Want to trick-or-treat with a tent instead of a doorstep? Ontario Parks has rolled out its Halloween line-up for October, with five provincial parks running themed weekends that mix camping, costume contests and candle-lit style programming.
The season kicks off at Craigleith Provincial Park on Georgian Bay, where the annual Shivers on the Shale returns from Friday, Oct. 2 to Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. Campers can decorate their sites, carve pumpkins, dress up for trick-or-treating and check out the haunted picnic shelter.
Wheatley Provincial Park, in the province's southwest near Point Pelee, hosts its family-friendly Halloween in the Park on Oct. 10, 2026. The focus here is on kids, with an annual trick-or-treating loop around the campground and site-decorating encouraged.
Bronte Creek Provincial Park, just outside Oakville, stretches the festivities across two weekends: Oct. 16-18 and Oct. 23-25, 2026. Camper Halloween includes site decorating, dress-up and discovery programs, with more detail promised closer to the dates.
Fitzroy Provincial Park, west of Ottawa, joins the fun for the first time with its inaugural Pumpkins in the Park Weekend, Oct. 23-25, 2026. Prizes are on the table for the most haunted campsite, best carved pumpkin and spookiest costume.
The headline act, though, is Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario's largest and most famous park, which runs a Haunted Halloween Weekend from Oct. 24 to 26, 2026. Staff will lead guided hikes, including a Friday night walk, while Mew Lake Campground hosts costume and campsite-decorating contests. Algonquin in late October also means autumn colour is fading into quiet, cold nights — an atmospheric backdrop if there ever was one.
A few practical notes worth flagging: regular park admission fees apply at all five locations, and you'll typically need a campsite booking to take part in the campground-based activities. Ontario Parks also asks revellers to respect the natural setting — all decorations and litter need to come home with you once the festivities wrap up.
This is a nice, low-cost way to extend the camping season beyond summer. Late October in Ontario is genuinely chilly at night, so pack warm layers and a good sleeping bag, but daytime temperatures can still be pleasant for hiking. Sites at popular parks like Algonquin and Bronte Creek tend to fill up for these themed weekends, so reserving early is smart. Families with young kids will get the most out of Wheatley and Craigleith, while anyone wanting a wilder, more atmospheric escape should aim for Algonquin's night walk. Full details and updates are posted on the Ontario Parks blog as the dates approach.
