12 most dog-friendly campgrounds in Ontario

Where, oh where can you go on a vacation with your dog? That's what my wife and I have been wondering.

• 8 camping rules for Ontario dog owners
• 5 ways to protect your dog in a heat wave 

Last week I shared the rules in Ontario if you take your dog camping, but this week I want to share the campgrounds where your dog can play and have the most fun.

Pets are allowed on campgrounds at all Ontario provincial parks, except for designated areas in four Algonquin Park campgrounds: Achray, Canisbay, Mew Lake and Pog Lake.

There are also limitations at the Awenda, Balsam Lake, Pinery and Voyageur campgrounds.

Dogs like Adele here aren't like humans. Vacations, such as camping, don't mean rest time. It's time to find a place to run and play.

Pets also can't be on beaches, other swimming areas or roofed accommodation sites like cabins or change rooms, and they must be on a leash two metres long or shorter.

Gatineau Park does not allow dogs, so when looking for a place to camp, it was even interesting to find out some Ontario parks offer exercise and beach areas where pets are allowed.

Adele (That's my dog's name, not my wife's) is a Schnorkie, which is a mix between a Schnauzer and Yorkie. If you know dogs, you know that's not a big dog.

She is black with a white patch on her chest and weighs just under 15 lbs. Boy, does she love to run and she loves the outdoors, so camping is the perfect activity for Adele.

In case your dog is similar, I've listed the 12 Ontario campgrounds that have exercise and beach areas for pets:

• Bon Echo.
• Pancake Bay.
• White Lake.
• Rock Point.
• Turkey Point.
• Kettle Lakes.
• Arrowhead.
• Grundy Lake.
• Killbear.
• Mikisew.
• Wasaga Beach.
• Restoule.

Obatanga also has beach and exercise areas for dogs but it closed as of 2013.

Wondering where these beaches are? Ontario has a park locator on its website to help. Campers can also ask park staff before they enter a campground to find out the location of pet-designated areas.

There are many other campgrounds within Ontario's provincial parks that feature either an exercise area or a beach for your dogs. Those parks are found in the chart below: