Caliper Lake Provincial Park is a small campground, just north of Fort Frances. We had an ... interesting... stay there, here's our review!
It was the beginning of our tour of Northwestern Ontario. We’d never been camping out that way before - well, beyond Quetico Provincial Park anyway - and we were looking forward to exploring the Lake of the Woods region.
We’d just finished up several days of enjoying the beauty of the great outdoors at Quetico, made a stop in Fort Frances to buy a Coleman stove at Canadian Tire (on account of the fire ban), grabbed some groceries, and headed north.
About 8 km from the park, we blew a tire. We decided to limp the RV to the park, as it would be a lot safer to change the tire in a campsite.
Then we watched in horror as several semis almost killed a snapping turtle in the road, so we pulled over to help it cross safely. It was a snapping turtle, and she wanted to END Porter, LOL!
So, we were a bit stressed when we arrived, and we were looking forward to spending a few days in a peaceful setting.
It was... a unique experience.
Pull up a chair, we’ll tell you all about it!
The Basics:
Campground Name: Caliper Lake Provincial Park
Address: ON-71, Nestor Falls, ON P0X 1K0 . Click Here for Google Maps location.
Website: https://www.ontarioparks.ca/park/caliperlake
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: Recreational
Season: May 16, 2025 to October 14, 2025
Logistics
The park is located in the township of Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls, about an hour north of Fort Frances and International Falls.
Here’s some basic information to help you plan your stay:
Registration and Check In
We booked our site 5 months ahead of time - at 7 am - but that was apparently unnecessary. There were only 4 other sites booked the night we showed up!
I’m assuming it’ll be a bit busier in the summer months.
Check in was weird. We showed up at 3pm, and the gatehouse was closed. There was a sign on the door saying that the park office was open until 4:30pm every day, so... not sure what that was about.
I called to leave a voice mail to say we were checking in, and we headed to our site. At some point, we ran into a warden who told us the park is paperless, but he’d like us to stop by the next day anyway.
He seemed really nice, and answered a few of my questions (water potability, where to find pelicans, etc).
Maps and Signage
Though the gatehouse wasn’t open, there was a little box out front with maps, so that definitely helped us get to our site.
I had very little idea what to expect, as the park map was not on the site, nor could I find one on Google.
It was an 11 x 17 map, but half the sheet was dedicated to Sioux Narrows Provincial Park, which is something like 40 minutes away.
It didn’t have a compass, which annoyed me - there was a good chance for auroral activity, the night we arrived. Always good to know where north is!
Anyway, here’s the map, for anyone else who may be looking for it:
Also, certain areas just don’t have appropriate signage. The trailer sanitation station doesn’t have signage at all from one direction, and we never approached it from the other to see if it had any that way.
When heading towards our site, there was a bit of confusion - we were looking for #21, and came to a sign that was obviously 1-21, but had tape or something on it that made it look like 27. We weren’t entirely sure if we were supposed to turn there, or not. It didn’t really look official!
Another issue is that the roads are VERY rough, as are the sites. With high centering on the roads, poor maintenance all around (some campground roads were growing dandelions right on them!), etc... it can be easy to miss a turn. Road turn offs can look like campsites, and vice versa.
Definitely bring the map with you as you explore the park!
Waste and Water Services
As with the vast majority of Ontario Provincial Parks, there are no water / sewer hookups in the campsites themselves.
There is a small trailer sanitation station near the front of the park. It’s a half loop off one side of the road that connects the gatehouse area to the larger of the boat launches.
As mentioned before, it’s not well marked. It’s also a fairly rough road with some high centering and awkward angles in/out (depending on where you’re coming from/going), so just take your time.
When approaching the loop coming from the gatehouse direction, the loop is to your left, and the dump and fill platforms will be on your driver’s side if you take the first entry to the sanitation station.
There is a single dump platform, followed by a single fill platform -threaded nozzle - with no bypass lane.
As a note about the fill platform: We initially thought it was broken, as there was no handle on the valve. As it turns out, the end of the hose had an add-on valve. So, it did work it’s just not the usual setup, more of a Red-Green style fix.
As for garbage and recycling, there’s a small waste depot between the trailer sanitation loop and the main road in by the park office. This is located across from sites 11 and 12.
Connectivity
We had pretty spotty service throughout the park, ranging from almost NO cellular reception, to “just ok” reception. We generally had a little bit of reception at our campsite, but it was really hit and miss everywhere else.
We’re on Rogers Wireless, so your mileage may vary, with other providers.
Accessibility
The park has two barrier-free sites. One is electrical (#52) and one is not (#53). Weirdly, they’re not located across from a comfort station - kind of up and around a corner from it.
There is a single disability parking spot at the comfort station, and a ramp to get up to it, but none of the washrooms or showers were actually labeled as being accessible. At least one shower WAS accessible, another was not. I’m not sure about the ones that were out of order, though.
So that’s kind of the bare minimum you can expect from a park... and in this case, it stops there.
The roads are NOT wheelchair friendly - I’d go so far as to say they’re not even car friendly, to be honest.
If you’re mobility impaired and need to get from the barrier-free sites to the comfort station... you’re probably not going to have a good time.
The day use area really isn’t wheelchair accessible, though getting around should be more or less OK for other mobility issues. There aren’t any paved or gravel paths, though, and they definitely hadn’t mowed in a while, at the time of our stay.
Also, there’s nothing on the map designated as being accessible. I doubt any of the outhouses are, but they don’t even have the symbol on the comfort stations, which are supposed to be.
Overall, between the maintenance issues, the condition of the roads, the layout, and the lack of things to do for those who are mobility impaired... I would skip this park if that’s an issue. Quetico is somewhat nearby, and SO much more welcoming for those with disabilities.
Dear Ontario Parks: Maintenance and information are both accessibility issues!
Pets
Caliper Lake Provincial Park has absolutely no information about pets on their website or map. There are no designated pet areas on the map.
So, I’m assuming the usual Ontario Parks rules apply, basically:
Keep the dogs leashed at all times, and don’t allow them to make excessive noise or harass other campers / wildlife.
Don’t leave them unattended at any time.
Pick up after them, and properly dispose of their droppings.
Parking
The parking situation at Caliper Lake Provincial Park is weird.
There’s a bit of parking at the day use area and the comfort station, but that’s about it. There are sites that have assigned parking across the road from the site, but they’re not always clearly marked, and - in some cases - didn’t really look like they could fit a car.
Most of the sites are very small and irregular - with very little in the way of flat ground - so I could definitely see trying to fit a tent or two and a larger car on some of them.
Miscellaneous
The park is in a pretty major state of disrepair. It’s all around you, from rusting / bent stands at the potable water taps and an incredibly wonky pier, to high-center or half-overgrown roads, campsites that look like they haven’t seen a mower in years, and downed trees everywhere.
The downed trees have an explanation. We asked the warden “What happened here? A tornado?” - yup. Two years ago, and they don’t have the equipment or resources to get the trees out.
He told us that they basically have to haul them into the woods “and let them rot”.
We totally sympathize - we had our home destroyed by the 2011 North Minneapolis tornado, so the scene at Caliper was... a little too familiar.
That said, a LOT of the maintenance issues really didn’t have anything to do with the tornado.
The roads could all desperately use re-grading, many sites had grass that was almost knee height, etc.
Between the maintenance, the downed trees, and the fact that the park was pretty much empty when we were there... it was just a really weird vibe. Desolate, abandoned...
I hate to say it, but it was giving MacLeod Provincial Park.
Campground Amenities & Info
Here’s some basic information on the amenities at Caliper Lake Provincial Park:
Creature Comforts
There are two comfort stations in the park. One is in the campground - near the smaller boat launch - and has flush toilets and showers. In theory, anyway - half were out of order at the time of our stay.
The other is in the day-use area, and that one only has flush toilets.
There’s another building in the day use area, it’s marked “changehouse” on the map, with a little clothes hanger.
I’m going to be honest, it looks halfway between an outhouse and a straight up murder shack, so I’d be changing in a washroom stall instead.
There are also several vault toilets throughout the campground. They are... not very modern looking.
Park Store
There is a VERY small camp store in the park office.
Aside from firewood (Not so much when we visited, on account of the fire ban!) and ice, they had a few refrigerated drinks, some hot cocoa mixes and coffee, a few snack items, and some really random miscellaneous items (bug repellant, tampons, women’s disposable razors, and a single lighter, all on a shelf together. That was it!).
We didn’t see any Ontario Parks gear on display, weirdly enough.
Visitor Centre
There is no Visitor Center at Caliper Lake Provincial Park. There also aren’t any educational exhibits, signage, etc outdoors.
Day Use Area
There’s a small day use area with a beach, near the front of the campground areas.
It’s... OK. A relatively large grassy area (Pretty overgrown at the time of our visit, aside from one mowed track from the parking lot to the beach), a decent looking playground, a picnic shelter, and a small beach.
The picnic shelter is listed as being available on a first-come, first-served basis, with no mention of actually renting it.
As mentioned earlier, there are two buildings in this area: A “comfort station” with flush toilets, and a “change house”, that looks like a scary old outhouse.
Maybe it’s different when it’s mowed and there are actually people in the area, but it just felt weirdly abandoned and desolate. Like we weren’t supposed to be there.
As a note, due to all the one-way streets, anyone needing to drive to the beach from their campsite will need to basically do a full loop of the park, to get there.
Rentals
The park’s website mentions canoes and kayaks being available for rent at the park office, but we didn’t see any at the time of our stay.
There was a big sign letting people know that you can borrow PFDs (Personal Flotation Devices), though.
Campsite Details
I’m just going to be forthright with it. Overall... this is not a great campground.
I’m also really salty because the description for our site was WILDLY inaccurate - it said “Pad slope: None”.
I don’t know if there’s an “extreme” rating of pad slopes with Ontario Parks, but if there is... that would better characterize our site.
Even with leveling blocks and jacks, we were at such a steep angle, our mattress was sliding off the bedframe. We had to hold onto our electric skillet while cooking dinner, as IT was sliding off the table, etc. Our ~ 12" fan blew itself right off the table as we were going to bed - absolutely wild, and did not make for much of a “peaceful escape”!.
Anyway, let’s talk campsites:
Car Camping
Caliper Lake Provincial Park has both electrical sites (about 25% of them) and non-electrical sites, with a few pull-through sites in the mix.
In general, the Caliper Lake campground has a LOT of steep sections, a lot of downed trees, rocks/small boulders and a lot of obstructions in general.
There are sites where we couldn’t even see a wide enough spot to put a tent, with all of the stumps and brush that were overgrowing.
Without personally scoping out the sites first, I’d be afraid to book again, just based on the inaccuracy of our own site. Some sites were a bit more level - so would be fine for RVs - but I would definitely recommend that tent campers pack extra padding and such.
Like... a lot of it.
In general, not a lot of privacy, rough conditions, etc. I guess the privacy thing doesn’t really matter when you’ve got 5 campsites being used across the entire park, though.
It made for a pretty tranquil atmosphere, I guess!
Walk-In Camping
A small section of campsites - the ones from #30-#50 - include a row of mostly walk-in sites on the lake side of the road.
Note: I would avoid the sites on the other side of that road - that’s where the tornado damage is most evident. There were a few sites that were labeled as sites, but ... didn’t look like there was a site there.
Anyway, the walk-in ones have a small parking spot either at the top of the site, or across that road from the site. You have a pretty rustic - but very short - trail to get down to your campsite, which overlooks the lake.
SUPER cute sites in terms of view and picturesque surroundings, but definitely not for the mobility impaired, and - like I mentioned earlier - lots of rocks, rough ground, obstructions, etc.
Group Camping
Caliper Lake Provincial Park has a single group campsite, located near the boat launch and dock (NW side of the park).
Apparently it can accommodate up to 40 people, but I would take that with a grain of salt - the camping would be pretty cramped, and there is NOT much in the way of parking up there.
That said, the area is cool. It’s up on a cliff, overlooking Caliper Lake - and overlooking a marshy area and section of rock that the Pelicans like to camp out on!
There’s a vault toilet and water tap up there, but it’s clear on the other side of the park from the comfort station.
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Entertainment and Activity
Caliper Lake Provincial Park is a tiny park, so it has a somewhat limited range of outdoor activities.
Here’s what you’ll want to know about the activities that outdoor enthusiasts can choose from:
Hiking
The hiking situation is a bit weird at Caliper Lake Provincial Park.
The park’s website lists Beaver Pond Trail as being 2-3 km (there are two loops to choose from), and moderate.
This trail doesn’t actually appear to be within the park boundaries, though? It accessed via the main road, where there’s no parking for it (or anywhere nearby).
The park’s map only shows the very beginning of the trail, but we were given a separate brochure for trails in the area. It looks to be a township publication. There’s a map of the trail in there, but only very limited information about it - length and difficulty.
Caliper Lake Beaver Pond Trail - 2 or 3 km, Moderate
After having to write a largely negative review, we were really hoping that the trail would be a saving grace. There’s a beaver pond! Probably some great birding! Easy brownie points for a park, right?
Well... no. To sum it up, that trail really should be closed until they can get some maintenance in there.
The first part was lovely, you’re walking through a moderately difficult trail through the woods, with some hilly terrain, walking over rock sections while listening to song birds sing.
The further in you go, the more devastation you see. Downed trees with a path carved through them, getting worse and worse, to the point where you can’t tell where the path is even supposed to be.
Most of the possible markers are hazard ribbon tied on a tree branch, but those might just be signals to repair/clearing teams, it’s not clear.
Some areas are so unclear, that you can see what MIGHT be trail markers in a few different directions at once, sometimes with paths to them, but none that seemed to follow what the trail layout was supposed to be.
In general, you can follow a combination of natural terrain, the chainsaw-cut (rather than naturally fallen) trees, the map, and GPS. DO NOT forget to bring a GPS on this trail!
In the midst of this chaos are various areas of new growth, flowers and trees growing everywhere, starting a new forest.
It was a weird experience, seeing devastation being overtaken by new life, the sadness and the growing potential of the area. Not emotions you normally confront on a hike!
Biking
There are no bike trails in the park, and the Caliper Lake Provincial Park website recommends cycling on the park roads.
It also reminds park users that helmets are required to be worn by anyone under the age of 18. That’s probably a good reminder, as some of the roads are probably more akin to mountain biking, than what you’d normally consider “cycling on a road”.
Swimming
If you’re looking for sandy beaches ... this might not be the park for you.
The beach is small, and pretty gravelly. It was also VERY popular with Canada Geese, so definitely watch where you step!
The water seemed relatively clean - especially after about 1 meter from the shore - and shallow. There was also a swim platform thing off in the grass, at the time of our stay.
I’m assuming they float that when the water gets a bit warmer - could be good for a bit of family fun.
Overall, though... not my bag. Like I’ve mentioned before, I’m generally not a fan of small inland lake beaches... so your mileage will likely vary.
Birding, Wildlife, and Nature
This park is for the birds - literally. We may not have enjoyed much of the park in general, but the birding was fabulous.
It seems to be a bit of a hidden gem on that front - the Audubon app does not list any hot spots in the area.
Anyway, as we pulled up to our site, Porter saw a woodpecker fly by. As it turned out, one of the white pine trees next to our site had a nest of baby Downy Woodpeckers peeping!
We saw a TON of American White Pelicans within an hour or so of arriving - our first time seeing them in the wild - as well as a couple of Bald Eagles.
Alder Flycatcher, American Bittern, American Crow, America Pipit, American Redstart, American Robin, American White Pelican, Bald Eagle, Belted Kingfisher, Black-and-White Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Black-Capped Chickadee, Blue-Headed Vireo, Blue Jay, Canada Goose, Canada Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Chestnut-Sided Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, Common Grackle, Common Loon, Common Raven, Common Yellowthroat, Downy Woodpecker, Great Blue Heron, Hairy Woodpecker, Killdeer, Least Flycatcher, Magnolia Warbler, Mourning Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Northern Flicker, Northern Parula, Ovenbird, Palm Warbler, Pileated Woodpecker, Red-Breasted Nuthatch, Red-Eyed Vireo, Red-Winged Blackbird, Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, Song Sparrow, Veery, Warbling Vireo, White-Throated Sparrow, Winter Wren, Wood Duck, Yellow-Rumped Warbler, Yellow Warbler.
Row 2: Canada Warbler, Chestnut-Sided Warbler
Row 3: Hairy Woodpecker, Magnolia Warbler
Row 4: Red-Breasted Nuthatch, Yellow-Rumped Warbler
Boating
Caliper Lake is beautiful, and looks to be a great place for boating. The waters were really calm during our stay, it looked very peaceful.
There are two separate boat launches in the park. The one near the comfort station is small and has NO parking anywhere nearby, so I’m not sure how that whole thing works. Might be more of a “carry your canoe from your campsite” kinda deal.
The other boat launch - near the group area - is a bit bigger and seems to open out into maybe a bit deeper area of water. That boat launch also has a bit of parking, large enough for cars with trailers.
Anyway, as mentioned earlier, you can apparently rent a canoe at the office if you need to.
Fishing
While we didn’t see anyone fishing during our stay - not sure if it’s really fishing season yet? - fishing seems to be a main draw at Caliper Lake Provincial Park.
There are two boat launches - one on either side of the park - and each one has its own fish cleaning hut.
Apparently it’s unsafe to swim in them - now you know! LOL.
I have to wonder if the “The dedicated angler might catch... “ line on the website is a subtle way of saying there aren’t many fish, though?
Discovery Program
There’s no information about Discovery Programming on the website, and we didn’t see anything about it posted at the park during our stay.
Niantic Games
There are two Pokestops / Ingress Portals in Caliper Lake Provincial Park... but not a lot of cellular reception to access them.
Final Thoughts
As if to truly punctuate our stay, we ran into some weirdness on the way out. Our site was set as being a pull through. We could see the road in front of the truck that we’d pull out on, to leave.
We turned a sharp corner onto that road, and in a few meters, it just... ended. This wasn’t reflected on our site’s description on the reservations page, nor on the map. Just... ended at a weird, very bumpy, grassy area.
There’s no way our car would have made it through that, so we’re really glad that our site was too steep / high centered / rocky to take the car down in the first place!
Seriously, all I can say at this point is “WTAF??”.
Anyway, about our overall final thoughts...
As tornado victims ourselves, it felt weird writing this review. I don’t want to sound too harsh, I ABSOLUTELY know what it’s like to dig out from that kind of wreckage.
We literally had a giant black walnut tree land on top of our house, after all. We get it!
When it comes down to it, though, the tornado damage at Caliper Lake Provincial Park seems to be only a minor part of the issues we had - there weren’t any downed trees in the roads, and I would hope they’re not renting the sites that look to have trees downed IN them.
A lot of the “ugh” we experienced were matters that could be resolved with a few hours of human attention - mowing the campsites and the day use area, actually staffing the park office during the posted hours, not having half the facilities in the sole comfort station be out of order, having accurate campsite descriptions online, etc.
Yes, the roads need grading, the dock could definitely use some attention, etc... but if those issues weren’t surrounded by (what looks to be) neglect/abandonment, they wouldn’t be so obvious, you know? It’s a whole vibe thing.
Last year, we ran into a park employee while hiking in Lake Superior Provincial Park. He’d asked us about where we’d stayed recently, and we got to chatting.
He’d mentioned that one park we had a bad time at - White Lake Provincial Park - was WAY underfunded, understaffed, and kind of neglected by Ontario Parks.
I have to wonder if that’s the case with Caliper Lake Provincial Park?
It has a lot of potential - and no train noise! - but it definitely could use some attention and money thrown its way.
The pelicans were REALLY cool, but I don’t think we’ll be back.
More Northern Ontario Provincial Parks & Places to See
Want to read some more about the parks we've camped and at places we've seen in Northern Ontario? Here are some more posts!
Northern Ontario Campground Reviews:
Agawa Bay Campground, Lake Superior Provincial Park
Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park
MacLeod Provincial Park
Neys Provincial Park
Pancake Bay Provincial Park
Pukaskwa National Park
Quetico Provincial Park
Rabbit Blanket Lake, Lake Superior Provincial Park
Rainbow Falls Provincial Park
Sleeping Giant Provincial Park
White Lake Provincial Park
Northern Ontario Places to See:
Aguasabon Falls & Gorge
Amethyst Mine Panorama
Batchawana Bay
Chippewa Falls
Kakabeka Falls
Mink Creek Falls
Old Woman Bay
Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park
Sand River Falls
Scenic High Falls
Temagami Fire Tower
Terrace Bay Beach
Want to explore beyond Northern 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!
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