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Four Corners Algonquin Frequently Asked Questions
Welcome to Four Corners Algonquin!
From "what is a dark sky preserve?" to “what kind of animals can we expect to see?” to “how do you build a campfire?” and “please tell me you have hot water,” we get a lot of great questions and we are thrilled to answer them.
Below are our top frequently asked questions. We wish you a safe and enjoyable stay with us.
If you have any other questions, just get in touch with us!
Your Booking
A Dark Sky Preserve is a special place where natural darkness is protected by limiting artificial light and reducing light pollution. This makes it possible to see thousands of stars, the Milky Way, planets and shooting stars that are often hidden by the glow of towns and cities, often with the naked eye. Four Corners Algonquin is a Royal Astronomical Society certified Dark Sky Preserve. We have implemented measures verified by RASC to measure and protect the night sky. We also offer activities that help visitors discover its wonders. On a clear, moonless night, you can experience the stars as much as people did generations ago — simply by looking up.Four Corners guests may participate in the night sky programming at no additional charge. Outside guests may participate exclusively in the programming for a fee. Outside of the Four Corners Camping experience, we advertise as the "South Algonquin Dark Sky Preserve".
Reservations include access to our full 90 acre wilderness campus, including the stargazing area, picnic areas, comfort stations, outdoor kitchens and trails. It also includes access to basic content in our free Wild Company app (special content in the app may be subject to in-app purchases). Guests are also welcome to attend most on-site stargazing programming at no extra charge.Your selected tent is built on a raised wooden platform base and comes with- Picnic table- Barbecue with propane- Campfire pit- One bag of firewood/night delivered after 5pm- One parking spot at your site or very close byIn addition to the above, Each 4 person safari tent comes with:- A king size bed plus two floor mattresses. - Solar powered interior lighting system- A tarp over top of the tent to make sure the interior stays dry no matter the weather(* Our large 6-person safari tents have an additional two twin beds.) Our Hilltop pole tent comes with:- Two 30” twin mattressesOur Belle of the Woods pole tent comes with:- Three twin mattressesOur bunkies come with:- Play Bunkie - twin over twin bunk bed with a twin pull out floor mattress- Deacon's Landing Bunkie - queen bedThe final price also adds a third-party fee collected by our booking software company. We do not control the amount of this fee.Everything else is guest responsibility. If you're local, we recommend bringing your own sleeping gear from home to keep costs down. If you prefer to rent, you can reserve items at the time of booking your tent or email us at hello@fourcornerscamp.ca for assistance.
We require a 2 night minimum on weekends (Friday and Saturday or Saturday and Sunday). We require a 3 night minimum on long weekends (Canada Day, Civic holiday, Labour Day and Thanksgiving weekend).We remove the 2 night minimum on remaining stock 2 weeks in advance of arrivals.
August is by far our busiest month, followed closely by July. Weekends are busier than weekdays, and we are always fully booked on long weekends.The Perseids meteor shower time period is also quite popular, with the peak occurring the night of August 12 each year.
YES!Whether you are a camping novice or a camping ninja, we have you covered for everything you could possibly need for your stay. We have practically every additional creature comfort or piece of equipment you could think of on site to help make your stay more enjoyable. From full linen to sleeping bags, blankets, dishes and board games, you can reserve your creature comforts from our add-ons list during the checkout and we'll deliver everything to your tent in time for your arrival. We'll also pick it up again when you leave. If you'd like us to help you add items, send us an email at hello@fourcornerscamp.ca
Check-in time is 2:00-8:00pm. A $50 surcharge applies to arrivals after 10:00pm. If you're going to be arriving later than 8:00pm, please reach out and let us know so we can make arrangements to greet you in person.We understand that sometimes circumstances change. The policies below try to balance flexibility with the reality that it is very difficult to rebook short notice cancellations. Kindly keep in mind that we have been hard at work planning for the next season for over a year by the time opening day arrives. We have purchased equipment, invested in upgrades, hired contractors & staff, booked events and turned away requests based on reservations that are already in the system.Guests can book and view reservations any time in their online accounts. Options to change a reservation include:cancel a reservation within 7 days of making it for a refund to your original method of payment, minus feesrebook a reservation to a future date this season (promotions may have expired, current rates apply)assign your reservation to a different person at no chargecancel up to 14 days in advance and receive a credit on account with us minus a 10% cancellation charge. Fees are non-refundable.No-shows and cancellations with 14 days or less notice are charged the full rate. Camping is an all season, all weather sport and our tents are always dry. We do not accept change requests based on inclement weather, air quality or insects.If you require adjustments to your reservation, please email us at hello@fourcornerscamp.ca for assistance.
In order to provide you with the services requested, we collect personal informationusing third party providers such as Campspot, Stripe, Square, Wix and so on. Information shared with third parties is subject to their privacy policies. We may retain your personal contact information for the purposes of advertising our services to you in the future. Unidentifiable data is retained for the purposes of ongoing business assessment. Formore information about our privacy policy, or if you would like to be removed from our contact list, please reach out at hello@fourcornerscamp.ca
We open on the first Friday in June and close on Thanksgiving Monday each year.
Yes! We know when booking multiple tents it's important to know the lay of the land, please see our map here: https://www.fourcornersalgonquin.ca/our-site
Your Booking
Your Stay
Come see us at the comfort station (the building with the red roof) for your welcome package and orientation.
Check in 2:00 pm to sunset; Check out 10:00 am We recommend that guests arrive before sunset, but in all cases, before 8pm.We are officially a RASC-certified dark-sky preserve, which means that there is very little artificial illumination after the sun goes down. It is much easier for novice campers and guests visiting for the first time to navigate and settle in before dark. However, if you need a different arrangement, please let us know and if we can accommodate your request we will. Our office closes by 9pm. There will be an extra charge for arrivals after 10:00pm. If you are planning to drive from Toronto after work, due to traffic congestion you should allow roughly double the amount of time if you leave after 4pm. Expect delays on (long) weekends.
We recommend downloading our free Wild Company app. The "Plan" tab has options for activities. Each activity/location in the app has photographs, descriptive info, links to additional information and to google reviews. You can also click on the map to connect directly to Google/Apple Maps for immediate directions from where you are to the selected location. Clicking the 💗 button will favourite items. You can view favourited items in your profile.
Maps and additional information about the Township of South Algonquin are available through the local business alliance website at www.MySouthAlgonquin.ca
Yes! We have two accessible comfort stations with individual, private, flush toilets and hot showers. They are the large buildings with red roofs. Each has 4 accessible bathrooms and 2 accessible showers. Our bathrooms are fully accessible for people who use mobility devices. We also provide sharps disposal units and complimentary supplies like soap, and feminine hygiene products. (Yes - that’s right. We don’t charge for toilet paper so why would we charge for tampons? In our opinion, that’s how it should be in every restroom.)
Absolutely. We are delighted to accommodate family and friend groups for camping events, which makes what we do more of a fun type of “social glamping” than you are likely to find elsewhere. You can bring up to the number of people/pets specified in your listing description. You can bring your kids too (if you want). Ask about our options for group glamping.We do not permit additional private tents on our campsites. If you need more beds, you'll need to rent an additional tent.
At Four Corners Algonquin we encourage you to embrace outdoor dining experiences. Campfire cuisine can be as simple or complex as you want it to be, but it is always, always, always a fantastic food experience. You can bring your own pots, pans and dishes, or rent everything you need to toast s'mores over the campfire or cook up a tasty outdoor meal at our Quartermaster Shack.
Each of our tent sites comes with its own private propane barbecue. We also have propane barbecues available at our growing number of outdoor patios. In all cases, we supply the propane. Please be courteous with the propane - use what you need and remember to turn the tank off when you are done so as not to empty the tank by accident.
Because we are off-grid, we are not able to provide refrigeration.You can either bring your own groceries, or buy at the local Freshmart in Whitney. Stores tend to close early here, though, so make sure you plan to shop before 6pm. We recommend bringing or renting a Coleman cooler and buying a brick of ice. Buying perishables fresh every day at the Freshmart is also a healthy and convenient alternative.
Keeping a clean campsite is essential. Your safety is determined by previous guests' behaviour, and your behaviour determines the safety of future guests.Campsites must remain clean and free from waste and debris at all times to avoid attracting animals. You may be surprised to know that an action as small as leaving old paper towels in the firepit to burn later can see mice and other rodents dragging the paper to line their nests, and they typically aim for the tents first because they know how dry and warm they are.Garbage needs to be bagged up and either disposed of at our comfort station during the day or stored in your car at night. Take all food products with you when you leave for your daily activities. Bears don't knock - in fact they prefer visiting when you're not home. For this reason and others, the Ministry of Natural Resources considers food left in tents unaccompanied to be a form of 'bear baiting', which can result in fines.You can rest assured that by following these procedures we have not had any animals become habituated to finding food here as of yet, with the exception of the chipmunks. We would like to be able to tell the guests who come after you the same thing.
When you arrive at Four Corners, your glamping tent will be ready and include everything you need for a basic comfortable outdoor experience. Guests are responsible for sleeping bags/linen, cooking equipment and food.If you don’t have or don’t want to bring your own equipment, we have a rental program stocked full with everything from sleeping bags, pillows and blankets, pots and pans to games and crafts. We even include soap and towels in the kitchen area. You can reserve items during the checkout process, or afterward through your account. If you're stuck, email us at hello@fourcornerscamp.ca with your request. If you place your order at least the day before you arrive, we will prepare everything and deliver it to your tent in time for your arrival.
For sure! This is easily the number one request we get. Fires are permitted between 6pm and 9am in designated locations. Remember that campfires, like children and pets, should be supervised at all times. Due to local fire bylaw regulations, please don’t build fires outside of the firepit, try to make the firepit larger or change the shape of it. The firepits are compliant as they are, and any changes cause a risk of injury and fines.Charcoal Bbqs are not permitted due to the risk of forest fires. Please don't bring them. You may forage for fallen wood but please don’t cut down live trees - they won’t burn anyway. You can purchase additional firewood through the office, which we will deliver right to your site for you. Please do not transport firewood more than 80km to our site as per ministry regulations - it encourages the spread of disease. Please don't take wood off the property for the same reason (unless you brought it with you). Emerald ash borers have devastated the Ontario Elm tree population. We don’t want to be ‘patient zero’ for a similar infestation in the Algonquin region. Please don't try to burn plastic, cans, or glass in the fire pit. Use the garbage for those items instead.
No problem. We have a nightly ‘Fire Buddy’ program. We’ll be happy to give you alesson at sundown. Or, we’ll do it for you if you prefer. We can also share firestarters with you if you'd like to do it yourself. Let us know you need a hand.
We will post information about any fire bans on site and on our website. We will also try to reach out to guests using other means, including email and if available through our booking software, sms text messaging. Please note that the details posted at southalgonquin.ca (including the fire bylaw document) are considered the final word.
This is a wilderness campground, located beside the largest wilderness preserve in the province, and there are hazards and risks inherent to both the location and activities related to camping. Our tents are not secured or lockable which makes
theft an additional risk – please store all valuables inside a locked vehicle. By making this booking, you acknowledge that you understand and accept these hazards and risks.
Children must be supervised at all times, and we recommend doing all activities in groups of two or more people. We are happy to act as a checkpoint if you let us know what your itinerary is.
If there is an emergency, please call us at 613-637-2000. Someone is on-call 24/7. We have basic onsite fire suppression capabilities, and a protocol for alerting emergency services if there are injuries while on our property. Our community has local 911 services, but we encourage you to call us first so we can start the process - we can be at your location usually in less than 2 or 3 minutes and we can help them find you. It takes nearly 10 minutes to relay 911 calls and deploy the trucks. Everyone working together is your fastest option for help.
Some of our tents are pet friendly. Remember that your furry friends may be new to camping and it is common for animals to behave differently when camping than they might behave at home. For the safety of your pet and other guests, pets must be leashed and in the care and control of a competent adult at all times. Small dogs may be at an increased risk due to animals such as fishers or martins who may consider them prey. If you choose to bring your pets, we urge you to keep your pets inside the tent with you while you sleep, and do not leave them unattended at any time.
We don’t interfere with your use of the campsite as long as you’re respectful of your neighbours with noise and behaviour, not presenting a safety risk to yourself or others, and keeping a clean campsite. We respond to incidents on a complaint basis.Smoking is not permitted inside the tents. We kindly ask you to be extremely cautious with the use of flames/cigarettes/matches/combustible fuel at all times to avoid injury and/or damage to the property.
We kindly remind you that open flames, candles, incense, insect coils or smoking are NOT permitted inside the tents please. This is a personal safety and property damage issue, and may impact future guests' enjoyment of the space. It can be extremely difficult and expensive to repair. (Yes, we can tell. Right away.) You're welcome to enjoy any of these activities outside your tent. If you’d like more information on this policy, please ask.Please exercise caution with flames especially around the tent screens, which are easily damaged by the heat of flames. If you notice or cause damage, kindly let us know right away. We prefer to fix the damage quickly than to discover it by accident afterward when the next guest complains.
There will be noise. Some of our sites are naturally noisier than others (for example, more susceptible to highway traffic noise or the noise of our permanent neighbour businesses.) Our pet friendly sites may have dogs barking.We also rent to groups. Obviously, the busier we are, the noisier things will be. However, we ask all guests to remember that this is a family friendly campground and you will find it typically more quiet than at a provincial car-camping campground. There may be children playing or sleeping, so please be kind to your neighbours at all times with regard to drinking, loud conversations and music, and especially so after 10pm. If you are sensitive to sound, please let us know before you book and we’ll help you find something suitable either at our facility or at one of our colleagues’ facilities if we can't meet your needs. If you are bringing a group and want more flexibility in how loudly you enjoy your camping experience, we recommend renting out Pete's Place, where noise is less likely to disturb other guests. Pete's Place sleeps 24 people in 5 tents (Tiny, Tim, Lottie, Patty, Dora)We occasionally see situations where behaviour is highly disruptive, illegal or presents a serious risk to the safety of that individual or other guests or pets. We always try to discuss the issues with the guest first, but in extreme cases where such attempts fail to correct the behaviour, guests may be required to leave, without refund or credit.We respond to noise complaints after hours as well.
Glamping at Four Corners
Since opening our doors, we have hosted thousands of people from dozens of countries and treated each one to an authentic, but comfortable, Canadian camping experience. Whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned back-country wilderness expert, we can provide a service level that fits your degree of camping-readiness at a price point that fits your budget. Our goal is to provide you with an affordable, comfortable, family-friendly and authentic Canadian CAMPING experience. We call it glamping because we've taken the heavy lifting out of the camping experience for you... we supply the tent, the beds, and some basic amenities. Our campers are curious and independent adventurers. We do not typically enter the tents for the duration of your stay (unless we see evidence of unattended food or campfires) which means we do not make the beds.
Yes! You can fit a pack and play or bassinet in our Safari tents and push a stroller around our main roads. We have three children ourselves and have tried to design a truly accessible camping and glamping experience for all ages! We caution you to pay attention to the weather if you are booking a trip with very young babies, as it takes them a while to be able to self-regulate temperature, making them susceptible to swings in ambient temperature. June, July, and August are typically fairly predictably warm. Fall camping is a different experience and risk level. Night time temperatures on/after Labour Day weekend can dip to 0C or below with very little notice, and so we don’t recommend fall camping with small babies unless you are an experienced camper yourself.
Bring your furry friends with you on your glamping adventure! Tents labelled "pet friendly" are located in our pet friendly area where they are spaced further apart and have more forest cover.For safety reasons, please keep your pet(s) in the care and control of a competent adult and leashed at all times. Remember that your furry friends may be new to camping and it is common for animals to behave differently when camping than they might behave at home. We recommend you do not bring small animals (small dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, ferrets etc) camping. Small animals are considered prey to naturally occurring predators like foxes, fishers and martens. The risks are real - do not leave any pet unattended anywhere for any amount of time. Responsible pet ownership rules apply. Please make sure you have your pet's vaccination records up to date. Kindly remember that some guests may have allergies or other aversions to pets, including phobias or fear of dogs. Pets are not permitted inside the comfort stations. Service animals are welcome anywhere, including in our pet-free area.
Absolutely! Pets are permitted in our pet-friendly tents. We recommend leaving birds, cats, rabbits, rodents and even small dogs at home in the care of folks you trust. We recognize them as pets, but forest animals will not. Small animals face additional risks that we regrettably are not able to eliminate.We are pleased to welcome service animals at no charge. According to AODA’s Customer Service Standards, an animal is a service animal if:- the animal is easily identifiable as relating to your disability (for example, it is a guide dog or other animal wearing a vest or harness), OR- you can provide documentation from a regulated health professional confirming the animal is required due to a disability Service animals are permitted at any of our tent sites any time.
Short answer: Yes (and the water is hot!) We have two fully operational comfort stations, one at the front of the property, another at the back by Pete's Place and the Outdoor Theatre. Each has 2 showers. Each bathroom is its own unit, so you have complete privacy. You are in the outdoors but with our excellent facilities there is no need to rough-it.
Park passes are available for purchase online from the Ontario Parks website. See the Wild Company app for links and instructions.
The tents are not heated. You can expect the temperature inside the tent to be very similar to the temperature outside the tent.
Each campsite comes with a propane barbecue, and we supply the propane. The barbecues are cleaned and sanitized between guests. We also have outdoor kitchens at our comfort stations that include a sink and counter top. We are continually adding new picnic areas, both with and without shelters.Pete's Place has some tent shelters to allow for group cooking events out of the elements.
Free wifi is available on-site via Starlink with the password BeMyGuest. The signal originates at the Comfort Stations and will be strongest in that vicinity. Cellular signal is typically pretty good on the Bell and Rogers networks. We have a tower nearby.
We are a net-zero energy, off-grid facility. This means that we try very hard to produce all of the hydro energy we use on-site, and consequently we are not connected to the hydro grid. Access to electricity covers the essentials, but is otherwise very limited here. The safari tents come with a battery powered solar lighting system that can charge USB devices. If it is cloudy during your stay, use the battery power frugally. Our comfort stations have additional USB outlets by the counter. If we have an extended period of grey days, we may have to limit that consumption as well. We also use battery systems extensively to deploy electricity to where we need it. We can provide portable power for medical equipment like CPAP machines in the tents.After extended periods of gray weather, you may hear the generator come on. We apologize for the noise but it is necessary to keep the power on for the comfort station lights, water heater and pump.
This is a wilderness campground. Animals of all variety come and go as they please, including moose, deer, bear, wolves and foxes, smaller animals like fishers and martins, and rodents. We have seen them all at one time or another. We take extra precautions to make sure animals do not become habituated to finding food here, though, because that’s when encounters become risky. We count on the support of our campers to make sure our site stays safe, for people and for animals. If you see animal behaviour that worries you, call us at 613-637-2000. Someone is on-call 24/7. Things you should know: 1. Keep a clean campsite. ALWAYS. Animals will eat anything if they are hungry enough. 2. For everyone's safety, we recommend that you do not consume food in the tents and that you store anything an animal might think of as food (human food, candies, pet food, waste, candles, soap, toothpaste, etc.) in your car overnight. In the event that an animal comes to your site, it’s better that they are more curious about the vehicle than the tent you are sleeping in. 3. Take your garbage away with you when you leave, or follow instructions to have us dispose of it. 4. In the unlikely event of an animal visit, noise and motion is usually enough to scare them away. (Umbrellas are a surprisingly effective low-tech tool.) 5. Know that the animals are counting on you to follow these rules as much as we are, and as much as the guests who come after you are. Humans get to go home to their normal lives after an animal encounter. There is only one outcome for an animal that becomes habituated to finding food here because of careless camping: they will be dispatched. As in shot dead. ‘Humane relocations’ are not a thing here. Believe me when I say nobody wants that - it’s a very serious matter. The cost of prevention is far less than the price of a cure.
If you are concerned about bears, read the following Black Bear Safety Brochure for instructions about how to store animal attractants (including food) and how to respond in the case of a sighting. More information about Bear Safety is also available on the Wild Company app, available as a free download from your app store.Black bears visit regularly, although with diligent attention to waste management we have not had any problems with nuisance wildlife. If you have any concerns, please talk to our staff. https://www.algonquinhighlands.ca/deptdocs/Bear_Wise_Brochure.pdf If you see bear behaviour that worries you, call us at 613-637-2000. Someone is on-call 24/7. We are in the best position to help quickly.
We are an off-grid facility. We do not have electricity for guests. We can accommodate small device charging only. If you use a CPAP machine for sleeping, ask about our standalone medical battery packs to power the device.
On average it takes our guests 3-3.5 hours to reach Four Corners Algonquin from Toronto. This can vary depending on time of day and day you travel. We recommend leaving Toronto early to beat the traffic and be able to spend more time enjoying the wonderful outdoor activities in Algonquin. We see a lot of guests who want to visit from Toronto for one night. You should know that if you leave Toronto after 4:00pm, especially on a (long) weekend, you can expect the trip to take up to double that amount of time you expect because of congestion on the highways, which makes it impossible to arrive by sunset.
Glamping
Your Stay
Why Glamp
Why Go Glamping?
Glamping is where outdoor experience meet modern luxury. Once the outdoors was only accessible to those who were physically fit and willing to rough it in tents, spending cold nights only protected by flimsy material and staying warm by their knowledge of how to make a fire. But times have changed. At Four Corners, the outdoors are accessible to everyone. If you want to spend a day hiking in beautiful Algonquin park but spend your night in a comfy king bed with lots of blankets and don’t want to struggle trying to figure out how to put up a tent, then glamping is the perfect solution for you. We do "family" glamping. We take the heavy lifting out of camping, at a price point that most families find affordable.
The better question is what ISN’T there to do?Algonquin Park and South Algonquin Township offers visitors the opportunity to hike, swim, canoe, and kayak. You can birdwatch, feed the chickadees, have a picnic, or attend a guided walk or talk. You can visit the museums or art galleries. Or you can park yourself in the sand and just enjoy the quiet. Algonquin is amazing. For a complete list of activities, download our FREE Wild Company app from your app store. You can favourite items to create your own, personalized itinerary.
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