Misplaced Pages

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Craigleith Provincial Park" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (March 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Craigleith Provincial Park
IUCN category II (national park)
Shore of Georgian Bay in the park
Location in Southern Ontario
Location	Grey County, Ontario, Canada
Nearest city	Collingwood
Coordinates	44°32′12″N 80°20′55″W / 44.53667°N 80.34861°W / 44.53667; -80.34861
Area	00.66 km (0.25 sq mi)
Established	1967
Visitors	89,279 (in 2022)
Governing body	Ontario Parks
Website	www.ontarioparks.ca/park/craigleith

Craigleith Provincial Park was established in 1967 by Ontario Parks. It is a recreation-class provincial park created to help preserve historic oil shale beach. Craigleith Provincial Park is a small park located between Collingwood and Thornbury (10 kilometres (6.2 mi) west of Collingwood) on the southern shores of Georgian Bay.

History

The park was created by Regulation 245/67, Schedule 59 of the Provincial Parks Act in 1967. The province acquired two parcels of land along Highway 26 as well as lands along former railway line. Only lands north of Highway 26 became an active park.

Facilities

Park Office

The Park Office is located on Ontario Highway 26 near Blue Mountain ski resort. The park is open during the months of May to October.

Campgrounds

Main Campground

The campground has 172 campsites of which 66 have electric service. There is a comfort station and shower building including laundry facilities and flush toilets. Potable water taps are also found at various locations outside the Day Use area. All the campsites in the camping area are within easy walking distance of the beach. A children's adventure playground is located next to the shower building. Firewood is available for purchase at the gatehouse next to the Park Store.

Day Use

The park is opened to day use and closed after 10pm daily after which only registered campers can remain overnight.

Ecology The rock

Fractured oil shale plates on the shore contain invertebrate fossils 455 million years old.

From 1859 to 1863 the Craigleith Shale Oil Works plant was opened by William Darley Pollard to the east of the park extracted bituminous oil shale. The process failed due inefficiency and the production closed shortly after 1863. The Craigleith Shale Oil Works Historical Plaques is located at the site.

Reminders in the park brochures remind visitors not to take any shale as souvenirs as the act of doing so is illegal.

Shipwreck

Steamer Mary Ward carrying coal oil, salt and passengers from Sarnia to Collingwood grounded off the shores of the park in 1872 after the captain mistook a tavern light for Collingwood harbour light. Eight people died and parts of the steamer are found near the site where it sank.

See also

• List of Ontario provincial parks

References

1. UNEP-WCMC. "Protected Area Profile for Craigleith Provincial Park". World Database on Protected Areas. Retrieved 2024-11-02.
2. Parks, Ontario. "Ontario_Parks-Visitation-Statistics 2022 - Ministries". data.ontario.ca. Retrieved 2024-11-02.
3. Park Report, Basic Information
4. http://files.ontario.ca/environment-and-energy/parks-and-protected-areas/mnr_bpp0248.pdf
5. "The Craigleith Shale Oil Works Historical Plaque".
6. http://files.ontario.ca/environment-and-energy/parks-and-protected-areas/mnr_bpp0248.pdf

External links

• Official website

v t e Protected areas of Ontario
CRHP Central County of Brant Eastern Essex County Greater Sudbury Golden Horseshoe Kingston Middlesex County Niagara RM Northern Ottawa Perth County Peel RM Southwestern Toronto Waterloo RM Wellington County York RM
National parks and affiliated areas National Parks Bruce Peninsula Fathom Five Georgian Bay Islands Lake Superior Point Pelee Pukaskwa Rouge Thousand Islands National Marine Conservation Areas Fathom Five Lake Superior National Historic Sites Battle Hill Battle of Cook's Mills Battlefield of Fort George Bead Hill Beausoleil Island Bellevue House Bethune Memorial House Bois Blanc Island Lighthouse and Blockhouse Butler's Barracks Carrying Place of the Bay of Quinte Fort George Fort Malden Fort Mississauga Fort St. Joseph Fort Wellington Glengarry Cairn HMCS Haida Inverarden House Kingston Fortifications Laurier House Merrickville Blockhouse Mississauga Point Lighthouse Mnjikaning Fish Weirs Navy Island Peterborough Lift Lock Point Clark Lighthouse Queenston Heights Rideau Canal Ridgeway Battlefield Saint-Louis Mission Sault Ste. Marie Canal Sir John Johnson House Southwold Earthworks Trent–Severn Waterway Woodside more... in Hamilton in Kingston in Niagara Region in Ottawa in Toronto
National Wildlife Areas National Wildlife Areas Big Creek Eleanor Island Long Point Mississippi Lake Mohawk Island Prince Edward Point Scotch Bonnet Island St. Clair Wellers Bay Wye Marsh Migratory Bird Sanctuaries Beckett Creek Chantry Island Eleanor Island Moose River Rideau Valley Hannah Bay St. Joseph's Island Upper Canada
Provincial parks and affiliated areas Northern Ontario Agassiz Peatlands Blue Jay Creek Caliper Lake Daisy Lake Uplands Fairbank Goose Island Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Mnidoo Mnissing Quetico Sandpoint Island Spruce Islands Algoma District Algoma Headwaters Aubinadong River Aubinadong-Nushatogaini Rivers Aubrey Falls Batchawana Bay Batchawana River Blind River Goulais River Lake Superior Little White River Matinenda Michipicoten Mississagi Montreal River Nagagamisis Nimoosh North Channel inshore Obatanga Pancake Bay Pichogen River Mixed Forest Pokei Lake/White River Wetlands Potholes River Aux Sabels Sandy Islands Cochrane District Abitibi-De-Troyes Dana-Jousey Lakes Esker Lakes Fushimi Lake Greenwater Groundhog River Waterway Kesagami Kettle Lakes Lake Abitibi Islands Little Abitibi Little Current River Mattagami River Beach and Aeolian Deposit René Brunelle Tidewater Wildgoose Outwash Deposit Kenora District Aaron Albany River Beekahncheekahmeeng Deebahncheekayweehn Eenahohnahnuhn Blue Lake Bonheur River Kame Nature Reserve Eagle-Dogtooth East English River Fawn River Kahnahmaykoosayseekahk Lake of the Woods Lola Lake Minnitaki Kames Ojibway Opasquia Otoskwin–Attawapiskat River Pahngwahshahshk Ohweemushkeeg Pakwash Pipestone River Polar Bear Rushing River Sahkeesuhkuh Weesuhkaheegahn Sandbar Lake Severn River Sioux Narrows Turtle River–White Otter Lake Weeskayjahk Ohtahzhoganeeng West English River Winisk River Winnange Lake Woodland Caribou Nipissing District Alexander Lake Forest Algonquin Amable du Fond River Finlayson Point Jocko Rivers Kenny Forest Manitou Islands Marten River Mattawa River Opeongo River Samuel de Champlain Temagami River Upper Madawaska River West Sandy Island Widdifield Forest Parry Sound District French River Grundy Lake Killbear Magnetawan River Mikisew Noganosh Lake Oastler Lake Restoule South Bay Sturgeon Bay The Massasauga Sudbury District Biscotasi Lake Chapleau-Nemegosenda River Chiniguchi Waterway Chutes Five Mile Lake Grassy River-Mond Lake Lowlands and Ferris Lake Uplands Halfway Lake Ivanhoe Lake Killarney Killarney Lakelands and Headwaters La Cloche La Motte Lake MacMurchy Township End Moraine Mashkinonje Missinaibi Mississagi River Obabika River Rushbrook Solace Spanish River Sturgeon River The Shoals Wakami Lake Wanapitei Wenebegon River Windy Lake Woman River Forest Thunder Bay District Arrow Lake Black Sturgeon River Brightsand River Gravel River Gull River Kakabeka Falls Kashabowie Kopka River La Verendrye Lake Nipigon MacLeod Michipicoten Island Nakina Moraine Neys Obonga-Ottertooth Ogoki River Ouimet Canyon Pan Lake Fen Pigeon River Porphyry Island Pukaskwa River Rainbow Falls Ruby Lake Sedgman Lake Silver Falls Slate Islands Sleeping Giant St. Raphael Steel River Wabakimi White Lake Whitesand Timiskaming District Englehart River Fine Sand Plain and Waterway Gem Lake Maple Bedrock Kap-Kig-Iwan Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Larder River Waterway Makobe-Grays River W.J.B. Greenwood West Montreal River Eastern Ontario Alexander Stewart Barron River Bell Bay Bissett Creek Bon Echo Bonnechere Bonnechere River Burnt Lands Carson Lake Centennial Lake Charleston Lake Driftwood Fitzroy Foy Frontenac Grant's Creek Lower Madawaska River Matawatchan Murphys Point Ottawa River Petawawa Terrace Puzzle Lake Rideau River Sharbot Lake Silver Lake Voyageur Westmeath Central Ontario Arrowhead Awenda Balsam Lake Bass Lake Beattie Pinery Big East River Bigwind Lake Boyne Valley Devil's Glen Dividing Lake Earl Rowe Egan Chutes Emily Gibson River Hardy Lake Hockley Valley Indian Point J. Albert Bauer Kawartha Highlands Lake on the Mountain Lake St. Peter Mara Mark S. Burnham McRae Point Mono Cliffs North Beach Oxtongue River-Ragged Falls Petroglyphs Quackenbush Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Sandbanks Silent Lake Six Mile Lake Springwater Wasaga Beach Waubaushene Beaches Wolf Island Golden Horseshoe Bronte Creek Darlington Forks of the Credit Sibbald Point Short Hills Uxbridge Southwestern Ontario Black Creek Clear Creek Forest Craigleith Inverhuron James N. Allan John E. Pearce Komoka Lion's Head Long Point MacGregor Point Pinery Point Farms Port Bruce Port Burwell Pretty River Valley Rock Point Rondeau Sauble Falls Selkirk Trillium Woods Turkey Point Wheatley Conservation reserves Bennet Lake Esker Kame Complex Torrance Barrens White Bear Forest more... Former parks Ipperwash Serpent Mounds
Conservation Authorities and Areas Ausable Bayfield Hay Swamp Cataraqui Region Little Cataraqui Creek Lemoine Point Gould Lake Mac Johnson Catfish Creek Central Lake Ontario Heber Down Lynde Shores Credit Valley Cheltenham Badlands Elora Cataract Trailway Limehouse Crowe Valley Essex Region Cypher Systems Group Greenway Chrysler Canada Greenway Ganaraska Region Grand River Conestogo Lake Elora Gorge Guelph Lake Starkey Hill Grey Sauble Halton Crawford Lake Kelso Hilton Falls Mount Nemo Mountsberg Rattlesnake Point Hamilton Dundas Valley Eramosa Karst Spencer Gorge Kawartha Kettle Creek Lake Simcoe Region Lakehead Region Long Point Region Lower Thames Valley Lower Trent Maitland Valley Mattagami Region Mississippi Valley Mill of Kintail Morris Island Purdon Niagara Peninsula Ball's Falls Beamer Memorial Comfort Maple Nickel District Lake Laurentian North Bay-Mattawa Nottawasaga Valley Otonabee Region Quinte Raisin Region Rideau Valley Foley Mountain Rideau Ferry Yacht Club Saugeen Sault Ste. Marie Region South Nation St. Clair Region Toronto and Region Albion Hills Boyd Bruce's Mill Black Creek Pioneer Village Claireville Cold Creek Heart Lake Kortright Centre Lake St. George Petticoat Creek Tommy Thompson Upper Thames River Ellice Swamp Sifton Bog
UNESCO Biosphere Reserves Georgian Bay Littoral Long Point Niagara Escarpment (including Cheltenham Badlands) Thousand Islands – Frontenac Arch Wasaga Beach
Greenbelts Golden Horseshoe Ottawa Mer Bleue Bog
Related Departments and Agencies Conservation Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries Niagara Parks Commission Ontario Parks St. Lawrence Parks Commission
Ontario portal Category Ottawa Toronto Commons

• IUCN Category II
• Provincial parks of Ontario
• Parks in Algoma District
• Protected areas established in 1967
• 1967 establishments in Ontario
• Campsites in Canada