This year marks 75 years of interactive Discovery Programs at Ontario Parks.
To celebrate, parks across the province are planning a special day of guided hikes and Discovery Drop-ins on August 10!
Our guided hikes are in memory of Professor J.R. Dymond, the first Ontario Parks interpreter. He was hired by Algonquin Provincial Park in 1944.
Guided hikes take visitors along a trail in the park to explore the unique natural and cultural heritage features along the way.
Join us for a guided hike
Twenty-seven parks will be hosting a guided hike at 10:00 a.m. on August 10.
These parks have experienced interpreters and naturalists with expertise in various areas.
Find a list of parks offering guided hikes on August 10 below.
Check out a Discovery Drop-in
Other parks will be offering Discovery Drop-ins, a newer component of our Discovery Program. Drop-ins encourage families with children to explore a topic of the day (such as Incredible Insects!) alongside our Discovery Guides. However, all ages are welcome!
For more on the Discovery Program, read here.
Find a list of parks offering Discovery Drop-ins on August 10 below.
A big shout-out
We also want to recognize all the Ontario Parks interpreters and naturalists who have come before us. Thank you for sharing our collective cultural and natural heritage stories with Ontarians, Canadians, and international visitors.
Were you a past Ontario Parks interpreter? We would like to know who you are!
Tell us:
- where did you work and when?
- where did life take you from there?
- what are you up to these days?
Are you an Ontario Parks visitor who participated in a particularly moving Discovery Program experience? We would like to hear from you too!
Reach out to us @OntarioParks on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Include hashtag #OPDiscovery!
Discovery memories
Whether you’re a long-time camper or a first-time visitor, we hope you remember the parks you visit and how they make you feel. And we hope you will continue to visit these places — in person or in your memories — and keep them safe for whomever visits them after you.
Our Discovery Program staff are here to enhance your park experiences and connections, so that you will remember these places and why they are important to you.
Celebrating with us on August 10?
The following parks will be offering guided hikes at 10:00 a.m.:
- Algonquin Provincial Park
- Arrowhead Provincial Park
- Awenda Provincial Park
- Balsam Lake Provincial Park
- Blue Lake Provincial Park
- Bon Echo Provincial Park
- Bronte Creek Provincial Park
- Charleston Lake Provincial Park
- Darlington Provincial Park
- Emily Provincial Park
- Grundy Lake Provincial Park
- Kettle Lakes Provincial Park
- Killarney Provincial Park
- Killbear Provincial Park
- Lake Superior Provincial Park
- MacGregor Provincial Park
- Murphys Point Provincial Park
- Neys Provincial Park
- Pinery Provincial Park
- Presqu’ile Provincial Park
- Rock Point Provincial Park
- Rondeau Provincial Park
- Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park
- Sandbanks Provincial Park
- Sibbald Point Provincial Park
- Sleeping Giant Provincial Park
- Wasaga Beach Provincial Park
The following parks will be offering Discovery Drop-ins throughout the day:
- Algonquin-Achray Provincial Park
- Bass Lake Provincial Park
- Bonnechere Provincial Park
- Chutes Provincial Park
- Craigleith Provincial Park
- Driftwood Provincial Park
- Earl Rowe Provincial Park
- Esker Lakes Provincial Park
- Fairbank Provincial Park
- Ferris Provincial Park
- Finlayson Point Provincial Park
- Fitzroy Provincial Park
- Fushimi Lake Provincial Park
- Halfway Lake Provincial Park
- Inverhuron Provincial Park
- Ivanhoe Lake Provincial Park
- Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park
- Long Point Provincial Park
- Mara Provincial Park
- Marten River Provincial Park
- Mikisew Provincial Park
- Nagagamisis Provincial Park
- Pancake Bay Provincial Park
- Point Farms Provincial Park
- Port Burwell Provincial Park
- Quetico Provincial Park
- Rainbow Falls Provincial Park
- Rene Brunelle Provincial Park
- Restoule Provincial Park
- Rideau River Provincial Park
- Rushing River Provincial Park
- Sandbar Lake Provincial Park
- Sauble Falls Provincial Park
- Selkirk Provincial Park
- Sharbot Lake Provincial Park
- Silent Lake Provincial Park
- Silver Lake Provincial Park
- Six Mile Lake Provincial Park
- Turkey Point Provincial Park
- Voyageur Provincial Park
- Wheatley Provincial Park
- White Lake Provincial Park
- Windy Lake Provincial Park
For additional details, check the Ontario Parks Events page.