Harrison Park

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Campground:

• 108 sites with hydro & water hookups
• firewood
• ice
• Riverfront & shaded sites
• flush toilets & showers
• Dumping station
• laundromat

About Harrison Park

Harrison Park is an urban dream, with more than 40 hectares of streams, trails, gardens, playgrounds, forest and green space, right in the heart of the city.

Often called our “jewel in the crown,” the park features dining and recreation facilities, a full-service campground, boat rentals, a bird sanctuary, mini-putt, basketball courts, pools, and an open-air rink. Its network of trails leads through forest, fields and streams to Inglis Falls, and connects directly with the Bruce Trail on the Niagara Escarpment.

Our resident swans and their offspring will delight all ages, along with the many other species of birds frolicking and sunning themselves in our ponds and river.

Harrison Park is named after John Harrison, who bought the land in 1875 and worked toward preserving it in its natural state for the rest of his life. He cleared the undergrowth, planted trees, and opened the property to the public. By 1890, it was known as “ Harrison’s Pleasure Grounds.”

After his death, John Harrison’s family offered the land to the city for half its appraised value – so long as it remained a public park forever.

Today, it’s a perfect place to escape the heat, enjoy a swim, pack a picnic, feed birds, or float along the Sydenham River in a paddle boat or canoe, camera at the ready

Cool off with an ice cream cone at the Harrison Park Inn restaurant, which is open year-round and licensed. Catch the action in the spring and fall when the trout and salmon swim upstream to spawn.

Check out the Black History Cairn, an intriguing monument to the city’s first black settlers, escaped slaves who followed the Underground Railroad to its most northerly terminus, here in Owen Sound. An emancipation picnic and festival is held in the park every August.

Lace up your skates in the winter, when the Good Cheer open-air rink is in operation. (Just remember the "HOSE" rule -- hockey on odd-numbered days, pleasure skating on even ones). Showshoeing, cross-country skiing, tobogganing and snowmobiling are other favourite park activities in winter. The area is most delightful during the annual Festival of Northern Lights, when colorful displays light up the park from dusk onward.

Harrison Park facilities and attractions:

• More than 100 full-service campsites at the Harrison Park Campground
• two tennis courts
• six basketball nets
• a horseshoe area (horseshoes can be borrowed from the park office)
• three playgrounds, including the brand new, fully accessible Kiwanis playground, opening this summer
• trails for hiking, biking and running
• picnic facilities
• a senior's centre
• community centre for group events
• licensed, four-season restaurant
• canoe and paddle boat rentals
• mini-putt golf course
• public washrooms
• interpretive trails
• Black History Cairn
• access to Weaver’s Creek Trail

• New Playground
• Licensed restaurant with snack bar
• tennis courts
• Canoes/paddle boat rentals
• 18 hole mini-golf
• Hiking trails & walking paths
• bird sanctuary
• 2 heated outdoor swimming pools