Silver Lake Provincial Park

This spring, we finally got around to exploring more of eastern Ontario, which was a lot of fun!

While staying at Murphys Point Provincial Park, we took a little field trip to check out Silver Lake Provincial Park (and also Sharbot Lake Provincial Park, which we’ve already posted about!)

Silver Lake Park is a little recreation park on the eastern edge of Silver Lake, in Lanark County.

Like Sharbot Lake Park - just ten minutes away - the beach main attraction at Silver Lake Provincial Park is the beach.

... spoilers, though - the beaches at Silver Lake are much, much nicer than the ones at Sharbot. We’ll get to that in a bit, though.

Silver Lake had a completely different vibe from the vast majority of Provincial Parks we’ve been to, especially in the central area. I kind of wonder if it had been a private campground at some point?

Anyway ... I digress.

We had a great time exploring this quaint little park, so how about we tell you all about it?

The Basics:

Campground Name: Silver Lake Provincial Park
Address: Civic # 22726 Hwy 7, R.R.#2 Maberly, ON K0H 2B0
Website: https://www.ontarioparks.ca/park/silverlake
Price: Ontario Provincial Parks uses a pricing matrix across all their parks. See 2026 Camping Fees for more details.
Reservations: Ontario Parks Reservations
Park Classification: Recreational
Season: May 8, 2026 to October 13, 2026
Park Warden Cell: 613 483-4569

Logistics

Some basic information to help you plan your stay at Silver Lake Provincial Park:

Registration and Check In

As with our visit to Sharbot Lake Provincial Park, we didn’t need to book a campsite, as we were visiting on our camping pass from Murphys Point.

There’s a reciprocal program in place - if you’re staying in an Ontario Parks campground, you can USUALLY use your camping permit as a day use pass for other Ontario Parks properties.

Some exceptions apply - especially during fall colours season... but not in this case!

Anyway, we showed up at 11 am on a Tuesday during their open season, and the park office was closed. We stopped by again on the way out - in case someone was taking a lunch break or something - but it was still closed.

Every listing I could find for their hours said that they were open, so I’m not sure what happened there!

Maps and Signage

Luckily, the park had some of the handout maps available at the gatehouse, outside.

The Silver Lake Provincial Park Map used the same symbol set as the one at Sharbot Lake, with stars denoting the electrical sites, and boxes for the non-electrical sites.

Overall... it’s a small park and you won’t have trouble finding your way around once you’ve set up and explored a bit, but the directional signage is pretty bad throughout the park.

I think there might be some weird issues with the scale on their map, as there had been a few points where the road didn't quite line up with what the map said, and we got kind of turned around.

That - in combination with less than adequate signage - makes it a little bit interesting to get around this campground

There's no scale indicated on the map though, nor any kind of compass indicator.

Overflow parking spots in the campgrounds aren’t indicated - including at the trail - and the one-way roads also aren’t indicated on the map.

Water & Waste Services

The trailer sanitation station is located near a secondary day use area that has a playground, towards the front of the park.

It starts with a single dump platform on the driver's side, followed by a single fill station with a threaded hose. It’s a single lane setup, with no bypass lane.

Beyond that, there are potable water taps located throughout the campground, and another in the day use area.

The main garbage and recycling area is at the comfort station, but we saw at least one more in the Wesley Campground.

Connectivity

We’re on Rogers Wireless and had really good cell reception throughout the entire park.

Accessibility

The single comfort station at Silver Lake Provincial Park has barrier-free access to both shower and washroom facilities.

There’s a single barrier-free shower stall accessible from the outside, then a single accessible stall in the washroom area.

None of the outhouses we saw were marked as being wheelchair accessible on either the map or on the outhouse itself.

In terms of activities, the beach, day use area and Marsh Trail are all relatively accessible for those with mobility issues that do NOT use a wheelchair.

The Marsh Trail isn’t designated as being wheelchair accessible, but if it’s not, it’s only barely not.

There was no MobiMat at the beach at the time of our visit, and I haven’t seen anything about the park having a beach wheelchair available to borrow.

Finally, in terms of camping...

There's a single wheelchair accessible barrier-free site, located directly across from the comfort station.

It’s an electrical site, with a regular style of fire pit, rather than the vaulted kind that many barrier-free sites feature.

It did have a wheelchair accessible picnic table, but the extension was aimed off the campsite, in the grass/brush area.

Pets

We didn’t see any dog-specific areas in the park - no mention of a dog beach or pet exercise area on the map, website, or in person.

The only real mention we saw of dogs was on the park map handout, which was word for word the exact same as Sharbot Lake’s. (Aside from Sharbot’s having an additional sentence added about their dog beach).

Basically, dogs are welcome at Silver Lake Provincial Park, but have to be leashed and under control at all times. You have to pick up after them, and not allow them to harass other campers or wildlife.

Finally, they’re not allowed on the beaches or the grassy areas next to the beaches. The map handout warns that owners will be fined if their dogs are found on the beach, or unleashed anywhere.

Parking

There is a HUGE parking lot at the day-use area / beach - it really seems to be a much bigger parking area than such a small campground would need.

We have to wonder if this means the park is a popular day-use destination for beach goers, as it definitely seems like overkill, otherwise.

There’s also a smallish area reserved for boat trailers, up next to the changeroom building.

For all the parking at the beach, though, there isn’t much in the way of parking at the Marsh Trail. NO parking is indicated on the map, but there are a couple spots near the water tap, next to site 121.

Campground Amenities & Info

We visited during the off season - with the park office not even open - so some of the regular campground amenities were closed for the season.

Here’s some basic information about the amenities at Silver Lake Provincial Park, though:

Creature Comforts

The comfort station is located at the end of the main road in front the highway, kind of centrally located for the whole campground.

It’s surprisingly ... involved ... for such a small building!

There are two gendered sets of washrooms with flush toilets - several regular stalls and a barrier-free one - as well as a couple of showers at the end of the row of washroom stalls.

There are also a couple of other single-stall showers accessible from the outside of the building, separate from the washrooms - a regular shower, and a barrier-free shower.

The laundry facilities are on the back end of the building - outdoors. There’s also a little free library and 2 electronic device charging stations on the side of the building.

There are also a couple of picnic tables, benches, a drinking water tap, some educational signage displays, and the main garbage/recycling center, right there.

Beyond the comfort station, there are outhouses throughout the campground area - not at the beach and day use areas, though - as well as a changeroom building in the parking lot for the beach.

The changeroom building did not appear to be operational at the time of our visit.

Park Store

Apparently there is a park store in the Park Office building, with firewood, ice, park souvenirs, and worms.

It was not open during our stay, though.

Visitor Centre

There is no Visitor Centre at Silver Lake Provincial Park.

Day Use Area

The day-use area is HUGE and sprawling, with all kinds of different vibes throughout.

When looking at the water from the main beach, there are a few more secluded picnic tables and such off to the right - and around the beach area - with the main day use area off to the left.

Up there, there’s a wide grassy area with probably a couple dozen picnic tables and some hibachi grills throughout.

There are also some little individual picnic areas scattered along the shore - many of those separate ones have a view over the lake, it’s really pretty!

There’s also a picnic shelter that can be rented by the day for events, or just used casually on a first-come, first-served basis when it’s not booked.

Boat Rentals

The park’s website mentions having canoes available for rent, but we noticed that there were also kayaks and stand-up paddle boards in the rental racks, down by the boat launch.

You can also rent tents - upon request - and Personal Floatation Devices (PFDs) can be borrowed - there’s a $25 refundable deposit required.

Campsite Details

There are just over 100 campsites at the Silver Lake Campground, all of which are car camping sites.

Some are electrical - most are not - and they’re divided across 3 campground areas: Algonquin Campground, Dawson Campground, and Wesley Campground.

Park of the Wesley Campground seems to be more or less dedicated to RV camping, but most of the sites in the park definitely seem to be geared to smaller trailers (under 16' long) and tent camping.

There are a LOT of really cute campsites at Silver Lake Provincial Park - and they all seem to be for tents only. It’s definitely a tent camper’s campground, on that front.

Some of those cool sites are right up on cliffs overlooking Silver Lake.

A few were split level sites, with parking up at the roadside, then the campsite below... right on the water!

All that said, I wouldn’t expect a super rustic camping experience, even if you’re tenting in a non-electric site.

There’s not a lot of privacy, and the campground is RIGHT on the Trans-Canada Highway. Some of the nicest sites - visually - are wide open to the highway, so expect a fair amount of noise.

Entertainment and Activity

Here’s a bit of information on the recreational activities available at Silver Lake Provincial Park:

Hiking

There is a single hiking trail - well, more of a walking trail, really - at Silver Lake Provincial Park:

Marsh Trail: 0.5 km Return, Easy

This trail is a 0.25 km short hike that crosses some marsh between the Algonquin and Wesley Campgrounds.

The parking situation isn’t fantastic - there are a couple spots next to site #121 on one end, and nothing on the other end.

That said, it’s a fairly short distance from most sites in those two campgrounds, and a really short hike on its own - so I’d probably just walk if I was staying anywhere nearby.

Anyway, starting from the Algonquin Campground side, it was a short walk from the parking lot and over the first bit of trail, before reaching the first short boardwalk.

This ended up being a great spot for birding, and it’s where we saw most of the birds that we photographed during our visit.

As a note though: This boardwalk is kind of terrifying! It bobs up and down like a floating boardwalk... even though it isn’t one!

The trail continues to alternate between dry land and boardwalk a few more times, and there is a little alcove with a picnic spot probably about halfway in.

Overall, this is a short, easy trail ... but nicely scattered with nice views!

It’s not designated as wheelchair accessible, but it’s definitely an easy trail that should be doable for anyone with other mobility issues. (Though you might want to have decent balance, given that wonky boardwalk!

At each end there's a bit of an elevation change but most of the path is very flat.

It’s not really what we’d consider a destination hike, but we’d definitely be spending a fair amount of time on that trail, if we were camping there.

Biking

There aren’t any bike trails at Silver Lake Provincial Park, but cycling is allowed on the campground roads.

Some of the roads throughout the camping areas are in pretty rough shape, though - definitely consider a helmet!

Swimming

The main beach is HUGE, and really looks like the perfect way to spend a hot day at Silver Lake.

It’s a large sandy beach that is basically straight ahead as you’re driving into the park. It stretches along part of the eastern end of Silver Lake, with clean sand and crystal clear, clean water.

This beach seems to stay shallow a decent way out, which seems like a nice feature for younger kids.

There’s also a box on the beach labeled “Free Beach Toys”, which also seems like a great idea for young kids. It was empty at the time of our visit, but hey - mid May was way too cold for anyone to be swimming!

The whole swimming area seems way bigger than needed for the size of the campground, so I wonder if it’s a popular spot for day users, as well?

Anyway, there’s a second, smaller beach on the other side of the picnic shelter. This one seems to get deeper a bit closer to the shore than the larger beach.

Both are nice, sandy beaches with not a lot in the way of gravel in them .

Birding, Wildlife, and Nature

We didn’t see a variety of wildlife at Silver Lake Provincial Park - our wildlife viewing was pretty much limited to a bit of birding.

The park’s website mentions American Bitterns, Eastern Kingbird, and Great Blue Herons, which we would have loved to see, but didn’t. We did see a LOT of Red-Winged Blackbirds... and an Eastern Phoebe nest. That was a first for us, at least!

Overall, we heard and/or saw: American Crow, American Goldfinch, American Robin, Chipping Sparrow, Common Grackle, Common Loon, Common Yellowthroat, Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Warbling Vireo, Least Flycatcher, Northern Yellow Warbler, Red-Winged Blackbird, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Turkey Vulture, White-Throated Sparrow, Yellow-Rumped Warbler.

We also saw a decent amount of wild flowers, considering how early in the season it was.

Most of them were Trillium, and we were excited to see 3 different colours of them, within a small area!

Boating

Silver Lake is a whopping 9 km, so it’s a great place to explore with any kind of recreational boat. During the summer season, you can expect to see canoes, kayaks, motorboats, and even sailboats out on the lake.

There’s a single boat launch in the park, with a paved boat ramp and a small dock next to it. It seems best suited for small boats.

Nearby, you’ll find a set of 3 floating docks, and there is a small parking area designated for boat trailers next to the change room building.

Fishing

We didn’t see anyone fishing at the time of our visit, but the park is apparently known for its excellent trout fishing opportunities, in particular.

In the right season - and provided you have the appropriate licence in place - you can fish for Lake Trout, Northern Pike, Smallmouth Bass, Sunfish, and Yellow Perch in Silver Lake.

Discovery Program

The Discovery Programming at Silver Lake Provincial Park happens during July and August, and seems to be centered around the “Exploration Station” model, moreso than actual events.

Campers can also use the Discovery Activity Book to engage in some exploration and learning outside of those months, on their own.

Niantic Games

There are a handful of Niantic GameStops - Pokegyms, Pokestops, Ingress Portals, etc - in the park.

Most of these are in the day use area , with a few others elsewhere - like on the Marsh trail. We had plenty of cell reception to access the game app.

Final Thoughts

Much like with Sharbot Lake, we think this is a fantastic little campground... for the right person.

If you’re a tent camper that’s into beaches and boating, it’s fantastic. I could also seeing it being the perfect place for those with a young family.

For us? It’s not really going to end up among our favourite destinations.

The RV campsites are just OK - no privacy, no view, etc - and I honestly think we’d just have a bit of FOMO, seeing all those amazing sites that we don’t have access to camp in, you know?

Also, we’re really into hiking, and a single, ¼ km long trail doesn’t really do it for us, in terms of what we favour in campgrounds.

Nothing against the park, mind you - as I said, I think it’s a great park for those that are a better fit!

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
Charleston Lake Provincial Park
Ferris Provincial Park
Murphys Point Provincial Park
Presqu'ile Provincial Park
Rideau River Provincial Park
Sandbanks Provincial Park
Sharbot Lake Provincial Park
Silent Lake Provincial Park
Winter Camping at Silent Lake Provincial Park

Southeastern Ontario Places to See:

Gariepy Creek Falls
Lake on the Mountain Provincial Park
North Beach 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!