Crown Land Near Midland

12 crown land sites 8 fishing spots 8 campgrounds

Midland sits on the south shore of Georgian Bay's Severn Sound, the harbour town beside Sainte-Marie among the Hurons and the gateway to the 30,000 Islands. Public land is unusually close for Simcoe County: the Wye Marsh provincial wildlife area is 4 km from downtown, Awenda Provincial Park's beaches and old-growth forest on the tip of the Penetanguishene peninsula are 17 km north, Tiny Marsh and Matchedash Bay wildlife areas are both about 17 km out, and Six Mile Lake Provincial Park is 19 km east. Just past Port Severn the Shield begins — the McCrae Lake wilderness area and conservation reserve, 21 km away, is the closest place to camp for free on genuine crown land. Fishing starts in town, with Little Lake 2 km away, Midland Bay at 3 km, Sturgeon Bay 12 km and the Severn River 21 km, and 90 mapped spots within 25 km; ten campgrounds ring the sound from Port McNicoll to Port Severn. This page rounds up the closest public land, fishing spots, campgrounds and road trips around Midland.

Map

Crown Land Nearby

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Wye Marsh
Provincial Wildlife Area
4 km
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WAUBAUSHENE BEACHES PROVINCIAL PARK (NATURE RESERVE CLASS)
Provincial Park
13 km
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AWENDA PROVINCIAL PARK (NATURAL ENVIRONMENT CLASS)
Provincial Park
17 km
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Tiny Marsh
Provincial Wildlife Area
17 km
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Matchedash Bay
Provincial Wildlife Area
18 km
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Bearshead Buckshoof Lake Regional ANSI
General Use Area
18 km
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SIX MILE LAKE PROVINCIAL PARK (RECREATIONAL CLASS)
Provincial Park
19 km
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Multiple Resource Management
General Use Area
19 km
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Great Lakes Coastal Areas - Parry Sound South
Enhanced Management Area
20 km
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MCCRAE LAKE WILDERNESS AREA
Wilderness Area
21 km
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MCCRAE LAKE CONSERVATION RESERVE
Conservation Reserve
21 km
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COGNASHENE POINT CONSERVATION RESERVE
Conservation Reserve
21 km

Nearest Fishing Spots

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Little Lake
2 km
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Midland Bay
3 km
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St. Andrews Lake
5 km
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Lalligan Lake
5 km
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Hogg Bay
7 km
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Black Bay
8 km
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Papoose Bay
10 km
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Farlain Lake
10 km

Nearest Campgrounds

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Smith’s Trailer Park & Camp Midland Limited
Midland
2 km
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Bayfort Camp
Port McNicoll
3 km
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Caswell’s Trailer Park
Victoria Harbour
11 km
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Bell Falls Family Camping
Waubaushene
13 km
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Mariner’s Paradise Trailer Resort
Waubaushene
15 km
🏕️
Kings Portage Park
Port Severn
18 km
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Georgian Bay Park
Tiny
18 km
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To Jos Christian Family Campground
Elmvale
18 km

Road Trips Nearby

🚗
Road Trip Toronto to Wasaga Beach – World's Longest Freshwater Beach
Wasaga Beach
140 km

Explore the region

Bruce Peninsula

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes — the Wye Marsh wildlife area is 4 km from downtown and Awenda Provincial Park 17 km north, but both are protected day-use or park land. The first free-camping crown land is on the Shield past Port Severn: the McCrae Lake wilderness area and conservation reserve, 21 km east, with the Gibson River conservation reserve 25 km out.

Severn Sound and Midland Bay, 3 km from downtown, are smallmouth, pike and walleye water, with Little Lake right in town at 2 km. Sturgeon Bay at 12 km and the Severn River at 21 km add muskie and largemouth, and 90 mapped spots sit within 25 km — check the Georgian Bay and inland zone summaries, as the rules differ.

Not around Severn Sound itself — Awenda and Six Mile Lake are operating provincial parks with paid, reserved sites. Free crown-land camping starts at McCrae Lake, 21 km east on the Shield, for Canadian residents up to 21 days at one site (paid permit for non-residents of Canada). Ten private campgrounds sit within 25 km of town if you want services.

About 17 km to the park centroid, a 20-minute drive up the peninsula past Penetanguishene. It offers Georgian Bay beaches, a hemlock and maple old-growth forest and several hundred campsites, and is the closest campground-style park to town.

Offline maps around Midland

Public land near Midland runs well past the last cell tower. Export the area as a geo-referenced PDF and read it in BorealMaps to keep your GPS position on the map when the signal drops.

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Regulations

A valid Ontario fishing licence and Outdoors Card are required on Severn Sound and every inland lake around Midland; Georgian Bay waters and the inland lakes fall in different Fisheries Management Zones, so check the zone summary before keeping a fish. Awenda and Six Mile Lake are operating provincial parks with day-use and camping fees booked through Ontario Parks, while Wye Marsh, Tiny Marsh and Matchedash Bay are wildlife areas managed for waterfowl with no camping. On the McCrae Lake and Gibson River crown land east of Port Severn, camping is free for Canadian residents for up to 21 days at any one site, with a paid permit for non-residents of Canada — and McCrae Lake is a heavily used, pack-it-out area where fire bans are strictly enforced in dry summers.

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