In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
From the St. Lawrence River via Kingston and the locks of the Rideau Canal to Ottawa and on up the Ottawa River: a route along the water that manages without long stages.
The spirit of the route
Between Brockville and Kingston the St. Lawrence River breaks up into a thousand islands: a granite hump with a pine, a house, a boat dock, and between them freighters gliding through the water as if on rails. Inland the Rideau Canal begins, built in 1832 and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with hand-operated locks where lockkeepers still open the gates by muscle power. The motorhome rolls from village to village – Gananoque, Jones Falls, Westport, Merrickville – past stone houses, boathouses and lakes in the Frontenac Arch, where the Canadian Shield begins. In Ottawa in summer kayaks glide under bridges, and Parliament and the museums stand on the bank. Further west the Ottawa River follows, with hills, floodplain forest and rapids. The route is flat and easy to drive, but busy at weekends and in the summer holidays. Whoever reserves early camps by the water; whoever does not camps by the highway.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Brockville to Gananoque and Mallorytown (approx. 55 km)
- The drive
- From Brockville take the Thousand Islands Parkway (Highway 2) west along the St. Lawrence River, two lanes, with a speed limit of 60–80 km/h, a parallel cycle path (the Waterfront Trail) and many views of islands and freighters. The Parkway is scenic, but the access roads are tight for large trailers. Pure driving time is about 1 hour.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Thousand Islands National Park: Parks Canada runs the national park with islands, docks and land stations; access is mostly by boat, with a visitor centre at Mallorytown Landing.
- Thousand Islands Skydeck near Lansdowne: a lookout tower above the Thousand Islands Bridge with wide views; check opening times and prices on site.
- Gananoque: harbour town with boat tours through the islands and a waterfront promenade.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Mallorytown Landing in Thousand Islands National Park (Parks Canada): camping and rental tent offer (check the scope in advance), sites by the water; book through Parks Canada. Nearby: Charleston Lake Provincial Park near Lyndhurst with a campground on the lake, showers, some electricity, reservations through Ontario Parks. Check length limits and electrical hook-ups when booking.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Free camping in a vehicle on the shores of the St. Lawrence is practically impossible; the region is densely populated, and the shores are private property or parkland. On Crown land in the Frontenac Arch the Ontario rules apply, with a permit for non-residents.
- Insider tip for campers
- Book a boat tour from Gananoque early; a trip to the US side with Boldt Castle means a border check, and a passport and valid entry documents are required; the tour operators can advise.
2Stage 2: Gananoque to Kingston (approx. 35 km)
- The drive
- Continue on Highway 2 and Highway 401 to Kingston, the start of the Rideau Canal. Highway 401 is the main route, speed limit 100 km/h; Highway 2 is slower but more picturesque. Pure driving time is about 40 minutes.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Kingston Fort Henry: a fortress from the 1830s with garrison demonstrations and a museum, part of the Rideau Canal and Kingston Fortifications World Heritage Site.
- Kingston City Hall and Market Square: a neoclassical town hall, weekly market and waterfront promenade.
- Kingston Mills Locks: locks at the southern end of the Rideau Canal, reached on foot, with lockkeepers and information boards.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Kingston: private RV parks on the edge of town (check status and facilities); Frontenac Provincial Park (to the north) offers only backcountry camping on foot or by canoe. Check all details with the operators before arriving.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In Kingston, overnighting in a vehicle on streets and car parks is prohibited and enforced. There is no legal free-camping alternative in the urban area.
- Insider tip for campers
- In the city avoid car parks with height restrictions; leave large vehicles on the edge of town and take the bus or a bike to the centre. The ferry to Wolfe Island and boat tours at the harbour make a good day trip.
3Stage 3: Kingston to Westport (approx. 70 km)
- The drive
- From Kingston take Highway 15 north towards Seeley’s Bay, then minor roads to Jones Falls and Westport. Two-lane country roads, speed limit 80 km/h, with slight hills and lakes. Pure driving time is about 1.5 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Jones Falls Lockstation: four locks and a stone dam from 1832, part of the Rideau Canal; the site is easy to reach on foot and popular with photographers.
- Frontenac Provincial Park: trails through the Canadian Shield with lakes and rocks, access near Sydenham; there is no vehicle camping here.
- Westport: a small village on the Rideau Lakes with a waterfront, shops and boat rental.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Rideau River Provincial Park near Kemptville and Murphys Point Provincial Park near Perth are further north. In the Westport and Rideau Lakes area, municipalities and private sites offer pitches; at some lockstations Parks Canada operates camping for boats and tents. Ask about facilities and access before arriving.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): On Crown land around Frontenac, camping is possible for non-residents only with a permit; access roads are often narrow. Check the current rules at Ontario.ca.
- Insider tip for campers
- Refuel in Kingston, Seeley’s Bay or Westport; on the small country roads there are long stretches without a petrol station. Walking pace applies on the lock sites; do not drive on the paths with a vehicle.
4Stage 4: Westport to Ottawa (approx. 120 km)
- The drive
- From Westport via Perth, Smiths Falls and Merrickville to Ottawa, mostly on two-lane highways and country roads along the Rideau Canal. The route gets busier towards the capital. Pure driving time is about 2 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Merrickville: a village on the Rideau Canal with stone houses, a blockhouse from 1832 and craft shops; lock site with a museum.
- Smiths Falls: a stop with lock sites, a railway museum and the Rideau Canal Museum by the locks (check opening times).
- Ottawa Rideau Canal: the flight of locks at the Ottawa Locks next to Parliament, with canal cruises and cycle paths along the bank in summer.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In the Ottawa area: private RV parks on the edge of town (check status and facilities before booking) and Gatineau Park in Québec (Philippe Lake) with a campground, reached over the bridges. Also Rideau River Provincial Park south of the city.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In Ottawa, overnighting in a vehicle on public streets and car parks is prohibited. The urban area offers no legal free-camping alternative.
- Insider tip for campers
- In Ottawa park the motorhome only on the edge of town and take the bus or a bike into the centre; multi-storey car parks are rarely designed for motorhomes. Bridges over the Ottawa River lead to Gatineau in Québec, where French signage and different traffic rules apply.
5Stage 5: Ottawa to Pembroke (approx. 160 km)
- The drive
- From Ottawa take Highway 417 (Trans-Canada Highway) west, at Arnprior onto Highway 17 and on to Pembroke. Good road, speed limit 90–100 km/h; traffic thins out beyond Arnprior. Pure driving time is about 2 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Arnprior: a harbour town on the Ottawa River with a museum and a river promenade.
- Bonnechere Provincial Park near Eganville: campground, caves and rapids in the Bonnechere River; a detour from the main route.
- Pembroke: a town on the Ottawa River with murals, a riverside path and a marina.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Bonnechere Provincial Park (Round Lake): sites with and without electricity, showers, dump station; reserve through Ontario Parks. Alternative: Driftwood Provincial Park on the Ottawa River north of Pembroke. Check length limits when booking.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): On Crown land in the Ottawa Valley, camping is possible for non-residents only with a permit; access roads are often forest roads. Check the current rules at Ontario.ca.
- Insider tip for campers
- On the Ottawa River black flies are a nuisance in early summer; plan for insect repellent and a net. If you are heading further west, refuel in Pembroke; from there the stretches get longer.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- Free camping in a vehicle is practically impossible in the densely populated south of Ontario: the land is private property, parkland or urban area, and municipalities and police enforce this.
- On Crown land, for example in the Frontenac Arch and the Ottawa Valley, camping is allowed; non-residents need a paid permit and may stay in one place only for a limited time. Check the current rules at Ontario.ca.
- In the car parks of provincial parks and Parks Canada sites, overnighting is allowed only on designated sites; rest areas are for short breaks.
- At the lock sites of the Rideau Canal, rules apply for boats and tents; vehicles may stand only in designated car parks.
- Useful apps and sites: iOverlander, Campendium, the Ontario Parks reservation site, the Parks Canada Reservation Service, 511 Ontario.
- Wildlife: black bears occur in the Frontenac Arch and the Ottawa Valley; store food locked in the vehicle. Ticks (Lyme disease) are widespread in southern Ontario; check yourself after hikes.
Waste disposal & supplies
- Dump stations: at larger sites and at some petrol stations and municipalities in Kingston, Perth, Ottawa and Pembroke; check availability beforehand.
- Drinking water: at campgrounds and taps in Kingston, Ottawa and Pembroke; filter or boil water from lakes.
- Fuel: petrol stations in Brockville, Gananoque, Kingston, Perth, Ottawa, Arnprior and Pembroke; on smaller country roads there are long stretches with nowhere to refuel.
- Gas: propane at petrol stations and hardware stores in Kingston and Ottawa; European cylinders need adapters.
- Shopping: larger supermarkets in Kingston, Ottawa, Smiths Falls and Pembroke; small shops in the villages.
- Electricity: sites offer 15, 30 and 50 A (120 V); rental motorhomes usually have the matching plug.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Speed limits: highways 100 km/h, two-lane country roads 80 km/h, Thousand Islands Parkway 60–80 km/h, in towns 50 km/h; vehicles with trailers follow the signs.
- Tolls: Highway 407 near Toronto is subject to electronic tolls but is not on this route. The Thousand Islands Bridge to the US side charges a toll.
- Admission: Parks Canada charges admission or the Discovery Pass; provincial parks charge day-use and campground fees; check current amounts.
- Dimensions: on the Rideau Canal height limits apply to boats; for roads the general height limit of 4.15 m in Ontario applies. Multi-storey car parks in cities often have limits around 2 m.
- Reservations: Ontario Parks up to five months ahead; Parks Canada likewise early; weekends in July and August book up quickly.
- Weather and season: May to October; high summer is warm and humid, September brings colourful foliage. Thunderstorms are frequent in summer.
- Traffic law: drive on the right, seat belts compulsory, phones at the wheel only hands-free, alcohol in the vehicle only if sealed. A German driving licence is sufficient for tourists for a limited time; an international one is recommended.
- Emergency: 911; hospitals are available in Ottawa and Kingston, and in rural areas look up the nearest clinic beforehand.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- A bicycle or folding bike for the Waterfront Trail and the Rideau towpaths, because parking in Kingston and Ottawa is tight and expensive.
- A kayak or a rented paddling trip for Frontenac and the Rideau Lakes; a life jacket is compulsory.
- Insect repellent and a tick remover for forest trails in the Frontenac Arch.
- Passport, if a boat tour to the US side (Boldt Castle) is planned.
- Reservation documents for provincial parks and Parks Canada; mobile reception is not available everywhere in the forests.
As of 2026-09. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
