Glen Rouge Campground

Glen Rouge Campground is Toronto’s only campground and extremely convenient access from Hwy. 401 — close to restaurants, major stores, fuel stations, local transit and GoTrain to and from downtown Toronto, Union Station. Walking distance to McDonalds, Tim Hortons, Starbucks, Canadian Tire, Dollar Store and a few other fast food restaurants.

Situated along the Rouge River with a beautiful hiking trail that circles the park. The river is narrow and water level fluctuates depending on amount of precipitation/temperatures, is not deep enough for swimming although some use the river for kayaking or Paddleboards. You will see people fishing, possibly just for fun... not sure as we’ve never seen a catch.

CAMPSITES: Available for hikers, tenters, RVer’s and groups. The park is quiet with lots of green space as it is part of a conservation area and sites are grass and fairly large. Site options consist of no service tent sites, 15/30 amp serviced sites (water + electric) and 50 amp serviced sites (water + electric). There are NO sewage sites. There is one dump station near the office.

OFFICE: Check their website for hours of operation as these times change depending on time of summer season. Park season operates from May to last weekend in October. The office offers ice ($2.75/bag) and fire wood ($12.00/bag) but does not offer any other conveniences.

WASHROOMS/BATHHOUSE: one building, several washrooms + 3 showers on each side. The washrooms are not as clean as they should/could be which brought the overall rating down. There is also a S/S Dishwashing area outside for tent campers.

PARK: Swing-Set with 2 baby swings and 2 regular swings. Splash pad has not been operational in quite some time. Roads around campground are paved which make it pleasant for kids to ride their bikes or scooters.

LAUNDRY: No

SECURITY: Part-time

SURPRISE PERK: Ice-Cream truck usually frequents the park during the weekends after dinner. Have CA$H and lots of it!!! They do not accept debit!

INTERNET: The park offers free wifi for simple tasks with small aerials throughout... we have never found it to work for us! Best personal connection from our mobile device or US router system (without booster) is at the East end, closer to park entrance. Campground is in a valley therefore direct line to towers at West end is obstructed by trees during full bloom.

This is a good park that could be a great park. The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) operates the park with uneven results. Maintenance is often good but then slips. We camped there recently in October; the park itself was very clean but the restrooms were not touched over the weekend (this could also be part of short staffing as summer students have left for school).

We have camped at the park many times over the past half dozen years and know it well. The location is excellent if visiting Toronto as it’s easily accessible off Highway 401 and provides great access to the GO Train to downtown Toronto (trust me, you do not want to drive into downtown Toronto). The campground is located on a treed flood plain of the Rouge River. The overall site is generally level but there are no dedicated pads (parking is on the grass) and no site levelling so the sites vary quite a bit. The most level sites are usually closer the the Rouge River (other sites may take a bit of levelling).

Traffic noise varies considerably due to time of day, atmospheric conditions, etc. It’s hard to predict, some times I’m amazed at how quiet it is given the proximity of the Highway, other times there is a background roar of traffic (but not usually audible in the RV). The park itself is very attractive as it’s part of the new Rouge Valley Urban National Park. There are great local hiking trails which are dog friendly. The restroom is a bit of a hike but that is because it’s above the flood plain line.

The best way to travel into Toronto is the GO Train. Turn right at the park entrance and travel about 1 kilometre to the second traffic light. Turn left on to Port Union Rd. (the name changes to Sheppard Ave. on the right) and drive to the end. This will take you into a parking lot and about a five minute walk to the ticket office (the closer lots are usually full of commuters during the week). The entire drive should take less than 10 minutes. If you look older than 65, you can get a seniors fare (half price) which is good for non-residents too. You will pass by a small shopping centre with a Metro supermarket, but there is excellent shopping along Kingston Road.

We've had excellent cell coverage with Bell Mobility (other carriers should be good too). Wifi was very spotty last time we were there. Previous visits didn't have any to speak of so we went just up the hill to a nearby McDonalds which had very good service.

NOTE: The will likely be some major changes to the park in the near future. As mentioned above, the entire Rouge River system is now part of an urban national park which I believe will be unique in North America. Parks Canada has been gradually taking over the park from the TRCA and, I’ve been told, will be operating the campground as of next year (2020). Parks Canada’s website for the park mentions the campground will be upgraded to current Parks Canada standards (which is a good thing). This also suggests the campground will be closed at some point for the changes.

Current fees are $43.50 (plus 13% HST) for 30 amp sites.

NOTE: The campground has very high water pressure and a regulator is recommended (or fill your RV’s water tank).

Nice clean, quiet campground. Staff was always kind and bathrooms/showers were always clean and well taken care of. Fire pits (no grill/fire ring) at each site. Grocery nearby. A short ride to the Toronto Go station to catch the train downtown. ($8 US each way-does not cover downtown subway or streetcar-for the two of us it was cheaper to drive downtown and just pay the $25 day fee.)