Wooded Crown Land Close To Toronto?

[Mungo]

Question for Canadians...
Does anyone know how I can find out about some wooded Crown land close to Toronto, and about regulations regarding camping on it? I believe anyone can camp on Crown land, and sometimes I want to be able to not drive too far - maybe around Barrie? Is there a map I can get my hands on or an online resource?
Thanks,
Mungo

 

[Voivode]

Hey there. You should be able to find maps that show ownership of individual quarters of land for each county in Ontario; I have a number of them for Alberta. They're called County or Municipal District Maps, if that helps. I dug up this website: http://crownlanduseatlas.mnr.gov.on.ca/

The rule of thumb for Crown Land is generally fairly simple; use it, don't abuse it. If you have to travel through private land to get to it (as is the case with some trapped between my parents ranch and the river that flows nearby), you should really have permission or the locals might get upset and call the cops. Depending on the designation, certain activities might be prohibited, such as driving off-road vehicles. Also, be aware of the forest fire threat level; if it is sufficiently high, all fires are banned and you'll be eating off a camp stove. That website covers most of this, and at very least gets you started.

 

[Carcajou Garou]

Does it have to be Crown land? Algonquin parc is within an easy day's driving and has world class camping facilities.

 

[pierre girard]

Does it have to be Crown land? Algonquin parc is within an easy day's driving and has world class camping facilities.

Must still be Crown land as - as an American - I get charged a Crown camping fee ($10 per night) as well as a park fee ($2 per night) when camping in provincial parks.

 

[Carcajou Garou]

Canadians for sure don't pay for Crown Land useage, provincial/national parks have different pay scale with and without utilities, and interior wilderness fees.
Can't see where they would be able to patrol all the bush to find out Americans versus Canadians in the bush that is called Crown Land.
Aboriginals have treaty rights for extended use of Crown land as well as reservation lands. Other than hunting licenses American hunt on Crown like us I think? Never heard of user fees?

 

[Voivode]

Pierre is talking about Provincial Parks, not Crown Land. Crown land is just land owned by the government; it is essentially free to use and do what you like on a small scale. I can go there and camp for a short period (less than a month, I think) and cut down some wood and such, but I can't, for example, log the forest for my wood stove for winter without a permit. Provincial Parks have fairly stringent requirements, not the least of which is that they usually prohibit the sorts of activities associated with bushcraft such as cutting down trees, building fires wherever you please, constructing impromptu shelters, etc.

So, while Algonquin Park might fantastic (and I'm sure it is), you can't do your bush skills there. If Ontario is anything like Alberta (and I suspect they aren't too far off) you can set up your tent in the designated camp areas and light fires in the designated fire pits but that's pretty much it. An Ontarian would probably know better.

 

[Carcajou Garou]

Exactly, in a provincial or national park you are limited in what you can do in the park but as stated on crown land you can, for an immediate and personal use, utilise the land as you please in a responsible non damaging way. No restriction I know of for American or English. I have meet Americans set up for hunt camps (in Canada) spent time there with them other than hunting license, no problems.
PS Crown land is owned by the people not the government!

 

[Voivode]

PS Crown land is owned by the people not the government!

Wait a minute, I thought the people were the government and the government the people.

A quibble IMHO, but true nonetheless.