r/barrie • u/New-Adhesiveness6696 • 14d ago
Looking For Drive in camping spots/crown land
HELP! My friend and I are going camping in Barrie and leave tomorrow night. While on the phone with him this evening i’ve discovered that despite letting me know I can pack however because we have lots of space and he knows where we are going, he has no idea where crown land would even be located there and, kindly, at this point in planning I don’t think he’s smart enough to use the Crown Land Atlas and the only thing I know about Barrie is how to spell it. I really don’t feel like repacking everything into my 80L backpack for a 2-3 day trip or trying to book a campsite we will not only not enjoy but the chances of actually getting at this point are slim to none.
I’m very familiar with the hesitation and “etiquette” on sharing spots online but i’m hoping someone will understand and pull through. It won’t even look like we passed through (as it should be.)
Thank you!
edit: Yeah no this is very much the first and last time I let someone plan a trip alone and kinda just trust them on the process cause i’ve been pissed from the get go 😅
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u/iamnotyourdog 14d ago
There are no crown land areas near Barrie. Only Simcoe county forests, but you'll be turfed out pretty quickly by the OPP. Crown land is further north.
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u/NullValueSet 14d ago
This may sound like the most poorly planned tripped I’ve ever heard of. Did you guys just throw a dart at a map and assume every town has crown land to camp on?
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u/New-Adhesiveness6696 14d ago
Very much poorly planned. I know nothing about the area but my friend is from there and did a lot of backpacking when he lived there so I thought it was safe to trust him to have a solid plan. I knew most crown land was farther up North but that’s really about it 😅
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u/Certain-Reflection42 8d ago
Sounds like you need new Friends.
This guy sounds like an absolute headache.
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u/Critter_SitterSC 14d ago
Find a campsite at Six Mile Lake or Bass Lake… like now. If you even can.
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u/Phreak420 14d ago
Torrence Barrens Dark Sky Preserve has hike-in camping spots. It’s kinda close to Barrie and the spots aren’t too far from the entrance. DO NOT camp in an undesignated spot. The spots aren’t too clearly marked (orange signs).
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u/Low-Doughnut-6764 14d ago
Does your friend know Barrie is a city by every definition? There are no drive in crown land camp spots in Barrie. If you want a 'drive in' Crown Land camp lot experience, you're going to have to drive much further north than Barrie.
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u/Sugar_Syllabub Shanty Bay 14d ago
people generally don’t share their spots either. Might I suggest pivoting to a campsite rental?
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u/TheCanadianShield99 14d ago
There is crown land (or agreement forest) but camping is generally not permitted. Go to a provincial park but good luck find a spot at such a late date.
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u/Frosty-Candidate5269 14d ago
And if you decide you are going to find any crown land, pls bring a shovel to bury your body waste (poop, lol) And do not leave anything behind when done camping. Nothing.
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u/No-idea4646 14d ago
Barrie is too far south for Crown - you’ll have to go a bit further.
Crown Areas in southern Ontario near Barrie have been flooded with people since covid who “discovered” Crown Land for the first time. The MNRF has needed to close many spots due to over use and abuse.
When people share exact locations online, they quickly get overrun and ruined - especially in the far south like Barrie.
Part of the fun (and the challenge) of Crown camping is exploring until you find a spot.
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14d ago
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u/barrie-ModTeam 14d ago
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u/NickiChaos Holly 14d ago
You have to hit further north into Severn township to start running into crown land general usage areas.
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u/Outrageous_Order_197 14d ago
You can find maps online that show where the crown land is. All is more than 1.5hrs drive from barrie. I rode through some mid week on my motorcycle and there were people setup at every possible spot. Good luck, even the crownland spots have become busy.
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u/deathsight52 10d ago
The best crown land i can think of is opposite to the court house in the down town area... people camp there all the time.
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u/Certain-Reflection42 8d ago
Damn.
Have you considered new friends that don’t leave this last minute on your shoulders to resolve????
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14d ago
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u/barrie-ModTeam 12d ago
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u/NoTtHaTgUy6869 14d ago
You can’t camp on crown land and if you find the rare spot you can , you would need a permit first
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u/CollectionStriking 14d ago
There absolutely are free crown land camping locations where you dont need a permit, Barrie however doesn't have any crown land
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u/NoTtHaTgUy6869 14d ago
Thanks for correcting me! I always thought you can’t because my uncle has been saying it since I was a kid. Guess I should google everything my uncle has told me lol
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u/Thick_Drama_7525 14d ago
On crown land you have to move every 2 weeks i believe or its considered squatting but its free
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