summer fun
at the lake!
Black Donald
Tent & Trailer Park
Fill your day with activity
or just sit back and relax!
Black Donald Tent & Trailer Park is situated on a gorgeous waterway that is surrounded by thousands of square hectares of forests, lakes and wetlands.
Whether you want to enjoy some exciting water or motorsports, drop your line in the water, go for a vigorous hike or for a contemplative walk, or prefer to just sit back and enjoy the day in your lawn chair or hammock – we offer it all.
Our lake is big enough that even on busy weekends when the watersports enthusiast are on the water, there is plenty of room and quiet places for paddlers and pleasure boaters to enjoy the day.
We welcome riders, 4x4s, and ATVs, but kindly request that all such activities take place outside of the park, so the campground remains peaceful and quiet.
27 miles of waterway
Just outside our bay is a wide-open expanse of water that has plenty of space for sailors, sailboarders, water skiers, tubers, and powerboat enthusiasts to share and enjoy!
On windy days, when the chop is up, skiers and tubers can venture a short way to the south-west of our campground where they will find a long, deep bay that is sheltered from the wind (you will also find the Mountain Chute Hydro-Electric Dam off your port side further down this bay).
Jetskiers and powerboat enthusiasts will enjoy venturing along 27-miles of waterway free of unmarked hazards in the center of the main channel.
water sports
Paddling
the madawaska river system
The Madawaska River drops 380 metres over 230 kilometres and drains an area of 8,470 square kilometres. Its name is from an Algonquian band known as “Matouweskarini” which means “people of the shallows.” The river begins at Source Lake in Algonquin Park and flows into the Ottawa River at Arnprior where it ultimately flows into the St. Lawrence River.
In 1967, a portion of the Madawaska River was flooded when the Mountain Chute Dam was constructed to create a hydro reservoir. This flooded area now forms Black Donald and Centennial Lakes. These lakes abound with bays, channels, inlets and several small rivers, creating the perfect opportunity for kayakers and canoeists to explore.
The Madawaska was once a major logging route, and around 1916, Group of Seven artist Tom Thomson followed the log drive down the river and was inspired to paint ‘The Drive’.
beat the heat this summer!
A swim in a clean, refreshing lake on a summer’s day! It’s a quintessentially Canadian things to do and fun for the whole family!
Our campground on Black Donald Lake features two swimming areas. The first location offers a shallow and gently-sloping sandy beach ideal for younger children. The second swimming area sits on smooth rocks along the shoreline and features a floating raft that is anchored offshore in about 20 feet of water. A number of our sites even feature their own private swimming area, off a dock, shore, or small beaches! While both our main swimming areas are roped in, please not that they are unsupervised.
swimming
fishing
gone fishin’
Black Donald – Centennial Lake was created in Canada’s Centennial year, 1967, when the Mountain Chute Dam was built to create a hydro reservoir flooding surrounding rivers, creeks, mountains, and hills.
The flooding resulted in the formation of dozens of islands, bays, channels and inlets along a rocky shoreline that provides an ideal ecosystem for a healthy and varied fish habitat with depths ranging from shallow shoals to hundred-foot waters!
You’ll find many different species of fish including Northern Pike, Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, Pickerel (Walleye), Whitefish, Perch, Rock Bass, Channel Catfish, Burbot, and Muski.
offroad adventure starts here
This region boasts the best offroad trails that Eastern Ontario has to offer. Each year the Eastern Ontario Trail Blazers and the Montreal Jeep Club spend several weekends a year at our campground, using it as a homebase to run the Calabogie Line, the Quinn Lake Trails, Crag Lake, Rusty Bat, and more.
We also host groups of ATV riders staying with us who run the same trails, but who also enjoy other trails, tailored to all levels of experience, that are located within minutes of our front door. Contact the Ottawa Valley ATV Club for more info about ATV riding opportunities in the area.
offroad
riding
We welcome riders at Black Donald Tent & Trailer Park!
Asphalt & Gravel
You need to look no further for some of the very best motorcycle riding in Eastern Canada. From the fan-favourite Centennial Lake Road with its 28 kilometres of undulating twisties to the hairpin filled South Lavant Road and the sweeping curves of highways 508, 509 and 511, you and your friends will enjoy a riding experience that keeps you smiling every time that you retell the stories.
If gravel riding is more your style well, you are in for a treat. The Norcan Lake Loop, the K&P Trail, Ranger Camp Road, Mosque Road, and Hydro Lane will become the roads that you talk about with your buddies during the off-season.
While we welcome riders at our campground, please note that trail riding on camp property is not permitted and that the speed limit throughout our campsite is 15km/hr.
eagles nest, Manitou trail & more
Nearby Manitou Mountain Trail is a 9-kilometre loop that passes through picturesque forests and wilderness. This trail features three mountain-top vistas: the Eagles Nest, Manitou Mountain and Red Rock.
The Madawaska Nordic is another trail system in the area that features 18-kilometres of easy hiking trails; these former logging roads wind through a scenic forest of mixed deciduous and pine trees.
The Eagle’s Nest is accessible off Hwy 508 and is an easy hike to a spectacular lookout over a beautifully-forested valley. Along the route, there are also some great opportunities for rock climbing.
The K&P Trail is a former railroad line, and offers a nice level grade for walking and for those not wanting to take on the steeper features of other hiking trails. It winds its way, for 30-kilometres, through rock-cuts, forests, wetlands and farming country. It is a multi-use trail suitable for walking, biking, ATVs, and dual-sport and adventure riders.
Hiking
enjoy some downtime
If you just want to get away from it all and relax, our tent and trailer park campground is the perfect place for you. All of our campsites are surrounded by large pine trees that cast just the right amount of dappled sunshine, so whether you’re a sun lover, or prefer to sit in the cool shade there’s a spot just right for you.
Our campground has a strictly-enforced 15km/hr speed limit, so when you want to stretch your legs you can safely enjoy an easy amble through the wilderness and beauty of our park.
Firewood in our park is very reasonably priced and can be purchased by the bundle or in 1/2 or full cords if you’re enjoying a longer stay. Nothing can be more relaxing than sitting around a crackling fire and listening to the loons calling from the lake.
relax
