the water, but I feel you do so at your own risk and would never chance some bug laying me low while in the bush, so I filter all drinking water.

As for bears, they're everywhere here in NW Ontario. In my 54 years coming here, there have never been so many as there are today. I was at the local dump a month ago watching a over 300 pound boar at 15 yards. He was miserable from the heat and bugs. I was reading "Ontario Out of Doors" (best outdoor magazine ever, IMHO) and they had an article on a study done on bear encounters over a very long time span in Canada. Their conclusion was that bear spray was around 90% effective in turning away bears. If memory serves, firearms were much less effective and required multiple shots. If you want to bring bear spray into Canada, make sure it is clearly labeled as bear spray because personal protection sprays are illegal. On the bright side, NW Ontario has had a very rainy and wet spring and summer, meaning the berry crop is quite healthy. Lot's of berry in the woods usually means fewer bear encounters, especially in August and September when bears need to increase their weight by 30% or more before they den up for the winter, which is usually around the beginning of October depending on the weather.

I drink the water in the flowing rivers and creeks. Never had a problem with it, but then, I've been doing it for 61 years, so either I have built up a toloerance to it, or no self respecting bug in its right mind would consider trying to infect me.

Bears are present, but not bothersome if you are bear smart at your campsite. Watch your garbage. Don't get between a sow and her cubs.

Someone once said those of us up here in NW ontario know no better than to drink untreated water. I attach a tin cup to my canoe, sheesh I can't even spell it, and drink when thirsty. If you are concerned boil it for 10 minutes and relax.

Of course the Laurention shield is quite a bit south of what I think of as NW Ontario. Other than the twitch and squinty left eye, hearing loss and arthritis I have never been bothered with drinking untreated water. I did use a filter when traveling SE Asia and the Hindu Kush though, so I understand your concern.

I get all my water straight from the lake,I have for years.I don't treat it or boil it before drinking it.
There are many lakes in this area that you can do this.

A cabin owner could have water tested at a lab. Camping would be another story. I doubt if all the canoers in Quentio, or the Boundry Waters pack water in.

Blue Lake is one of those pristine clear lakes that you can see a nickel on the bottom at a depth of 25 feet. Why wouldn't you drink that water? And the rest of the lakes in that string are good as well. Most of the lakes in our neck of the woods are fine. Like medicman said, boil it if you like, but it's never bothered me.

Heck, friends of mine get their water directly from the old muddy Wabigoon Lake, and they seem to do okay.

Non-residents have to pay for a crown land camping permit in Ontario?? Not in B.C. I guess our government hasn't come up with this idea yet. I think it's terrible that they are being charged to camp on crown land. IMHO

Does anyone know what might happen if he just "does it"? What would be the penalty if caught camping on Crown Land without a permit?

Bet it won't be less than whatever the camping permit would have been. The MNR is funny that way. I can see it being at least double. But why would you want to "just do it" when that would be overtly illegal??

Thanks Brother Keith. Note I said ,"He", not I. It looks like there is some confusion on the sites, and dates. As a property owner,I am in the dark as to legal camping. Is pulling off the road to nap camping illegaly?

Can't see why it would be if you didn't have a tent set up, a hammock strung and a fire pit ready to go. But who knows. Camping is camping. Sleeping for a few minutes in your car isn't camping is my guess, but I am no expert at either camping or sleeping.

I'm not sure if my memory is correct but it seems to me the reason the MNR implimented the restrictions on camping on Crown land was due to complaints from the outfitting industry about the number of US hunters who were coming to hunt here in Ontario. Supposedly they were bringing groceries with them, camping on Crown land and doing nothing for the economy apart from buying a hunting license.

If an out of Province hunter uses a drop camp belonging to an outfitter the restrictions do not apply.

One benefit to going through an outfitter, the hunter is usually supplied with a moose tag as part of the package.

I don't know if any statistics were ever gathered and released as to the numbers of such hunters, so can't judge whether this was truly a problem or not.

Jim

Jim,

I think the moose hunters have to be registered at a lodge in order to qualify for the hunt. Not so for deer hunters. They can camp out if they want to but the permit does come to play.