Charleston Lake sits on the Frontenac Arch, an ancient granite ridge running from the Canadian Shield down into the Adirondacks. Cliffs drop into deep clear water, there are two beaches and seventy five kilometres of shoreline, and almost nobody in Toronto has heard of it.
When dates open they appear here with the fare. The guided hike is part of the ticket and the rest of the day is yours.
Dates not open yet
We put seats on sale one season at a time, and this one is not up yet. Nothing is hidden and there is no list to pay to join. Leave your email and you hear the day the dates open.
Cancel 14 or more days before you go and you get 90% back.
A Parkbus guide is with the group for the whole day. You are not expected to know the trail, the route or the plan, and nobody gets left behind.
A few hours of walking on real trail, with uneven ground and some climbing. Roots, rocks and hills, so proper shoes matter. Not a stroll.
The Frontenac Arch is a band of ancient granite that runs from the Canadian Shield down into the Adirondacks. Geologists call it a wildlife corridor. It is a UNESCO biosphere reserve, and one of the places where several of Canada's forest regions meet, which is why the mix of things growing here is so unusual.
What that means on the ground is white granite cliffs dropping into deep blue water, with mature sugar maple, beech and hemlock shading the trails. Painted turtles sun themselves on logs in the wetlands. Cerulean and golden-winged warblers move through the canopy, and there are peregrine falcons here, reintroduced in the early 2000s and still going.
So why has nobody been? Charleston Lake is about three and a half hours east of Toronto, tucked between Kingston and Brockville and off the main highways. No transit goes there. Getting here on your own means a car, a plan, and somebody in the group willing to drive back tired at the end of a long day in the sun.
The day starts with a guided hike, covering the geology, the ecology, and the Indigenous and settler history including the rock shelter on Sandstone Island. After that it is structured free time. Take a second trail, rent a canoe, or find a flat rock and read. There are seventy five kilometres of shoreline and you are not expected to see all of it.
You might also learn you are more curious about lichen than you thought.
The guided hike first. After that the park is yours, and the trails run from a boardwalk to a ten kilometre loop.
We pick you up
Just north of Yonge and Bloor subway station. Come up the Asquith exit and look for the coach. Get there fifteen minutes early.
A guided hike on arrival with a Parkbus trip leader, at a moderate pace and usually somewhere in the 2 to 5 km range, with options offered. Then free time. Trails include Shoreline Centennial at 2 km, Hemlock Ridge at 1.7 km, Quiddity at 2.4 km with a partly barrier-free boardwalk, Sandstone Island at 2.6 km with the rock shelter, Beech Woods at 1.8 km, Tallow Rock Bay at 10 km with a floating bridge across Slim Bay, and Blue Mountain at 5.7 km to the highest point in Leeds County.
Good to know:
Facilities: Comfort stations with flush toilets, showers and barrier-free access, Picnic areas with tables and hibachis, A small gatehouse shop selling basics like firewood and ice, Change rooms and rentals at the day-use beach
Note: There are no lifeguards at either beach. Swim within the buoy lines and at your own pace. The water is clear, cold and deep.
We drop you back
The bus returns to the same place it left from, so you go home the way you came.
This is our estimated return time, not a guarantee. Traffic can change it and some trips do run late, so please leave yourself some room afterwards rather than booking something tight against it.
A hiking day with a swim in it, and no shop to rescue you.
Both beaches are unsupervised. There are no lifeguards on duty at any point in the day.
The water is clear, cold and deep. Stay inside the buoy lines and swim at a pace you are sure of.
The gatehouse shop sells firewood, ice and a few basics. There is no restaurant and no cafe.
There are picnic areas with tables and hibachis, and taps to refill a water bottle. Bring the food yourself.
Lake-cooled forest can feel ten degrees cooler than the open ground you got off the coach on.
Bring a layer even on a hot forecast, and remember the granite gets slick when wet.
This one runs in summer, when the water is warm enough to make the beaches half the point.
Placeholder dates · the real ones come from our booking system
We are Canada's outdoor bus service. Since 2010 we've taken more than 300,000 people to parks and trails without a car. You bring a towel. We handle everything with wheels.
The park sits on the Frontenac Arch, an ancient granite ridge running from the Canadian Shield down to the Adirondacks. White cliffs drop straight into deep blue water. It is why the photographs look the way they do.
The Sandstone Island trail is a 2.6 km loop that takes you past an Indigenous rock shelter around 1,200 years old. Your guide covers the human history along with the geology.
Both have gently sloping shorelines and water clear enough to see your feet. The day-use beach has change rooms and rentals. Shady Ridge is the quieter one.
From a 1.7 km loop and a partly barrier-free boardwalk to a 10 km loop with a floating bridge, and a 5.7 km climb to the highest point in Leeds County.
★★★★★ 4.6/5.0 on Google
All stops enable guests ample time to explore the destination. This is a highly a good idea trip for those that appreciate spending time in nature minus distractions.OnAir48444 · Tripadvisor · Oct 2025
This is the 1st time I used Parkbus but it won't be the last.Brenda H. · Google
Speaking from someone who doesn't drive. This is a must!! I highly recommend this!Linda Ann · Facebook · Jun 2024
Factor in the cost of gas, parking and renting a car, it's a lot cheaper than taking a personal vehicle.Toronto Star
Parkbus is a great option for nature lovers, whether it's a day trip or overnight camping getaway.The Globe and Mail
Cancel more than 14 days before departure and you get a 90% refund, with 10% withheld for payment processing. Inside 14 days refunds are not available, except for a medical emergency in the 48 hours before departure, which needs a signed doctor’s note within 14 days of the missed trip and returns 50%. Tickets are transferable: you can change the passenger name up to 48 hours before departure.
If Parkbus cancels a trip, you get a full refund. We decide no later than 48 hours before departure and only on confirmed conditions: the park closed or the park authority asking us to stand down, an evacuation order or alert, an area restriction order, the highway closed, or the trip judged unsafe to run. A forecast is not one of those things, and trips run rain or shine.
No transit goes there, which is exactly why we do.
Not quite the right fit? These all leave from the same spot downtown.
