Tea Lake Campground

This past summer, we did something that we don’t do often - summer camping!

We’re definitely more about the spring and fall camping. That said, we were curious about some of the more seasonally-limited campgrounds in Algonquin Park - the oldest Provincial Park in Ontario.

So, we set up home base at Mew Lake Campground, Algonquin Provincial Park, and spent some time exploring the park!

Tea Lake Campground is a very small campground near the West Gate.

It has a weird season - it opened at the end of April for just over 3 weeks, then closed down after the May Long weekend. Then it opened again just over 3 weeks later, and stayed open til the end of the Labour Day weekend.

Not sure what that’s all about, but figured it’s worth mentioning!

Anyway, let’s go over the details of what we observed at Tea Lake Campground!

The Basics:

Campground Name: Tea Lake Campground, Algonquin Provincial Park
Address: Hwy 60 P.O. Box 219 Whitney, ON K0J 2M0
Website: https://www.ontarioparks.ca/park/algonquin/tealake
Price: Ontario Provincial Parks uses a pricing matrix across all their parks. See 2024 Camping Fees for more details about campsite reservation fees, backcountry camping fees, and additional vehicle fees.
Reservations: Ontario Parks Reservations
Park Classification: Natural Environment
Season: April 26, 2024 to May 20, 2024 and June 14, 2024 to September 2, 2024

Logistics

Some basic information that should come in handy when planning your trip to Tea Lake Campground:

Registration and Check In

We didn’t stay in this campground, but made note of the situation. The campground office was closed, and looked like it had been for some time.

So, ideally you’ll do your preregistration online, before arriving.

For anything that you’d normally go to the office for - changes to your reservation, adding additional vehicles, getting ice or firewood, etc - you’ll want to head over to the Canisbay Lake Campground office.

Also, a note on reservations:

This is a TINY campground - less than 50 sites. Apparently it’s a popular base for people who are backpacking or canoeing out in the interior of the park, so there may be a fair amount of competition when booking your site.

Probably best to be ready with your finger on the registration button at 7 am, 5 months before the day you want to camp!

Maps and Signage

Given the size of the campground, you don’t really need a lot in the way of signage or maps to get around.

That said, there’s a nicely detailed map of the campground in the big, newspaper-type park publication.

Waste and Water Services

There’s a small garbage and recycling depot in the campground, as well as two potable water taps. That’s it for water and waste in Tea Lake.

There are two trailer sanitation stations in Algonquin at the moment - the main one, near Kearney Lake Campground, and the other in the Rock Lake Campground.

They’re working on building a new one in the Canisbay Lake Campground, but - for now - the one near Kearney Lake is your best option.

It IS 20+ km East of Tea Lake Campground, though - so not super convenient.

Connectivity

We had absolutely no coverage - Rogers - throughout the Tea Lake Campground at the time of our visit.

Canisbay Lake is probably 10-12 km up the highway, we had decent reception there. Other than that, if you need some reliable connectivity to get work done, etc... you’re best off heading to the Visitor Centre parking lot.

Accessibility

If you have mobility issues that don’t require a wheelchair, Tea Lake Campground isn’t that bad - it’s small enough that it’s all pretty walkable, and nothing is far from parking.

If you are a wheelchair user... kind of iffy.

The comfort station isn’t designated accessible on the map or the website, but there’s actually an accessible stall on the side of the building, and an accessible shower on the back of the building.

It’s just weird that you’d never be able to tell, based on the map, website, or even driving up to it.

The beach did not have any wheelchair accommodation - MobiMat, etc - available.

This campground is also clear on the other side of the park from the two wheelchair accessible trails, the Visitor Centre, etc. So, you could probably get by... but there wouldn’t be much to do.

Additionally: All of the sites are non-electric, which poses its own set of barriers for some.

Pets

Dogs are allowed in the campground area, and all the regular rules apply - must be leashed at all times, aren’t allowed to harass other campers or animals, can’t make excessive noise, and must be picked up after.

They’re also not allowed on the beach, and there aren’t any dog exercise areas nearby.

Mew Lake Campground is the closest campground with a dog area.

Parking

The only parking areas marked on the Tea Lake Campground map are at the comfort station, and near the front office.

There’s actually more parking - a fairly big overflow parking lot on the road that runs long the highway, on the way to sites 15-19.

There’s also a small amount of beach parking at the end of that road.

Miscellaneous

As one of the few campgrounds on the north side of Highway 60, Tea Lake is a good place to go Aurora Hunting.

You can get a decent north facing view from the beach, and there isn’t any light pollution north of there.

It’s also a good place for star gazing, on nights where there isn’t any aurora activity.

Campground Amenities & Info

Tea Lake Campground is small, rustic, and nowhere near as robust with the amenities as some of the larger campgrounds.

Here’s what they do have - and where you’ll need to go, to access other basic amenities.

Creature Comforts

There’s a single, small comfort station in Tea Lake Campground, relatively centrally located.

The comfort station has flush toilets and showers, but no laundry facilities.

The closest laundry rooms are in the Canisbay Lake Campground.

There’s also a set of vault toilets in the park, that are NOT represented on the map. I’m writing this months after visiting, but - if I recall correctly - the vault toilets were pretty close to the comfort station?

I could be wrong on that, though.

Park Store

The Canoe Lake Store is the closest store to the Tea Lake Campground. Formerly known as “The Portage Store”, it carries Parks souvenirs, clothing, camping equipment, fishing tackle, snacks, and other outfitting supplies.

It also has a restaurant, and offers canoe, kayak, and paddleboard rentals.

Visitor Centre

The Visitor Centre is a bit of a drive from Tea Lake Campground - about 30 km east - but definitely worth the drive.

See our Canisbay Lake Campground Review for photos and details.

Beyond the actual Visitor Center, there’s also the Logging Museum - even further away. See the same post for details on that, as well.

Finally, there’s an Art Centre that’s a lot closer to Tea Lake Campground, at km 20. We haven’t been able to visit while it’s open, so I don’t have any information for you.

Definitely sounds worth checking out, if you’re able to make the timing work for you.

Day Use Area

The beach is basically it for Day Use area in Tea Lake - more on that in the swimming section.

I don’t remember seeing picnic tables there, so if you’re looking for more of a picnicking set up, you’re probably better heading to Canisbay Lake.

If you want to make more of an event of it, the picnicking areas near Lake of Two Rivers Campground is a lot nicer, IMHO.

Definitely worth the bit of extra drive time.

Campsite Details

There are fewer than 50 campsites in Tea Lake Campground, tucked away in a mixed hardwood coniferous forest.

The vast majority are single-tent-only sites, though there are 9 sites that will accommodate up to an 18' trailer or RV.

Nothing bigger than that, though, and I’d definitely take the “up to 18'” with a grain of salt - the sites are generally all tiny, with big slopes.

It appeared that each had a picnic table and fire pit, as are standard for Ontario Parks campgrounds.

Entertainment and Activity

Located on one end of the main Algonquin Park highway, Tea Lake Campground is a pretty far drive from the bulk of the recreational activities available at Algonquin Provincial Park.

That said, here are the options that are relatively close to the campground:

Hiking

Algonquin has a bunch of hiking trails, but only 4 of them are in close proximity to Tea Lake Campground:

Hardwood Lookout Trail, 0.8 km, Moderate

Located at km 13.8km , this trail takes you through a hardwood forest, to a nice view over Smoke Lake and the surrounding area. We haven’t done this trail yet, will update when we do!

Mizzy Lake Trail, 10.8 km, Difficult

Another trail we haven’t done, this one is famous for its wildlife viewing opportunities. It’s located at km 15.4.

Note: Unlike most trails in Algonquin, dogs are NOT allowed on Mizzy Lake Trail.

Peck Lake Trail, 2.3 km, Moderate

Located at km 19.2, we did the Peck Lake Hiking Trail during our stay at Canisbay Lake Campground in 2023.

See that post for photos and details of the trail.

Whiskey Rapids Trail, 2.1 km, Moderate

Located at km 7.2, this trail takes you alongside the Oxtongue River, to see Whiskey Rapids.

We haven’t done this one yet, either - it was closed on one stay, and there were reports of poor conditions (flooded / low flow on the rapids) during other stays in Algonquin.

Biking

There isn’t much in the way of cycling opportunities near Tea Lake Campground, aside from maybe along the campground roads.

If you’re looking to take a nice, scenic bike ride, your best bet is to head over to Mew Lake Campground and get on the Old Railway Bike Trail.

This is a 16+ km long trail that runs between Mew Lake and Rock Lake, with an extension trail going from Mew Lake to the Track and Tower Trail.

It’s on a decommissioned rail bed, so it’s wide, flat, and pretty even. If you go through the Mew Lake campground in August, the trail passes through a big blueberry field - and is a great place to see Black Bears!

Swimming

Tea Lake Campground Beach is a small, sandy beach with two access points - one near the main campground, and another at the end of the little offshoot road with sites 15-19.

It’s actually a decent sized beach for the size of the campground, with a buoyed swim area. As with most (All?) Ontario Provincial Parks, there are no lifeguards on duty at any time.

Overall, not much to say. It’s a cute little beach that was clean and in good condition during our visit.

Birding, Wildlife, and Nature

As with most of the smaller campgrounds in Algonquin Provincial Park, we didn’t have much luck in terms of seeing wildlife.

There’s basically a camping area and the beach, and both were pretty bustling during our visit - not great conditions for bird watching or wildlife viewing in general!

Your best bet is to hit the trails - or the visitor centre parking lot - early in the morning.

The Visitor Centre parking lot is a shockingly good place to go birding - across the seasons, even!

Boating

Tea Lake is on a series of interconnected lakes, so it’s a good option if you want to get in a kayak and just go exploring.

It’s directly connected to Oxtongue River, Canoe Lake, and Smoke Lake. Joe Lake is accessible via a ~0.25 km portage from Canoe Lake.

Continuing on from there, you can access Teepee Lake, Fawn Lake, and Littledoe Lake directly. Those branch out to Bluejay Lake and Tom Thom son Lake, and Beth Lake.

Really... I can see why Tea Lake is a great option for those who want to explore the hundreds of kilometres of streams and lakes in the park!

Anyway, in terms of power boats... you can have up to a 20 horsepower motor on Tea Lake itself... I’m just not sure where you’d launch from.

There aren’t any boat launches shown on the map of tea lake, nor any in the vicinity.

Canoes and kayaks were getting launched from the Tea Lake Campground beach, though.

Fishing

Algonquin Provincial Park is internationally known for its fishing - particularly for having some of the best trout fishing in the country.

Generally speaking, the lakes that have campgrounds on them - like Tea Lake - are regarded as being over fished, and not great places to go fishing.

That said, apparently there are Lake Trout in Tea Lake, along with the odd Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Smallmouth Bass, and Yellow Perch.

A bunch of the lakes along Highway 60 are stocked with Splake, and the fishing opportunities just get better, the further out you can get from the highway and campgrounds.

So... see the earlier boating section. 🙂

Tea Lake is a great gateway to paddle WAY out, should you want to get to less popular fishing grounds.

Niantic Games

As mentioned earlier, we had absolutely no cell phone coverage in Tea Lake Campground, so we weren’t even able to open Pokemon Go or Ingress.

Looking at the Ingress Intel map, there’s a single Portal / Pokestop, near the comfort station.

If you’re camping during an event, you’ll want to head over to the Visitor Centre parking lot. Several stops / gyms / etc, good amount of spawn points, and actual cell phone coverage!

Discovery Program

Algonquin Provincial Park runs a robust schedule of entertaining and educational programming, from late June til Labour Day.

These can be anything from wildlife demonstrations, to theatre productions and guided walks.

While some of the guided walks happen on the Mizzy Lake Trail, you’ll have to drive pretty far from Tea Lake Campground to access most of the programs.

Most of the programs - in our experience - happen either at the East Beach outdoor theatre (km 35), or at the Visitor Centre (km 43-ish).

Final Thoughts

Tea Lake Campground is one of those campgrounds that 10000% does not suit our needs... but that I can see would be absolutely perfect for others.

If you are a tent camper that doesn’t need electricity, and loves to be out on the water? Absolutely a fantastic campground.

As someone who is too old to sleep on the ground and requires air conditioning to survive? It’s just not the campground for me.

Love the idea of setting up camp and just exploring all the waterways, though!

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!

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
Pog Lake Campground, Algonquin Provincial Park
Provoking Falls, Algonquin Provincial Park
Raccoon Lake Campground, Algonquin Provincial Park
Rock 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