Celebrate with Ontario Parks on Friday, July 18, 2025 by visiting a provincial park in support of the for Healthy Parks, Healthy People movement.
The nearest full-service provincial park in our region is Voyageur, located near Chute-à-Blondeau.
Fitzroy Provincial Park is located a short drive northwest of Ottawa, and Rideau River Provincial Park is located near Kemptville.
Connecting with nature is great for our physical and mental health and time outdoors can improve sleep, increase productivity, and decrease stress, among many other benefits. To mark the celebration, there will be no charge for day use visitation at Ontario Parks on July 18. Visitors are invited to explore a new park, sample park facilities and services, or check the Ontario Parks events calendar for events at parks across the province.
To guarantee access at parks offering advance daily vehicle permits, visitors are strongly encouraged to obtain a daily vehicle permit up to five days in advance of July 18 at no charge.
Nature facts from Ontario Parks:
- The calm, peaceful feeling we get being in nature is called Waldeinsamkeit.
- Studies show that time in nature can lower the risk of heart attack by 50%.
- Sleeping in nature, away from artificial light and waking up with natural sunlight can reset your circadian rhythm.
- Activities such as hiking, paddling, and cycling improve overall physical health.
- Canadians spend 90 per cent of each day indoors, more than any other point in history.
