Most Grand River Conservation Authority Parks will open for the season on May 1 at noon.
The GRCA operates 12 conservation areas, eight of which offer camping, with about 2,500 camping sites.
Opening on May 1 will be Byng Island (Dunnville), Brant (Brantford), Pinehurst (Paris), Laurel Creek (Waterloo), Conestogo (Drayton), Guelph Lake, Elora Gorge, and Luther Marsh (Grand Valley.)
Three parks have earlier opening dates. Belwood Lake (Fergus) opened on April 9, and Rockwood opened April 24. Those two parks have stocked trout ponds so have opened early to allow anglers to start fishing when trout season opened at 12:01am on April 25. Shade’s Mills (Cambridge) also opened April 24.
One other park, the Elora Quarry, will open in mid-June.
A season-long alcohol ban is in effect at Elora Gorge. Early season bans, from May 14 (Victoria Day weekend) to June 21, will be in place at Byng Island, Guelph Lake, and Laurel Creek. Alcohol is banned in all parks during the Victoria Day and Labour Day weekends.
