Mark S. Burnham Provincial Park

On the way to Emily Provincial Park - from Bon Echo Provincial Park - we passed a sign for a park we hadn’t heard of before.

I tripped up on the name when mentioning it to Porter, referring to it as “Michael Burnham Provincial Park”, which had us both doing a double take. Mark, Michael... whatever.

While “Mark Burham Park” doesn’t have the same geek cachet as Michael Burnham Park would have, we decided to look it up, and maybe check it out during our stay at Emily.

The fall colours were gorgeous everywhere we went - Doubes Trestle Bridge, the Peterborough Lift Lock, etc - and Mark S Burnham Provincial Park is apparently known for their fall colours.

After all, the beech, elm, hemlock, and maple trees are apparently among the oldest ones in Ontario!

We visited early one morning during our stay at Emily, and here’s what we thought of it:

The Basics:

Location Name: Mark S. Burnham Provincial Park
Address: 846 Highway 7 Peterborough, ON K0L 1S0
Website: Ontario Parks - Mark S. Burnham Provincial Park
Price Ontario Provincial Parks uses a pricing matrix across all their parks. See 2025 Day Use Fees for more details.
Reservations: Ontario Parks Reservations
Park Classification: Recreational
Season: May 1, 2026 to November 8, 2026

Logistics

Some basic information to help you plan your visit to Mark S Burnham Provincial Park:

Registration and Check In

As we were staying at Emily Provincial Park, we originally planned to take advantage of the whole park reciprocity thing.

(In case you missed it: valid, current parking permits at one Ontario Provincial Park can function as daily vehicle permits at OTHER provincial parks - some exceptions apply, especially at busy times of the year).

Emily didn’t have printed park permits, though. We didn’t know what the situation would be at Mark S. Burnham park - if there would be a staffed gatehouse, internet, etc - so I ended up just buying a 2 hour “pay and display” permit.

Despite the name, you don’t need to print it off - it’ll ask for your license plate number, and that’s that.

As it turns out, there was no gatehouse, and there we no staff in the park when we visited.

That said, there is a sign post in the parking lot with a QR code to pay for your parking, if you’re not booking ahead of time.

Parking

The parking lot is right off the highway can probably handle 20 cars.. Maybe up to 25-30, we didn’t count (and the stalls weren’t marked).

If you have a small trailer or RV - and the park is empty - you shouldn’t have a hard time getting in and out. There isn’t a parking loop or anything, though, so I wouldn’t risk it with something larger.

Washrooms

The only washrooms in the park are in the form of a 2 stall outhouse at the front of the park.

The building is right next to the parking lot, and it was in pretty good shape at the time of our visit - and I’m someone who generally hates outhouses.

The toilets are vault toilets. Heads up, though: The stalls don’t have sinks or hand sanitizer, and there isn’t any way to wash your hands outside, either.

Maps and Signage

There aren’t any print maps available at Mark S. Burnham Provincial Park, but there IS a trail map sign next to the parking lot.

This is a very small, very straightforward park, though - you really don’t need much in the way of maps or signage.

One note, though: The map has symbols on it that we took to mean “one way”, so we started from the left (clockwise) side of the loop.

As it turns out, the symbols were showing which way the steep inclines were going. In actuality, both trail access points - one from the parking lot, and one across the small field / near the picnic shelter - were the same.

If you enter the way we did, some of the trail signs were facing the “wrong” way, but it wasn’t an issue at all.

Accessibility

There aren’t any designated accessible parking spots at Mark S. Burnham Provincial Park, but I also don’t get the feeling that this park ever gets all THAT busy.

The washroom building is marked as being accessible - and the stalls are barrier-free. There isn’t a paved path to the washroom building from the parking lot, but the path seems to be wheelchair accessible.

Again, though - no sinks or hand sanitizer in the washroom, so come prepared!

In terms of the trails:

The short loop is wide, well packed rough ground. I think there are enough rocks and such that I wouldn't call it wheelchair accessible... but if you're using a cane or crutches or anything it should be fine.

The longer loop isn’t wheelchair accessible, and is *doable* with other mobility aids (a boot, a cane, etc) if you’re more adventurous about such things... but probably not worth it.

Pets

Dogs are allowed in the park - and on the walking trail - but have to be leashed and picked up as usual.

There are garbage cans at the start of the trail - on both ends - but no poop baggie dispensers, so be sure to bring your own!

Park Store

There is no park store at Mark S. Burnham Provincial Park.

Visitor Centre

There is no Visitor Centre at Mark S. Burnham Provincial Park.

Day Use Area

The “day use area” - read “picnic space” is a small grassy area and picnic shelter, right next to the parking lot.

The picnic shelter is on a first-come, first-served basis, with no reservations or fees involved. It’s smallish - maybe 8-10 picnic tables - but spacious enough.

We didn’t see any other picnic tables in the park - including on the lawn area. Not sure if that’s different during the same season, though.

In terms of the lawn, it looked like it HAD been well maintained at some point, but was definitely in need of a mowing at the time of our visit.

I’m guessing it’s more maintained in the summer - it was in good condition, just long.

Connectivity

We’re on Rogers Wireless and had good cell phone reception and internet connectivity at Mark S. Burnham Provincial Park.

Entertainment and Activity

Mark S. Burnham Provincial Park is a really small park, without a lot of things to do there.

That said, here’s what we saw in terms of activities available:

Hiking

There is a single hiking trail at Mark S Burnham Provincial Park, with a couple options on how you can do it.

The overall loop is 1.5 km and rated as easy.

There’s also a cut through section that allows you to do it as a 0.9 km trail, and avoid a couple steep areas at the top of the main trail.

There are a couple benches along the longer loop, but none on the shorter loop.

Either way, it’s a pretty basic walk through the woods. The trail is wide and well packed, with some rocks making for uneven footing in places.

If you visit at the height of fall colour season - as we did - it can be really pretty... but I think it would be a little boring at other times of the year.

It’s definitely more of a “Get out and stretch your legs a bit as a rest stop on a road trip” kind of trail, rather than a scenic or destination hike.

Birding, Wildlife, and Nature

The only bird we heard or saw during our visit were a few Black-Capped Chickadees.

Educational & Cultural Opportunities

There are several educational signs along the trail, talking a bit about the birds you may see, the animals that make use of the dead and dying trees, some of the specific plants and trees you may see, glaciers, what a Drumlin is, etc.

They were all informative and in good condition - always love to see that!

Niantic Games

There are several Niantic Game stops - Pokestops, Ingress Portals, etc - along the hiking trail and around the parking lot area.

We had no problem loading the game, as the cell reception was pretty good at the park.

Final Thoughts

We like the park as a park... but it doesn’t seem on the level with other day-use only Provincial Parks.

This is more like a nice, well-maintained rest stop with a trail attached.

Unless you managed to hit the park right at peak color I would say this is definitely more of a rest stop. A nice enough place to stop, use a washroom, stretch your legs, walk your dog, and maybe enjoy a lunch outside... but not so much of a *destination*.

It's cute enough for what it is, though, and I love having access to an easy trail. It's just not something I would drive out of my way to see in general.

More Southwest & Central Ontario Provincial Parks & Places to See

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

Southwest/Central Ontario Campground Reviews:

Awenda Provincial Park
Balsam Lake Provincial Park
Bass Lake Provincial Park
Bronte Creek Provincial Park
Bruce Peninsula National Park
Conestogo Lake Conservation Area
Craigleith Provincial Park
Darlington Provincial Park
Earl Rowe Provincial Park
Elora Gorge Conservation Area
Emily Provincial Park
Falls Reserve Conservation Area
Fifty Point Conservation Area
Inverhuron Provincial Park
Long Point Provincial Park
MacGregor Point Provincial Park
Mara Provincial Park
McRae Point Provincial Park
Meaford Memorial Park
Pinery Provincial Park
Point Farms Provincial Park
Port Burwell Provincial Park
Rock Point Provincial Park
Rondeau Provincial Park
Sauble Falls Provincial Park
Selkirk Provincial Park
Sibbald Point Provincial Park
Turkey Point Provincial Park
Valens Lake Conservation Area
Warsaw Caves Conservation Area
Wheatley Provincial Park

Southwest/Central Ontario Places to See:

Big Bay, Ontario
Canada's Dinosaur Park
Cheltenham Badlands
Devil's Monument
Doubes Trestle Bridge
Eugenia Falls Conservation Area
Flowerpot Island
Hogg's Falls
Inglis Falls Conservation Area
Indian Falls Conservation Area
Jones Falls
Keith McLean Conservation Lands
Menesetung Bridge
Mono Cliffs Provincial Park
Peterborough Lift Lock
Petroglyphs Provincial Park
Point Pelee National Park
Rattlesnake Point Conservation Area
Scenic Caves Nature Adventures
Spirit Rock Conservation Area
Wasaga Beach Provincial Park

Want to explore beyond Southwest and Central 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!