Craigleith Provincial Park — Attraction in The Blue Mountains

Zero stars for racism, harassment, and incompetence disguised as authority.

The park is definitely not worth the two-hour drive from the GTA. underwhelming at best. Very limited seating, mediocre facilities, and washrooms that are just barely tolerable. But what truly ruined our day is the appalling, discriminatory treatment we received from a blatantly racist and Islamophobic police officer.

My family was enjoying a picnic on Sunday when we noticed a short blonde female officer, likely in her late 20s, sneaking around our cars trying to issue tickets behind our backs. When questioned, she demanded a permit barcode. My cousin showed her both the printed copy and the email confirmation. If this officer had even the slightest clue how the park’s system works, she’d know that you physically cannot enter the park without scanning a valid permit at the barrier. unless, of course, she assumed we landed our vehicles via airdrop from the sky.

Once she failed at that, she desperately scrambled for anything else to accuse us of. First, she claimed a family member had ripped a tree branch — which was in fact already on the ground. When that didn’t stick, she tried complaining about a few small pieces of litter. We had already cleaned thoroughly, even going so far as to use our own garbage bags because the park’s bins were completely full — a clear failure on their part. Yet instead of acknowledging this, she returned with a pickup truck, a tractor, and two staff members to hand us trash bags. She gave us a useless and condescending lecture on cleaning, as if we don’t already know how to pick up after ourselves.

I told her we always clean up — something we’ve done on every picnic trip for years. She had nothing to say in response, but that didn’t stop her from coming back every 10 minutes to monitor, harass, and supervise us like we were criminals. Our mothers were uncomfortable, and our entire family was on edge the whole time.

To make it worse, she and her staff blatantly ignored other families and only targeted us. We were the only visibly Muslim group in the area. It doesn’t take much imagination to figure out why we were the ones singled out, surveilled, and constantly approached with tractors and threats of tickets. And meanwhile, actual park problems like dog poop all over the picnic area were completely ignored.

Eventually, she passed off her harassment duty to another officer and the park staff, who kept circling back with their orange vests. We kept cleaning the littles things just to avoid more harassment. This level of overpolicing was not only excessive, it was dehumanizing. We’re adults. Responsible, respectful adults. But we were treated like garbage for one reason: who we are.

What was supposed to be a relaxing Sunday turned into a humiliating, infuriating experience of racial profiling, Islamophobic targeting, and state-sanctioned intimidation. We didn’t drive two hours to be treated like suspects, to be followed every step, to be harassed for existing while Muslim.We have been to this park for years and have never dealt with...

Craigleith Provincial Park, located on the shores of Georgian Bay between Collingwood and Thornbury, offers a mixed bag of experiences for campers and day-trippers. Reviews of Craigleith Provincial Park often highlight the following: Beautiful Waterfront: The park boasts approximately 1.5 km of unique shale shoreline, offering clear, clean water perfect for swimming (with water shoes recommended due to slippery algae) and paddling. It's also a great spot for fossil hunting and offers potential for Northern Lights viewing due to its north-facing exposure. Convenient Location: Situated at the base of Blue Mountain, it's an ideal base for exploring the surrounding area, including the Bruce Trail, Georgian Trail, and Blue Mountain Village. You can even use your park permit to gain free access to Wasaga Beach Provincial Park. Facilities: The park has 155 campsites (both electrical and non-electrical) across four campgrounds. There are four comfort stations with flush toilets, two of which offer showers, and one with laundry facilities. A trailer dump and water fill station are also available. Privacy and Noise Concerns: A recurring theme in reviews is the lack of privacy on many campsites, which are often described as small and crowded. The park's proximity to Highway 26 means significant road noise can be an issue, especially for sites closer to the highway. Site Variety: Areas A and B are generally suitable for tents, while Areas C and D are more geared towards trailers and RVs, with Area D offering water hookups on most electrical sites. Some sites are "radio-free" for a quieter experience. Accessibility: While some barrier-free sites exist with cement platforms, general accessibility to paths, picnic shelters, and the beach can be limited for wheelchair users. According to Ontario Parks regulations, one vehicle permit is included with each campsite reservation. Additional vehicles require an extra permit and an overnight fee (currently around $18.00 per additional vehicle). While the policy generally allows a maximum of three vehicles per campsite, it's important to note: Space is a factor: Even if allowed by policy, some sites at Craigleith are described as small and crowded, with vehicles sometimes needing to be partly in the narrow lanes. Designated parking: Additional vehicles may need to be parked in a separate designated parking area away from your campsite if there isn't enough space on the site itself. Recommendation: While Craigleith offers a fantastic location and access to Georgian Bay, if privacy and quiet are high priorities, you might find some sites challenging. It is always best to check the specific campsite details when booking and to confirm the most up-to-date vehicle policy directly with Craigleith Provincial Park or Ontario Parks, especially if you plan to bring more than one vehicle. This will ensure you have accurate information for your specific reservation and avoid any surprises...

Craigleith Provincial Park: A Complete Disaster If you’re thinking of going to Craigleith Provincial Park, let me save you the trouble—don’t. This place is an absolute disaster. It’s as if someone took all the worst aspects of camping and crammed them into one nightmare location. I’ve seen landfills with more charm. Let’s start with the park staff. They might as well be ghosts, because they’re nowhere to be found. When you do manage to track someone down, they’re rude, uninterested, and completely unhelpful. It’s clear nobody cares about keeping this place even remotely functional. The whole park is run like an afterthought—if you need help with anything, you’re on your own. The hiking trails? They’re basically glorified dirt roads littered with garbage, broken branches, and overgrown weeds. There’s nothing scenic or peaceful about them. You can’t even enjoy a basic walk without tripping over debris or stepping in some mystery sludge. The maps provided are a joke—either inaccurate or completely missing, leaving you wandering in circles in this miserable excuse for a natural retreat. Now, the noise pollution here is ridiculous. Forget the idea of escaping to nature, because all you’ll hear are loud, obnoxious campers blasting music at all hours of the day and night. Nobody enforces quiet hours, so it’s a free-for-all of shouting, drunk revelry, and blasting speakers. If you’re hoping for tranquility, you’d have better luck sleeping next to a busy freeway. The fire pits are nothing but crumbling metal rings filled with trash. I’m not even sure it’s legal to have fires in these things—they look like they’re about to collapse or explode at any moment. Plus, the wood they sell is overpriced and damp, so good luck trying to get a fire started unless you’ve brought your own propane torch. Even the wildlife has given up on this place. The only creatures you’ll see are swarms of mosquitos and some mangy raccoons rifling through the overflowing trash bins. If you’re expecting birds or even a glimpse of peaceful nature, forget it—this place is a wasteland, abandoned by anything with...