Silent Lake Provincial Park

As we were nearing the end of our big spring camping trip, we kind of let FOMO get the best of us.

Apparently, we hadn’t had enough chaos and changes of plans during our trip... we just saw too many amazing bird photos coming out of a Presqu’ile Provincial Park Facebook group.

One photo of a baby barred owl, and I was madly booking extra days to get us there, LOL.

What that meant was a night in Algonquin, and another night in Silent Lake Provincial Park, along the way.

This was our second Silent Lake camping trip, the first time being our Winter Camping at Silent Lake Provincial Park stay.

Come to think of it, that first camping trip was also born of chaos - we had to take an alternate route home after Winter Camping in Algonquin Provincial Park, on account of road closures to the west.

Silent Lake... did not end up one of our favourite destinations for winter camping, so we were looking forward to seeing what it was like during the main camping season.

Anyway, we showed up in less than ideal circumstances - after a couple days of storming, during a wild heat wave, and camping at a non-electric site!

So, we weren’t able to do any hiking... or much of anything - for various other reasons.

That said, we were able to spend some time exploring the park, which is known as the home of one of the most scenic lakes in the area.

It also has another unique feature - 17 km of mountain biking trails encircling that lake!

We crammed a LOT of information gathering into a fairly short stay, so let us tell you all about it!

The Basics:

Campground Name: Silent Lake Provincial Park
Address: 1589 Silent Lake Park Rd, Bancroft, ON K0L 1C0
Website: Silent Lake Provincial Park
Price: Ontario Provincial Parks uses a pricing matrix across all their parks. See 2025 Camping Fees for more details.
Reservations: Ontario Parks Reservations
Park Classification: Natural Environment Park
Season: May 9, 2025 to March 22, 2026

Logistics

Some basic information to help you plan your stay at Silent Lake Provincial Park.

Registration and Check In

This was an incredibly last minute trip, booked only about a week in advance, in the early summer. As such, I was only able to get a single night - really, all we needed.

We weren’t able to get an electric site, and the whole campground was booked out on either end of our stay - mid week.

So, if you’re looking to camp at Silent Lake in the summer, you’re probably going to want to book your stay 5 months ahead of time, if possible.

Anyway, we pre-registered online at the time of booking, and used the new online check-in the morning of arrival, on the way to the park.

Even if you check in online, you have to see a staff member in th park office for a printed vehicle permit. Weirdly, they still ended up asking the check-in questions. Even still, check in was fast and friendly as usually at Ontario Parks.

Maps and Signage

Some basic information to help you get around Silent Lake Provincial Park:

Park Map

The park map is a big 11 x 17" colour map, with a good amount of info on it. I like when they colour-code things like electrical vs non-electrical sites.

My main issues with the map are that none of the barrier-free information is on the map (for instance, the comfort stations all have barrier-free access, but no symbol indicating as much), and the lack of trail info.

The trails are all shown on the map... in the same colour and named, but no info on trail lengths, difficulties, etc.

You can also find an online version on their site: Park Overview Map

Signage

The directional signage at the park is kind of ... all over the place.

The main road signage - pointing you to the day use vs campgrounds, etc - is OK. The signage for sections of campsites is terrible - really tiny print, you have to be right up to the sign to see what numbers are down each loop.

The trail signage around the day use area is fantastic... but the walking path signage is pretty much non-existent.

There’s a whole area near the end of Pincer Bay campground that splits off to beach, a washrooms building, and walk-in campsites that just are not labeled at all. Are you headed to the beach or a campsite? Who knows! Guess you’ll find out at the end of the trail!

Waste & Water Services

The trailer sanitation station is located at the front of the park, and is easily accessed from the main park road whether you’re coming in or leaving.

It’s a 2 lane loop, that starts with 2 dump platforms. On the other side of the loop, there’s a single trailer fill station in between the two lanes, with a threaded hose.

So, you can access it from either side of your trailer, but only one can fill at a time.

There’s also a single fill station in the first loop of the Granite Ridge Campground.

Each of the two campgrounds have a fairly large garbage and recycling area at the entrance to the campground, as a pull-off loop.

These are the only two garbage facilities listed on the map, and we didn’t really notice any others while checking the park out.

Connectivity

We’re on Rogers Wireless.

While we had pretty good cellular reception during our winter stay at Silent Lake Provincial Park, it was pretty abysmal throughout the whole park during our summer stay.

We could refresh a few times and eventually load what we were trying to, but it was frustrating - especially as I was desperately hoping to snag a last minute upgrade to an electric site!

Accessibility

As a caveat, I went into this stay with a very negative impression of the park, in terms of accessibility - just based on our winter trip.

First off, I don’t think I’ve seen another Ontario Parks park that doesn’t so much as mention accessibility on their site or map. I was sitting here thinking of a nice way of putting my thoughts on the matter, when I looked back at my winter review, where I’d said:

“In general, winter camping tends to be less accessible than summer camping, but Silent Lake almost seemed malevolently so.”

It seemed a bit less malevolent in the summer, but I still wouldn’t say the park is all that disability friendly.

There’s still no mention of accessible facilities and areas on the map, though both comfort stations are MOSTLY accessible.

Each has a “barrier free” shower with a toilet, bench, handles, etc... but the hand-held shower head is mounted higher than would be reachable from a seated position.

None of the trails are wheelchair accessible, and the site does not provide any difficulty ratings for them - information is an accessibility issue, folks!

The beach is down a grassy hill with no actual paths, there is no Mobi-mat, and none of the picnic tables in the day use seemed to be the wheelchair accessible kind.

Overall, there’s not much to do in the park, if you’re mobility impaired.

Pets

There is no mention of pets on the park website or on the map - so, at the very least, there aren’t any designated pet exercise areas / dog beaches / etc.

On that note, they are barred from using the beach areas.

Beyond that, I’d expect all the regular Ontario Parks rules apply - keep the dogs leashed at all times, don’t leave them unattended, don’t let them harass other campers or wildlife, don’t let them make excessive noise, pick up after them and properly dispose of the droppings.

Parking

Overall, parking does not seem to be much of an issue at Silent Lake Provincial Park.

There is trailer parking at the front office (just past it), as well as a couple of trailer parking spots in the day use area. That parking lot is a large loop, so there’s no worry about not being able to get out / turn around.

The sites all seem plenty big enough to accommodate an extra vehicle - most are set quite far back from the road, with a long “driveway” between the actual campsite and the road.

Miscellaneous

A few things to note here:

Road Conditions

The park roads are in pretty rough shape in some places. The campground roads are fairly narrow, twisty, and with some steep hills. There are a few places with tight turns AS you’re going up a steep hill.

We had to park at the top of a hill to unhitch our car, because otherwise we would have had to park at a 30 or 40 degree angle to do so, in the lead-up to our campsite. Wild!

Anyway, I’d be nervous to bring a bigger rig through some of those roads. I have no idea what the sites are all rated for, in terms of vehicle length... but definitely keep *getting there* in mind!

Atmosphere

We visited at the end of a big heat wave, so that may have influenced things... but Silent Lake Provincial Park has a very rainforest vibe, if that makes sense.

It’s all VERY lush and green, with moss covered rocks and trees, ferns everywhere, a relatively high tree canopy, etc. It was also very sauna-like, and I think the environment really contributed to that.

It felt like all that green really held the humidity in, maybe exacerbated it even.

Aurora Borealis Hunting

Silent Lake Provincial Park should be a good place for star gazing, as it’s pretty far away from the GTA and doesn’t have a ton of light pollution - just a little bit from Bancroft.

In terms of Aurora Borealis viewing though... not so great. The campground is located on the north shoreline of Silent Lake, so there aren’t any good north-facing views that are easy to get to.

You could hike around to the south side of the lake, but it’s a fairly rugged trail. Navigating rocky shorelines and jagged landscapes in the dark, carrying camera equipment... not really my cup of tea!

If you’re interested in possibly seeing the northern lights, check out our posts: Aurora Hunting, How to Photograph the Northern Lights, Can I See the Northern Lights Tonight?, and Where to See Northern Lights in Ontario.

Campground Amenities & Info

Here’s some basic information, though:

Creature Comforts

Each of the two campgrounds has a centrally located comfort station, with flush toilets, laundry facilities, and showers.

There’s also a winterized comfort station in the day use area, with showers and flush toilets - only the campground comfort stations have laundry facilities.

There are also flush toilets at the parking lot for the Pincer Bay walk-in campsites, and vault toilets throughout the campgrounds.

Visitor Centre

There is no visitor center at Silent Lake Provincial Park.

Park Store

The park store at Silent Lake Provincial Park is HUGE, well laid out, and really well appointed.

Activity kits, basic medications/first aid supplies, batteries, books, camping supplies, clothing, games, puzzles, souvenirs, sunglasses ... just a really wide selection of stuff!

Silent Lake Provincial Park is about 20 minutes from Bancroft, where you’ll find other shopping available - a few larger grocery stores, general stores, gas stations, and even a Canadian Tire.

Day Use Area

The day-use area at Silent Lake Provincial Park is pretty small - a bit of grassy lawn and a small beach.

There are a few picnic tables - both on the grassy area and on the beach itself - and a small boat launch. A cute enough view of the lake, but not really anything to write home about, especially in comparison to other day use areas we’ve seen recently!

Rentals

Silent Lake Provincial Park offers canoe and kayak rentals for most of their operating season, from spring to fall.

They also have snowshoe rentals in the winter, but there were no details about that during our winter stay.

Campsite Details

There are 3 ways you can camp at Silent Lake Provincial Park: car campsites, walk-in campgrounds, and roofed accommodations.

Well, I guess 4 ways - the roofed accommodations come in two different types!

Anyway, here’s what you’re looking at in terms of camping options at Silent Lake Provincial Park:

Car Camping

There are two campgrounds at Silent Lake Provincial Park - the Pincer Bay and Granite Ridge campgrounds.

Most of the sites are non-electric, and all of the park’s electrical sites are in the Granite Ridge Campground. These apparently book quickly, so - like I mentioned earlier - if you want a great selection of car camping sites, be sure to book early!

Anyway, these campsites are all in a wooded, hilly area, and each come with the usual picnic table and fire pit set up.

There are also some double campsites for slightly larger groups. These are 2 campsites connected to a single driveway, and allow up to 12 people.

There aren’t any actual group campsite options at Silent Lake park, though.

Walk-In Campsites

Those wanting to camp in an even more natural setting can a walk-in site - there are more than 30 of them at Silent Lake Provincial Park.

Each involve a walk of no more than 500 m from the site’s designated parking spot.

The walk in sites at Silent Lake Provincial Park are a bit odd, IMHO. Usually, the walk in sites have some kind of a perk - water access, a killer view off a cliff, whatever.

These mostly all just looked like the regular campsites, just with extra effort to get there.

Roofed Accommodation

There are 10 Rustic Cabins and 8 Silent Lake Yurts available at the park, for those who want more of a glamping experience.

The camp cabins are all located in a loop by the day use area, away from the main campground area.

These are single room cabins that sleep 5 people, and can be booked during the winter season, as well.

Each has 1 queen bed and one bunk bed, a kitchenette with a microwave & mini fridge, as well as a gas barbeque outside. They are heated with electric heat, via baseboard heaters.

You do have to bring your own bedding, food, personal items, and everything you need to cook your meals, though. (Including plates, pots, pans, etc).

There are also 8 Soft Sided Shelters - Yurts - scattered across the two campgrounds.

Each winter yurt comes with 2 bunk beds, a table and chairs, a propane grill, a fire pit, and a picnic table. Like the cabins, you need to bring *everything* - bedding, towels, personal items, food, food prep items, etc.

Interestingly, half the yurts have electric heat, and the rest of them have a wood stove. Those with a wood stove come with firewood for it, the rest do not.

Anyway, they each sleep 6.. And you’re not allowed to cook in them.

Entertainment and Activity

Some basic information on the recreational activities available at Silent Lake Provincial Park:

Hiking

Unfortunately, between weather, time, and a lack of information, we didn’t get to take advantage of what we’ve heard to be some great hiking.

None of the Silent Lake hikes have any difficulty information included, just distance and time. (See the Summer Trails Map for the routes.)

I always find the time inclusions to be silly, as there’s no qualifying info. Was this according to a fit 16 year old intern, an ardent hiker, a slow-walking bird watcher, or an average of all the above?

I’d rather just have a standard set of difficulty ratings, as time is WAY too loose of a judgement!

Anyway, here’s what we know of the Silent Lake Provincial Park hiking trails, between the park’s site. The trail heads, and the small sections of trail we’ve seen both in the summer and during our winter stay:

Bonnie’s Pond Trail

This is a 3 km hike, accessed via its own parking lot near the Pincer Bay campground.

It takes you through various types of forest and a beaver pond, to a “breathtaking lookout”.

This is the trail I was most looking forward to doing - we’d wanted to hike it in the winter, but it was being converted to a snowshoeing trail at the time of our visit.

Maybe next time?

Lakehead Loop Trail

This is a 1.5 km trail that starts out from the day use parking lot, with a suggested time of 30 minutes to complete.

It takes you along the lake shore for a bit, through a few different stands of trees, then loops back through the forest and over a creek.

If don’t want to keep it to a short walk, you can skip looping back, and continue on along the Lakeshore Hiking Trail.

Lakeshore Hiking Trail

The longest trail, this one clocks in at 15 km, and a recommended completion time of 6 hours.

Like the others, it will take you through various types of forests, but with the added attraction of it following the shoreline for most of the trail.

You’ll see beaver meadows, swamps, and several lookout points along the way. Be sure to pack extra water, snacks, and plenty of mosquito repellent!

Biking

First off - we don’t recommend cycling on park roads. As previously mentioned, they’re very narrow and in poor condition, with tight turns and steep sections. Add some cars in the mix, and it’s, uh... not ideal.

Anyway, if you’re into mountain biking, there’s a dedicated set of mountain bike trail loops at Silent Lake Provincial Park .

One of the trails is 11 km and rated moderate, and the other is 17 km long and rated difficult.

The trail head is accessed from the parking lot in the day use area.

Swimming

There are two beaches at Silent Lake Provincial Park - in the day-use area, and at the tip of the Pincer Bay campground, on the other end of the park.

I wouldn’t call them GREAT sandy beaches - they’re both quite small, not super accessible, and are... well, they’re inland lake beaches. Maybe that’s your thing, I know I’m a bit of a snob about it.

Anyway, the day use beach actually has parking, but is down a bit of a hill from the parking lot. The Pincer Bay one is mostly accessible for those staying in the loop of walk-in sites nearby, though there are some trails from other sections of the campground.

This is the beach that Porter walked to in the winter - there was an access trail from our campground loop in Granite Ridge campground, and it was SUPER steep to get down there.

Birding, Wildlife, and Nature

The park is in bear country, so you DEFINITELY want to keep a clean campsite. Black bears are cute, but I sure wouldn’t want to wake up to one getting into our stuff!

I may be a nature lover, but I don’t want to get THAT up close and personal with them!

Anyway ... back in the winter, we were shocked that NONE of our apps - Audubon, iNaturalist, etc - had any recent animal sightings reported at all, in the 2 months prior to our visit.

On that trip, we saw no wildlife at all - not so much as a chickadee!

Well, we had marginally better luck with birds on our summer visit. Marginally in that we HEARD a ton of birds, we just didn’t see many at all - a bunch of Blue Jays, a Spotted Sandpiper, a few other things... that’s about it.

In terms of what we heard, though:

American Robin, Black-and-White Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Black-Capped Chickadee, Black-Throated Green Warbler, Blue Jay, Chestnut-Sided Warbler, Dark-Eyed Junco, Eastern Phoebe, Hairy Woodpecker, Hermit Thrush, Mourning Dove, Pine Warbler, Red-Breasted Nuthatch, Red-Eyed Vireo, Scarlet Tanager, Spotted Sandpiper, Veery, Yellow-Rumped Warbler, Yellow Warbler.

Between the high and full tree cover and the weather... The conditions weren’t great for actually seeing them!

Boating

It’s called Silent Lake for a reason - they don’t allow any kind of motor boats, whether gas or electric motors.

There are three canoe launches / docks - one at the end of Pincer Bay, another at the tip of Granite Ridge campground, and the last is at the day use area.

There are a couple of other lakes near by - Quiet Lake and Soft Lake - that you can take a short portage to when the conditions allow for it.

If you don’t have your own canoe, you can rent one from the park. The map shows the canoe rentals being handled at the gate house, but there was also a staffed rental shack at the boat launch in Pincer bay.

Fishing

If you’re a huge lover of fishing - and don’t require a motorized boat - Silent Lake Provincial Park sounds like a decent place to go!

The lake is known for Lake Trout, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sunfish, and Yellow Perch.

There’s no fish cleaning station, though, and all fishing laws and license requirements apply.

Discovery Program

The Discovery Program at Silent Lake Provincial Park is limited to the summer months, and seems to mostly revolve around the Exploration Station and Discovery Activity Book.

At the time of our stay, there was a schedule of events for Thursday, Friday, Sunday, and the following Thursday - so it might be more of a weekend thing.

Winter Activities

In the winter, Silent Lake Provincial Park offers cross-country skiing on over 34 km of cross-country trails ranging from novice-moderate difficulty, to difficult.

See their Winter Trail System Map for a general idea of the layout.

There’s also snowshoeing, ice fishing, and winter camping - be sure to see our Winter Camping at Silent Lake Provincial Park post for all those details!

Niantic Games

Overall, there aren’t a ton of Ingress Portals / Pokestops / Pokegyms in Silent Lake Provincial Park.

Your best bet for game play is in the day use area, where there are 4 portals/etc right there, and decent cell phone reception to play. (At least on Rogers Wireless, anyway).

Final Thoughts

So, overall, I’m going to have to stick with my initial assessment of the park, from back in the winter. It’s just not one of my favourite parks.

A lot of that is a matter of accessibility issues. Not having trail difficulty information makes me less than excited to go hiking. There’s nothing worse than thinking I can do a trail, getting ready to do it, being right in the MOOD to do it... then having to nope out because I had no idea what I was walking into.

The beaches are just OK at best, the views are OK... We’re not boaters, the birding situation wasn’t great, so really... there’s just not a lot for us at this park.

If you’re into canoeing or kayaking, though, I could see you having a WILDLY different view of the park. It’s very much set up to have paddling as the main attraction, and the amenities for THAT are fantastic - lots of launches and docks, a beautiful lake to explore, etc.

If we ever buy a couple of kayaks, I can see coming back - and I bet we’d love the park in that situation.

As is, it’s more of a “meh” for us. Especially with it being only an hour and a half away from one of our favourite parks ever... we’re just more likely to go to Algonquin, given the choice.

More Southeast Ontario Provincial Parks & Places to See

Want to read some more about the parks we've camped and at places we've seen in Southeastern Ontario? Here are some more posts!

Southeastern Ontario Campground Reviews:

Bon Echo Provincial Park
Bonnechere Provincial Park
Ferris Provincial Park
Presqu'ile Provincial Park
Rideau River Provincial Park
Sandbanks Provincial Park
Winter Camping at Silent Lake Provincial Park

Southeastern Ontario Places to See:

Gariepy Creek Falls
Lake on the Mountain Provincial Park

Want to explore beyond Southeastern Ontario? Check out our full list of Campground Reviews, Ontario Waterfalls, and other Places to See.

We also have a ton of Camping Recipes to cook up, while on your adventures!