Ferris Provincial Park is a provincial park in northeastern Northumberland County in Ontario, Canada. The park occupies an area of 1.98 km² next to the Trent River in Campbellford, Ontario. Within the park are 10 kilometres of hiking and mountain biking trails and a suspension bridge over Ranney Gorge.
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Ranney Gorge Suspension Bridge
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Our family has been to this park several times over the last 20 years. We just love coming here.
SITES: we have found the sites in the lower area vary greatly. There are some huge open sites and some that are more secluded. However, all of them have good separation from your neighbors. The upper campground, valley view I believe it is called, gives spectacular views of the area below. If you can get in when the leaves are changing, I highly recommend space 38 or 39 for the best views of the valley and the changing leaves. However, all of the sites are beautiful in the fall.
As you move around the campground, you'll notice remnants of walls from the early settlers of the area. They've done a great job to restore some of these walls and documented in their signs.
WALKING TRAILS: there are great trails whether you like to walk along the river's edge or explore the forest nearby, there are several trails to choose from. Many of the trails are not bike friendly but, you can easily get to all of the main locations by bicycle. You can also bicycle into town which is right beside the park and has several of its own beautiful bike paths along the trend Severn waterway.
SUSPENSION BRIDGE: The suspension bridge gives you a magnificent view of the river below and the area around it. It also provides a convenient path to go into town by bicycle or walking. Don't forget to look down through the floor of the bridge and you may be lucky enough to see turtles enjoying the sunshine on the rocks below.
CANOE OR KAYAK: The park has kayaks to rent or bring your own to enjoy the calm river areas. Of course, stay away from the boat locks just to be safe.
FACILITIES: there are three comfort stations; two in the lower campground and one in the upper campground. While they are dated, they serve their purpose. There are only two shower stalls and they are located in the upper campground comfort station. There is also a bike path to get from the upper campground to the lower one and it is a fun ride!
PLAYGROUND: there is a playground with new equipment located near the water in the boat launch. My kids were too old to use it but it looks like it is in great shape.
BOAT LAUNCH: there is a boat launch area which is downstream from the boat locks. When we were there during the week, this area was not busy at all.
DOGS: They have recently added an off-leash area for your four-legged friends. It is near a parking lot so you can easily drive there.
AREA: campbellford, town beside the park, is a beautiful town in itself. There is a quaint downtown area with many small shops. There is an outlet for the world's finest chocolate factory (a favorite stop of ours :) there are bike paths along the Trent Severn waterway. There's also a Tim Hortons, Canadian Tire and a no frills for convenience. Don't forget to visit the giant toonie in the park just south of the bridge over the waterway.
TRAILER AND RVs: The water fill station and dump station are near the entrance. There is only one fill station and one dump station and they are behind each other so you may have to wait to get to your desired station. We left about 11:00 a.m. and there was nobody in front of us in line so you probably won't have to wait long.
Overall, it is a beautiful park and a beautiful area. I know our family will...
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Practical review from a mom of 3 littles: First and foremost, understand that there's no official place to swim. You'll see people in the river, but this is not recommended because the hydro dam can cause unpredictable currents. I was disappointed to learn this but it's still a beautiful place to camp.
Firstly, when booking, I recommend checking the privacy level of the sites. There are a lot of sites that are just on open fields. We prefer the more private wooded lots. The road is higher than a lot of the sites and they get really muddy when it rains, so plan your tents accordingly.
Secondly, Ferris is right by Campbellford, a quaint little town. There are two grocery stores (No Frills and Giant Tiger) to help stock up on anything you might've forgotten. Home Hardware and the Centre Store are great places to get firewood, as the park office isn't open long hours, and they didn't have any firewood when we went. Home Hardware has a box of free wood in their parking lot. It's perfect kindling.
The park is beautiful. On day one, we did a nice long bike ride. There are beautiful trails. And the suspension bridge is a must when you're here. The YMCA has a community pool around the corner from the park if your kids really need something to do. A visit to Dooher's Bakery while you're in town is a must. Their donuts are to die for. The kids found the Giant Toonie pretty amusing, as well.
The park offers kayak rentals, but it's tough to do with little kids. Wish they offered row boats or canoes.
The only other thing for us city folks, is that data service here is intermittent. If you're lucky, you'll get 4G service, but if it's raining and the hundreds of campers are on their phones, you'll be lucky if you get any service. Phone calls are fine, but can drop if you enter a building. Why should you care if you're camping? Lol. Be honest, you care.
Overall, a great experience. We loved it. I highly recommend for a short weekend camping trip away...
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Ferris provincial park is a great place to set up camp for a few days. Located approximately 10 minutes north of Highway 401 off of exit 509, the provincial park is easy to find. Ferris provincial park has reasonable pricing as far as a provincial park goes, you're just about an hour outside of Peterborough. I would say that it is definitely family-friendly with lots of young families and children. Campbellford is a very quaint community with a lot of nature to enjoy, hiking mountain biking road cycling. The suspension bridge is a beautiful vantage point to see some of nature's beauty and a beautiful shot of the river fire down below. If you're lucky, you can find one of a couple of really great fishing holes to catch some rock bass or small mouth bass. The local giant Tiger has every provision you can possibly need along with a wide selection of groceries, so if you are running low or don't have the time to get your provisions prepared, you will end up being in good shape. I also have to say that the locals in the area are super friendly, courteous and always very pleasant. You'll also be able to enjoy beautiful views of the parks surrounding the trent-severn waterway lock system. Hope you enjoy your time at the ferris...
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