How Algonquin's six year-round Mew Lake yurts book on Ontario Parks' 5-month window, the 2-night minimum, the 4-month cancellation block and catching a free night.
Last checked: October 2026, against Ontario Parks' Mew Lake yurts page, the Friends of Algonquin Mew Lake Campground page, Ontario Parks' reservation rules and reservation penalties.
About
Mew Lake Campground is on the Highway 60 corridor through Algonquin Provincial Park, at km 30.8, and it's open year-round, with 131 campsites. Its six yurts are the easy way to do Algonquin without a tent: heated, furnished and bookable in every season, including winter.
The yurts
From Ontario Parks' yurt page:
- 6 yurts, sites 34, 35, 36, 38, 39 and 40, open year-round
- Sleeps up to 6 on two sets of bunk beds, each with a double and a single; vinyl-covered mattresses
- Inside: table and chairs, propane heat, fluorescent lighting, one electrical outlet, broom and dustpan
- Outside: picnic table, BBQ with propane supplied, fire pit
- Smoke/carbon monoxide detector and fire extinguisher in each yurt
- Bring your own bedding, cookware and dishes
- Minimum stay: 2 nights, 3 on long weekends
- Check-in 4 pm, check-out 10 am
- Pets: only in yurt 39 (the Friends of Algonquin page lists Mew Lake as a dog-free campground, so confirm when you book)
- No smoking; parking for one vehicle included
The campground has flush toilets and showers. In winter, Mew Lake also offers extra first-come, first-served campsites, but the yurts are reservation-only.
How booking works
Book through Ontario Parks (reservations.ontarioparks.ca or 1-888-668-7275, 7 am to 9 pm ET). The 5-month rolling window applies to roofed accommodation too: you can reserve up to five months before your arrival date, and Ontario Parks' example is that July 29–31 arrivals first become available on March 1 at 7:00 am ET.
A non-refundable reservation fee applies. Rustic cabins and cottages have a 14-night maximum; check the rules page for current limits.
How fast it sells out
Six yurts don't go far. Expect summer weekends, long weekends, fall colour weekends and winter holidays to be taken soon after their 5-month date opens, and the 2-night minimum means whole weekends go in one booking. Midweek nights outside holidays are easier.
When cancellations appear
Roofed accommodation follows Ontario Parks' camping rules:
- No changes or cancellations more than 4 months before arrival
- After that, a penalty of 10% to 50% of the fees, based on how long the booking has been held (10% at 1 month or less, up to 50% beyond 4 months). Minimum $7.52 + HST online, $9.29 + HST by phone.
- Cancelling after 12:00 pm ET on the arrival day adds a one-night penalty
- No refund for leaving early from roofed accommodation with a nightly minimum
Watch the 4-month mark, when bookings first become cancellable, and the last couple of weeks before a date, especially in winter, when forecasts and road conditions change plans.
Watching it with Canada Camp Alerts
Watch the Mew Lake yurts for your nights. A night counts as open when any of the six yurts is free on it, and each night is judged separately. We don't check the 2-night minimum, match the same yurt across nights or pick the pet-friendly yurt 39, and we don't book or hold anything. Check that the nights you need line up on the same yurt before you pay on Ontario Parks.
Free: one watch, email alerts 15 minutes after season-pass holders. Season pass: C$25 once, 12 months, no auto-renew, with up to 10 watches, instant alerts, Telegram and web push.
Tips
- Watch both nights of the weekend: the 2-night minimum means you need them together.
- Pack bedding. Only mattresses are supplied.
- Try midweek in winter. A heated yurt is a comfortable way into Algonquin in the snow.
Nearby alternatives
Six, open year-round: sites 34, 35, 36, 38, 39 and 40. Each sleeps up to six people on two sets of bunk beds (a double and a single on each).
Yes. Ontario Parks sets a 2-night minimum at the Mew Lake yurts, and 3 nights on long weekends.
Only to yurt 39. Ontario Parks says pets aren't permitted in any other yurt.
Up to five months before arrival on Ontario Parks' reservation site. Its example: July 29–31 arrivals first become available on March 1 at 7:00 am ET.