Temagami Park Permits
How do Temagami Backcountry Park Permits work?
There is no reservation system, per se. When you buy your permit, you are purchasing a registration, not a reservation. You are not able to reserve an individual campsite or even an individual lake. Campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. While there are ample campsites on most lakes, there is no way to know in advance how many people may be on a particular lake at any given time.
• Go to the Ontario Parks reservation website: reservations.ontarioparks.com/
• Select Backcountry Registration from the options (far right tab).
• Select Temagami from the dropdown list of parks.
• Select your access point: most are self explanatory. If you’re launching at Ferguson Bay/Sandy Inlet, select Red Squirrel Rd. If you’re heading into Smoothwater Lake, select Montreal River.
• Enter arrival date and party size.
• Progress to Build Your Stay screen, where you will select the number of nights you will spend in each park (Available Sites). If you plan to stay in multiple parks, enter the number of nights you will be staying in the first park, select that park from the Available Sites dropdown menu, and click the add button on the right. Repeat for second park.
• To finish this step, you will need to click the add button one last time, even if you are not adding additional parks. It’s the only way to activate the reserve button.
Do I need a permit?
If you’re paddling one of Temagami’s Crown land canoe routes, no permit is required.
You must buy a permit if you plan to stay overnight in one of Temagami’s backcountry provincial parks.
Not sure whether your route is on park land or Crown land? You can get a rough idea of where parks are from this map. Contact us for a more detailed breakdown of the area.
How far in advance can I book my permit?
Booking opens up to two weeks before your arrival in a Temagami backcountry park; you are not able to book farther ahead than that. As you may book a permit up until the day of your arrival, there is no time pressure to book as soon as your booking window opens.
How much do permits cost?
Temagami backcountry permits have recently moved from a per person/night model to a per campsite/night model. A campsite is $32.50/night (2021 price).
How many people are allowed on a permit?
There is a limit of 9 people per campsite in Temagami backcountry parks; accordingly, you may add 9 people to your permit, including the permit holder.