Pog Lake Campground is a gorgeous campground in Algonquin Provincial Park. Here's everything you need to know about camping there!
Not only was it something to do - that I COULD do, while not able to hike during that stay - but it was good recon for future camping trip possibilities.
Before that trip, we’d only stayed in Algonquin PP when the vast majority of campgrounds were closed down for the winter season. This was a great opportunity to see where - and if - we wanted to camp in Algonquin, next summer.
Pog Lake was the first “new” campground we checked out, and honestly... We kind of lived to regret that order of operations.
In my mind, we should start with the largest campground, and work our way down to the smaller ones. That way, when we started to reach being *done* with it, we’d have really small, easy spots to investigate. Much less intimidating.
It... didn’t quite work out that way. Sure - logistically - it was a sound decision.
The thing is, all the rest of the campgrounds afterwards got judged against Pog Lake, and that... wasn’t really fair.
Honestly, the crowds that weekend had had me second guessing the idea of camping in the summer at all. Then we pulled into Pog Lake, and those thoughts just kind of evaporated.
Don’t get me wrong, I like Mew Lake just fine... but Pog Lake really seemed like one of the best places to camp, that we’ve seen yet.
Maybe it was the weather colouring my view - it was a cool, misty morning with some fog on the water. Deep down, we’re fall / spring campers, and it was a welcome change from the heat.
It went beyond that, it’s just that the weather really set a tone there. It was so calm and peaceful in that campground, and the tall pine trees all around had *that* smell - you know the one, the cool weather / moist air smell - and I honestly just didn’t want to leave it.
I guess that’s a big spoiler for our “final thoughts” section at the end of this page - we’ll definitely be back.
Anyway, let me tell you all about it.
The Basics:
Campground Name: Pog Lake Campground, Algonquin Provincial Park
Address: KM 36.9 ON-60, Nipissing, ON K0J 2M0
Website: https://www.ontarioparks.ca/park/algonquin/poglake
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
Season: May 15, 2025 to October 14, 2025
Logistics
Some of the information that will come in hand when planning your visit:
Registration and Check In
We reserved our campsite - in Mew Lake - on the Ontario Parks website, and we’ll be doing the same when we actually return to stay in Pog Lake Campground.
Algonquin Provincial Park has moved to a paperless permit system, so - if you register your fellow campers and license plate number(s) on the reservation ahead of time, you can skip checking in at the camp office altogether.
We usually end up going in anyway, to get a park map... but we’ve been seeing more and more self-service map receptacles around the park lately, so that’s not even necessary!
Maps and Signage
Some information on getting around Pog Lake Campground:
Park Map
You’ll find the main park map included in the same Algonquin Provincial Park newspaper that you’ll see all around the park.
It’s nice to have all the information you need for ALL of the campgrounds, trails, etc in one spot.
We found the map for Pog Lake to be pretty accurate - unlike most campgrounds, there weren’t any glaring discrepancies or omissions.
Signage
The signage in the campground is decent. Not amazing, but gets the job done.
Everything is in that brown/yellow scheme, which I’m not a fan of. Too low contrast, IMHO - especially as the leaves change colour.
Anyway, the main campground signs are big and easy enough to see, the campsite labels are a bit on the small side, but still legible.
Waste Services
The main trailer sanitary station is just a couple kilometres up the highway, with 2 fill and 2 dump stations.
These 4 platforms are intended to service the majority of the campgrounds on the Highway 60 corridor, though - it’s not a great scene on weekends. I’ve heard of waits being several hours long, ooof.
There is another small trailer sanitation station in the Rock Lake Campground, but that’s further up the highway, then about 8 km down another road.
Definitely not ideal.
Connectivity
We had pretty good cell reception everywhere we checked, throughout the campground.
Accessibility
Per the park’s website, all three comfort stations in Pog Lake Campground are “barrier-free”, and there are 2 barrier-free campsites (in the Shallows Campground).
We didn’t end up using all of the comfort stations - and the one in the Peaceful Hill Campground doesn’t have the accessibility symbol, on the park map - so, as always, take that designation with a grain of salt.
Beyond that, it’s really not a super accessible campground. The roads aren’t exactly wheelchair friendly, and there isn’t much in the way of campground paths as alternatives.
Also: in NO WAY are the beaches at Pog Lake wheelchair accessible. Even those using a boot or a cane would have a difficult navigating the weird landscape at the beaches.
Pets
Pog Lake isn’t a super dog-friendly campground. The coolest section of the campground bans them altogether, they’re not allowed on the beaches, and there aren’t any pet exercise areas.
Rock Lake Campground is probably the most dog friendly campground in Algonquin Provincial Park... even if the campground isn’t anywhere near as nice as Pog Lake!
Anyway, all the usual rules apply: Dogs have to be leashed at all times, owners have to pick up after the dogs, and they’re not allowed to make excessive noise or harass other people, dogs, and/or wildlife.
Parking
The campsites all seemed pretty decently sized, but there are a few “additional parking” areas - one parking lot in each campground section.
There’s also a small parking lot at each beach, at the front office, and at the comfort stations.
Miscellaneous
A couple random notes here:
1. The speed bumps are obnoxious.
2. Pog Lake Campground is in an area of very low light pollution. The trees in the campground can obscure the view of the night sky, though, so your best bet for stargazing is out on the beaches.
The beach in the Flowing Water campground is north facing, and a great place for northern lights. Highway 60 is off in the distance, but should be obscured enough as to not affect northern lights photography.
The beach in Peaceful Hill Campground also has a north facing view (as well as to the west). It’s a great place for sunsets, but is much closer to the highway.
Campground Amenities & Info
Here’s some basic information on the amenities in Pog Lake Campground::
Creature Comforts
There are 3 large comfort stations - one per campground section - each with flush toilets, laundry facilities, and showers.
The laundry machines are really nice and look pretty new. (At least in the Flowing water Campground - we didn’t see the others).
As a note, there was a HUGE line to use the washrooms at the middle comfort station. This might be in part because it’s the closest one to the Whitefish Group Campground ... which doesn’t have any laundry/shower facilities of its own.
Anyway, aside from the comfort stations, there are also a few vault toilets scattered throughout the campground areas.
Park Store
There are a few different options for stores, when it comes to Algonquin Provincial Park, depending on what you need, and where you are when you need it.
First - as you’re entering the park - both the East Gate and West Gate have a small selection of Ontario Parks souvenirs.
There’s the Opeongo Store - operated by the Opeongo Outfitters Shop- at the end of Opeongo Road, which is around 10 km up the highway. It focuses on outfiting, but also carries some food, camping supplies, souvenirs, etc.
There’s also the Lake of Two Rivers Store, which is about 6 km west of the Pog Lake Campground.
This is the main, go-to camping store in the area, and carries supplies, groceries, souvenirs, etc. They also offer bike rentals, and have a little restaurant / snack bar - Two Rivers Café & Grill.
There’s a voucher system for firewood, and a wood lot just past the front office, as you enter the campground.
Visitor Centre
The Algonquin Provincial Park Visitor Centre is probably 4-5 km east of the campground, right off Highway 60.
See our Canisbay Lake Campground review for all of our info on that!
Day Use Area
As far as day-use areas go, there are two small beaches (more on those in a minute!), and a field with a volleyball court in it, across from the campground office.
Beyond that, you’ll want to head a couple km west on the highway for more formal day-use facilities. East Beach has a picnic shelter for up to 110 people, as well as a boat launch and beach.
Just past the exit for East Beach, there’s also the LOTR day use area, with a parking lot right on the side of the highway. This is a large grassy picnic area.
Campsite Details
Pog Lake Campground is really big, as far as Algonquin campgrounds go - almost 300 campsites, divided out over 3 different zones.
Pikwadin Wanaki / Peaceful Hill is maybe the coolest campground area we’ve seen - especially the pet free / no audio devices section.
Specifically, 204 has a really amazing view, 221 is a gorgeous site.
Unfortunately, it’s wildly steep and rough. As we drove around making notes on a few specific campsites, that whole section got “I would imagine this is tent only” for me to check later.
Wildly, there are two spots up there that allow 32'+ long trailers. Um. Have fun with that?
Anyway, those are all non electrical sites, while the other lobe of that section is a mix of non-electric and electrical campsites. Not much in the way of privacy, but at least they don’t feel cramped, either.
There ARE some really nice waterfront sites in the non-electrical section of Shallows, though.
Finally, the sites in Pagwadjiwan / Flowing Waters are non-electric, but much more secluded than those in the rest of the campground.
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Entertainment and Activity
There are a LOT of outdoor activities to participate in, both in Pog Lake Campground itself, and in Algonquin Park on the whole.
The location of this campground puts you right in the thick of it, with several trails, lakes, and more in really close proximity.
A few of your options:
Hiking
There are a ton of different hiking trails throughout Algonquin Provincial Park, of different distances, difficulties, and terrain/views.
Boo.
Anyway, the trails closest to Pog Lake Campground are:
Hemlock Bluff Trail, 3.5 km, moderate. Located at located at km 27.2, it takes you through some woods to a view over Jack Lake.
Two Rivers Trail, 2.1 km, moderate. Located at km 31, it’s a loop trail that takes you up to a cliff. You can access it via the parking lot on Highway 60, or walk/bike the 5.5 km stretch of the Old Railway Bike Trail that goes between this trail, and Mew Lake Campground.
Lookout Trail, 1.9 km, moderate. Located at km 39.7, this is a steep, rough trail that takes you up to a great view over Algonquin Provincial Park. Apparently you can see several hundred square kilometres of it, from that vantage point.
Spruce Bog Boardwalk Trail, 1.5 km, easy. Located at km 42.5 , this is a wheelchair accessible (sort of) trail, and one of only 2 in the park designated as being “easy”. It’s also the trail we’ve done the most - including on snowshoes!
As far as the “sort of” goes - there was some damage/flooding to sections of the boardwalk during our summer trip this year, I wouldn’t say that it’s *currently* wheelchair accessible.
Biking
There’s a “bike trail” going through Pog Lake Campground - really, it looked to be just designated sections of the campground road.
This trail starts just near the middle of the Peaceful Hill campground, and splits off in two directions:
One goes out - across the highway - to Kearney Lake Campground.
The other goes through the lower part of the Flowing Water Campground, before crossing the dam and joining up with the Old Railway Bike Trail.
If you’re looking for a long bike ride, that’s where you want to go. An old, repurposed rail bed, this is a wide, flat, and well-packed trail that runs over 16 km, between Rock Lake Campground and the Track and Tower Trail, with little offshoots to various campgrounds along the way.
Swimming
The beaches at Pog Lake Campground are unlike any we’d seen before.
The main beach seems to be the one in the Peaceful Hill campground - weird beach, but also really cool.
There’s a rough, steep trail from the beach parking down to the actual beach:
It’s not really a sandy beach, it’s not really a dirt beach... maybe a mix, with some clay and pine needles added in for good measure?
There are DEEP ridges going from the top of the beach down to the water, so watch where you step!
They were actually cleaning it up on a holiday sunday morning - the beach was really clean, just... odd. I dig it!
It’s got lots of parking, and a steep trail to get down to the beach itself:
I feel like this one would perfect to take a coffee to and just sit in the morning.
Peaceful and beautiful!
Birding, Wildlife, and Nature
While Algonqion Provincial Park has an international reputation as a prime birding destination, it was pretty quiet in Pog Lake Campground during the morning of our visit.
Tons of Blue Jays - and a Brown Creeper - but that was about it.
We did see a bunch of birds during our stay in the overall park that week - see our write up and bird photos in our Mew Lake Campground Review.
As a note - mostly for our own future reference - I get the feeling that the area near the dam might be good for birding, on a future trip. The dam itself is cute, but nothing amazing.
Boating
Power Boats aren’t allowed on Pog Lake, but you can canoe, kayak, and stand-up-paddleboard as much as you want.
Pog Lake is part of a chain of lakes and waterways, so not only can you explore Pog Lake itself, you can continue on to Whitefish Lake and Rock Lake in one direction, or out to Lake of Two Rivers and the Madawaska River in the other direction.
Add a few portages in there, and you can explore much further!
Be sure to check out Provoking Falls, should you venture up the Madawaska River.
Fishing
We’ve yet to go fishing on any of our trips to Algonquin Provincial Park, even though it’s known to have some of the best fishing opportunities in Canada.
There are literally hundreds of lakes in Algonquin with Brook Trout and/or Lake Trout, and a bunch of lakes along Highway 60 are stocked (Splake).
In terms of Pog Lake, specifically, it’s mostly Smallmouth Bass and Lake Trout, though - as is the case with Lake of Two Rivers, popular sentiment seems to be that it’s overfished.
Discovery Program
During the summer months, Algonquin Provincial Park hosts a fairly robust schedule of Discovery Programming.
There are naturalist-led conducted walks, theatre productions, nightly evening programs, kids programming, and more.
During our stay, most of the events happened at the Outdoor Theatre in the East Beach Area, which is pretty close to Pog Lake. Other programming happened out on trails, or at the Visitor Centre.
The offerings change, week to week - and schedules are posted on boards throughout the park.
In Pog Lake Campground, each of the comfort stations has one of these information boards.
Niantic Games
There are 3 Niantic Stop - Pokestops / Gyms / Ingress Portals in the campground areas - one at each comfort station - as well as one at the far end of the bridge over the little dam.
We didn’t spend a ton of time on our phones while visiting, but we definitely seemed to have at least enough internet connection to get any daily tasks done.
Final Thoughts
As we were walking out onto the beach at Pog Lake, on that misty, cool summer morning... looking out over the lake, with fog hanging low on the far shore?
All I could think was “This feels very Canadian... like... 1980s CBC Canadian.”
I can’t explain it, but I just really felt like I should have been wearing flannel, snuggling up in old, beat up HBC blanket, and sipping on maple syrup or something.
Really, really dug the vibe.
Overall, it’s a really cute park - not a lot of privacy between camp sites, but we LOVE the tall tree canopy of the pine trees.
We’re absolutely going to book a stay in Pog Lake Campground next camping season!
More Algonquin Provincial Park Campground Reviews
Want to read some more of what we have to say about the campgrounds and attractions in Algonquin Park? Here are some more reviews!
Algonquin Provincial Park MEGA Post
Canisbay Lake Campground, Algonquin Provincial Park
Kearney Lake Campground, Algonquin Provincial Park
Lake of Two Rivers Campground, Algonquin Provincial Park
Mew Lake Campground, Algonquin Provincial Park
Provoking Falls, Algonquin Provincial Park
Raccoon Lake Campground, Algonquin Provincial Park
Rock Lake Campground, Algonquin Provincial Park
Tea Lake Campground, Algonquin Provincial Park
Whitefish Lake Campground, Algonquin Provincial Park
Interested in seeing our other Provincial Park reviews? We've got a huge - and ever-growing! - list of them here: 2 Nerds in a Truck Campground Reviews
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