Before You Go
Park Permits: What to Book Before You Go
Four of the region's flagship sites are gated, they all use different booking systems, and the passes are not interchangeable. Here's how each one works.
This is the single biggest way a day trip out here goes wrong. Four flagship sites near Orangeville are gated, and each uses a different booking system. A pass for one is not valid at another. Turning up at the gate without the right one means turning around and driving home.
Mono Cliffs Provincial Park — Ontario Parks
A daily vehicle permit must be bought in advance. The gates are fully automated and you scan a barcode to get in — there is no attendant and no way to pay on arrival.
Booking opens at 7:00 a.m., five days ahead, in four-hour blocks or full days. When the day’s allocation is gone, the park is full. Seasonal pass holders still have to reserve, though there’s no extra charge for it.
Book at reservations.ontarioparks.ca.
Fee not confirmed. Ontario Parks prices day use in bands — $12.25, $15.50, $18.00 or $21.00 for 2026 — and assigns the band per park without publishing it on the park page. Recent visitors report roughly $18 for a full day and $8.50 for a four-hour block, but sources disagree. Confirm with the park directly at 705-435-2498 before you rely on a number.
Forks of the Credit Provincial Park — Ontario Parks
Same system, same idea: advance daily vehicle permit, four-hour blocks or full day. Card payment only. Day use only — there’s no camping.
Belfountain Conservation Area — Credit Valley Conservation
Reservation-based timed entry through CVC ParkPass, and a different system again from Ontario Parks. Seasonal, roughly late April to late October. The parking lot is small, so autumn weekends fill early. Picnicking and drones are not permitted.
Cheltenham Badlands — Ontario Heritage Trust
2026 season: 8 May to 16 November, dawn to dusk, reservation only, paid online in advance — there is no on-site payment at all.
Per vehicle: $10 + HST for 90 minutes or $18 + HST for 3 hours on weekdays; $20 or $35 + HST on weekends and holidays.
CVC and TRCA passes are not valid here. Arriving on foot or by bike is free, but there is nowhere legal to park nearby, so that’s harder than it sounds. Details at heritagetrust.on.ca.
Elora Gorge tubing — Grand River Conservation Authority
Not a park permit, but it catches people the same way. Tubing tickets are online only, bookable up to three days ahead, with no walk-up sales at all. Registration is $21.50, or $55.50 with tube, helmet and PFD, plus a $75 refundable deposit — and conservation area admission is separate, paid at the gate on top.
Runs 26 June to 7 September 2026, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., last registration 4 p.m. sharp. The GRCA closes it outright after heavy rain. Full detail on our Grand River tubing guide.
Island Lake Conservation Area — no reservation needed
The happy exception, and the closest one to town. Drive up, pay at the gate, walk in. Adults $8.50 for 2026.
The short version
| Site | Booking system | Can you pay at the gate? |
|---|---|---|
| Mono Cliffs | Ontario Parks, 5 days ahead from 7 a.m. | No |
| Forks of the Credit | Ontario Parks, card only | No |
| Belfountain | CVC ParkPass, timed entry | No |
| Cheltenham Badlands | Ontario Heritage Trust, online only | No |
| Elora Gorge tubing | GRCA online tickets, up to 3 days ahead | No |
| Island Lake | None needed | Yes |
Fees and seasons change every year. Check the operator’s own page the week you go.
Details checked July 27, 2026. Fees, hours and closures change — phone ahead for anything that would ruin the trip if it were wrong.
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