Fairbank Provincial Park is 25 minutes north of Highway 17 and 35 km west of Sudbury.
This quiet, family-friendly park offers a peaceful setting for camping, swimming and paddling, and is a great base for exploring the Sudbury region!
Check out these five reasons to visit Fairbank:
1. Camping on the edge of a meteorite crater
Fairbank is located on the western edge of the Sudbury Basin, an ancient meteorite impact crater formed 1.8 billion years ago. Geologists estimate that the crater was once up to 200 km wide!
The basin has been eroded by water and ice over that period of time. Today it is only 60 kilometers long and 30 kilometers wide.
So wait: now it’s longer than it’s wide?
On top of all that erosion, plate tectonics shifted the Earth’s crust, and a mini continent moving from the south flattened the basin into an oval.
Visit Dynamic Earth in Sudbury to learn more about the Sudbury Basin and its important role in Ontario’s mining and economy.
2. It’s about the lake
The park is named for its location on Lake Fairbank.
The lake is a beauty, with blue-green waters surrounded by forested hills.
You might think that the name of the lake is apt: “fair shore”, but no, the lake is simply named after the municipality in which it is located!
There couldn’t be a better coincidence.
With sandy beaches (perfect for swimming and making sand castles!), stunning waters for paddling, and plenty of bays for boating and fishing, Fairbank is an aptly named place!
3. It’s time to be with family!
Fairbank is a great family camping experience.
Kids will love the beach (and the park’s comfort station has showers and laundry facilities to keep the kids clean, too!).
Get out on the water! Rent one of the park’s canoes, complete with paddles and personal flotation devices (PFDs), or bring your own boat and explore the lake.
Don’t forget the park’s Discovery programs! These all-ages programs are sure to get kids and adults exploring nature!
Visit the Fairbank exploration stations in July and August. Bring your Discovery Activity Book with you (or pick one up at the Exploration Station) and use the equipment and materials provided to explore the park, observe plants and animals, and discover the wonders of nature.
Be sure to share your observations with park staff and take the Discovery Ranger Pledge!
4. Hike a cool trail
Fairbank has a short hiking trail, but it’s a beauty!
At half a kilometer (half an hour of walking if you don’t stop), it’s a good distance for a family walk, but don’t let that brevity fool you!
The panoramic views of Lake Fairbank and the surrounding hills and forests are exceptional and worth a selfie or two.
The trail climbs high above the lake, passing through rocky moors and woodland, and eventually takes you to the lake’s edge before returning to the trailhead.
5. The Perfect Base Camp in Sudbury
While Fairbank keeps the family busy with trails, beaches, water sports, and fishing, it’s also an ideal base for exploring the Sudbury region.
Families love to take day trips to Science North and dynamic earth.
Science North is a hands-on science center with lots of fun exhibits, demonstrations, and “Blue Coat” scientists who can help you interact with everything there.
dynamic earth It also offers fun exhibits and demonstrations, but focuses on the geology and mining stories of the Sudbury Basin (remember that large meteorite crater we mentioned earlier?).
Yeah festivals are more your thing, Sudbury has many! Music, blueberries and more are the themes of these fun events.
Between the park and the city of Sudbury, bicycle visitors will find the Mountain Bike Trails in Walden.
With trails of difficulty ranging from easy flat, grassy trails to twisting black diamond trails over Sudbury’s famous bedrock, there are trails to suit everyone’s needs.
Are you planning a visit?
Fairbank Campground offers 63 electric and 49 non-electric campsites. Several waterfront sites in the park allow campers to launch their canoe or kayak right from the campground!
A comfort station with flushing toilets and hot showers, as well as laundry facilities, is located in the center of the park.
Day users and campers alike can enjoy a scenic picnic lunch along the shores of Fairbank Lake at the day use area with sandy beach, picnic tables, parking, and a short walk to their hiking trail.
Fairbank is open until September 17, 2023.