Your plans for next summer may have just change drastically with new rules shortening your camping trips at very busy Ontario Provincial Parks.

Due to incredibly high numbers of campers at certain provincial parks since 2021, think upwards of 4 million, new rules introduced by parks management have reduced how long you can stay overnight for next summer.

As of July 2023, the will be a limit of how long you can stay at each provincial park, drastically reducing trips from the normal 23-day rule.

To help connect more campers with sites at their favourite parks, we're reducing the maximum length of stay at select parks during our busiest season in 2023.

Learn more: https://t.co/po6XK1A1dx pic.twitter.com/AmhyrcbwIs

— Ontario Parks (@OntarioParks) October 17, 2022

There is now a maximum seven-night stay at Algonquin, Bon Echo, Killbear, Sandbanks and Pinery provincial parks.

Fourteen-day stays are now the norm at the majority of parks including Arrowhead, Fairbank, Killarney, Lake Superior, Sauble Falls, Sleeping Giant and many others.

The regular 23-night stay maximum will remain at 16 parks including White Lake, Arrow Lake and Pakwash parks, presumably ones that are not as busy. 

This move from Ontario Provincial Parks is aimed to help "connect more campers with campground sites at their favourite parks."

"We've heard from countless visitors how frustrating it can be to miss out on a summer camping reservation. With reservations in high demand, it can be difficult to get a campsite at some of our park campgrounds."

New maximum stay rules are only in effect from July 1 to Labour Day long weekend. Camping trips outside the summer season will remain at a 23-day maximum.

Rules do not apply to backcountry or roofed camping accommodations. This change will be in effect when summer camping trips are available to be booked and reserved this winter.

For those who want to stay longer than the new maximums, Ontario Provincial Parks suggests visiting less popular parks, road-tripping from park-to-park or visiting in off-season times.

More information about this rules and reservations can be found here.