Windy Lake Provincial Park: A CreakingOn Review
Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means we will earn a commission on the products or services you purchase using the links. There is no additional cost to you, and the earnings help keep this website running.
Sudbury’s Four-Season Lakeside Escape
There’s something special about arriving at a new provincial park for the first time, with our travel trailer in tow, the dog’s nose pressed against the window, and each breath filled with Northern Ontario’s air that feels just a little cleaner than anywhere else. That was our experience at Windy Lake Provincial Park this season. Tucked just west of Sudbury, Windy Lake surprised us with its expansive skies, peaceful mornings, and a vibe that immediately encourages you to slow down. Whether we were backing into the campsite, exploring the beach, or simply enjoying that fresh lake breeze with a hot coffee in hand, it didn’t take long to see that this is one of those parks that quietly wins you over.
Why did we choose to visit Windy Lake Provincial Park? Because we haven’t been there before, and that’s probably reason enough, but the park also promised one of the best dog beaches in Ontario, and it fit nicely into our three-park road trip, which also included stops at Restoule and Marten River Provincial Parks.
With Windy Lake Provincial Park close to Sudbury and perhaps the best beach in the area, it is no surprise that the park is a popular day-trip destination.
📍 Park Overview
Location: Just north of Sudbury, ON — along Highway 144 in Levack.
Park Classification & Size: Recreational Class, covering about 139 hectares.
Established: 1959
Operating Seasons:
Camping & Roofed Accommodation: mid-May to mid-September (2025 schedule)
Day-use & Winter Activities: Winter season generally from early January to mid-March.
Official Website / Booking: Via Ontario Parks portal under “Windy Lake Provincial Park.”
Windy Lake sits on the north shore of its namesake lake, a popular spot for boating, swimming and fishing, and is also intimately tied to the geological legacy of the ancient meteorite-crater region surrounding Sudbury.
The camping sites at Windy Lake Provincial Park are well secluded and spacious.
If you are looking for roofed accommodations, Windy Lake Provincial Park offers yurts and cabins.
Camping & Facilities
Total Campsites: 93 car-camping sites, of which 56 have electrical hookups.
Site Quality: Sites are described as “secluded, large and flat,” often with generous spacing, making them comfortable for tents, trailers, or smaller RVs.
Group & Walk-in Options:
Three group-camping sites: two waterfront lakeside group sites + one more wooded site closer to the day-use area.
Seven walk-in sites (some waterfront) in a radio-free code zone, great for tent campers seeking peace.
Roofed Accommodations: 4 yurts (sleep up to 6) and two rustic waterfront cabins provide an option if you’d rather not rough it. Yurts have electric heat, a deck, a firepit, a picnic table, and a propane BBQ; cabins include a kitchenette and a propane fireplace.
Comfort & Services:
Central comfort station in campground: flush toilets, hot showers, sinks, laundry, and change tables.
Two smaller comfort stations are near the day-use/beach area.
Drinking water taps, and a large cement boat launch with a dock + parking lot.
Playground, beach, and day-use amenities for families and casual campers.
Overall Impression: Windy Lake balances comfort and nature nicely. Whether you’re in a tent, cabin, or RV/trailer, you’ll have good facilities and access to water and the forest. Sites were consistently described as roomy and flat enough for trailers or mid-sized rigs.
We loved our large and sunny campsite at Windy Lake Provincial Park. Despite the site being non-electric, the ample sunlight kept our solar and battery setup fully charged. You can read about our power setup here - Battery + Solar = Freedom
RV & Visitor Tips: What to Know Before You Go
If you’re visiting Windy Lake in an RV or trailer, here’s what works — and what to plan for:
Electrical Hookups: 56 of the campsites offer electricity — enough for most RV setups.
Site Layout: Sites are generally flat, spacious, and well separated by trees or forest cover, providing good privacy and comfort, even for larger trailers.
Dump and Fill: The trailer sanitation station for water filling and dumping is located to the right as you enter the park. If you go to the check-in office, you will need to come back to fill.
Boat Access: Convenient cement boat launch & dock — great if you want to bring a small boat, canoe, or kayak.
Laundry & Showers: Full comfort facilities (showers, laundry, flush toilets), handy for longer stays or multi-day family camping.
Winter-Ready (if you come off-season): For snow lovers, yurts are available in winter (though noted to be closed for improvements during the 2025 winter season).
Water & Recreation: Swimming, boating, fishing and lakeside beach are not easily accessible from the campsites. There is a hiking trail to the beach area, but most people drive.
Noise & Crowds: Because Windy Lake is close to Sudbury and popular in summer for day visits, expect increased traffic from day users on weekends. The day visitors do not impact the campground, which provides a quieter, relaxed setting.
Best for: Camper families, couples, small- to mid-sized RVs/trailers, water-based recreation fans, anglers, snow enthusiasts (in season), and mixed-use campers (tent + boat, trailers + winter gear, etc.).
The promise of a great dog beach was a primary reason for our visit to Windy Lake Provincial Park, and we were not disappointed. Large and with excellent water access, it was a perfect place to hang out.
Activities: Water, Trails & All-Season Fun
Summer Water & Beach Fun
Windy Lake features ~1.5 km of sandy shoreline and a large buoyed swimming area, ideal for families and casual swimmers.
Dog Beach is fantastic, our favourite place to hang out.
Boating, motorboating, canoeing, kayaking and even windsurfing or waterskiing are popular. The park’s boat launch and dock make water access easy.
Fishing, especially for lake trout, walleye, northern pike, and smallmouth bass, is well regarded in Windy Lake.
Hiking at Windy Lake is limited but enjoyable.
Blueberries were plentiful in late July.
The hiking trails are very family-friendly, with only a couple of challenging ups and downs.
Hiking & Nature
Transition Trail (~3 km loop, easy): Winds through forest over part of the rim of the ancient meteorite crater. Great for a relaxed forest walk, spotting birds and wildflowers, listening for owls at dusk.
Forest cover is typical of the region, with jack pine, birch, and poplar, giving a pleasant mix of lakeshore and forest ambience.
Blueberries were plentiful during our late July visit. We found the large patches along the railway tracks.
Nearby hike - Located 10 km south of the park, the A.Y. Jackson Lookout Trail is one of the most visually stunning hikes in Ontario.
Located a few kilometres south of Windy Lake Provincial Park, the A.Y. Jackson Lookout Trail is named after Group of Seven painter A.Y. Jackson, who immortalized many northern Ontario landscapes in his artwork. The hike is renowned for waterfalls and scenic views.
Winter Access: Skiing, Snowshoeing, Ice Fishing & Yurts
In winter, the park converts to a snow‐lovers’ destination: cross-country ski trails maintained by the Onaping Falls Nordics Ski Club. About 15 km of groomed trails are available, with weekend chalet access, ski rentals, and a cozy wood-stove-heated lounge.
For snowshoers: forest trails around Windy Lake, plus ski-trail corridors, make it easy to explore snow-covered woods, and even higher-elevation lookout trails offer lake views.
Winter also brings ice fishing — the park rents ice-fishing kits (sled, hut, rods, auger). Ice-fishing enthusiasts report catching lake trout, pike, and walleye during the frozen season.
What Works — And What to Keep in Mind
Highlights
Convenient mix of lake access, beach, boating, fishing, and forest hiking, all in one compact park.
Comfortable, well-spaced campsites and good amenities (electricity, showers, laundry) make it ideal for families, RVers, and longer stays.
Great for multiple seasons, summer water fun, and winter skiing/ice fishing.
Roofed accommodations (yurts, cabins) offer a comfortable alternative to tents or RVs.
Bugs be gone…
Keep your outdoor adventures bug-free with the Thermacell Patio Shield Mosquito Repellent E-Series Rechargeable Repeller. No sprays, no DEET, and no open flames.
We use it while camping and love it.
Consider Before You Go
Having an RV over a certain length might be tricky. While sites are flat and large, the park doesn’t explicitly list large-rig “pull-through” sites. Book early and check the site map carefully.
Summer weekends and long-weekend beach days can be busy; the swimming area and day-use beach get high summer traffic.
For those sensitive to cold water, some visitors report that Windy Lake water stays chilly for much of summer (especially June), though it warms up mid-season. (Subjective; dependent on temperature and weather.)
Windy Lake at its morning best. My fishing attempt was not productive, but time on the lake was worth the effort.
Final Thoughts
We enjoyed our stay at Windy Lake Provincial Park. The park stands out as a flexible, spring-to-winter recreational gem for campers, RV travellers, families, and outdoor lovers alike. Whether you’re pulling in with an RV and boat in summer, renting a yurt for a cozy winter ski-trip, or just trying to get in a forest hike or lakeside swim, Windy Lake delivers a little bit of everything without the huge travel times or difficult logistics.
For anyone based in Sudbury or passing through Northern Ontario who wants a well-rounded park that suits both water lovers and snow-sport fans, Windy Lake is absolutely worth adding to your itinerary.
