Earl Rowe P.P. is located on 4998 Concession 7 in Alliston, ON. The park is on a reservoir of the Boyne River called Earl Rowe Lake. The park has numerous trails highlighting the area's history, scenic lookouts, 2 bridges, the dam, a fish ladder showcasing spawning salmon, great paddling, and the overall beauty of the area of New Tecumseth. I have visited many times, but most recently in May 2025.
I must introduce you to the main character in the story of Earl Rowe, and his name was William Earl Rowe. He was a Conservative politician from Ontario, and in 1957, he set his sights on a piece of land in Alliston owned by a man called Bill Braden. Rowe purchased a parcel in the south of the Braden property in 1957, and Bill Braden became the first park manager. This park was relatively popular and by the time Bill was 23, the Department of Lands and Forests wanted to build a provincial park where this original park was, plus an additional 60 acres north of the Boyne River. Because Bill was a spicy negotiator, he said that he'd sell 60 out of 210 acres of his farmlands, providing he could become Park Superintendent. These 60 acres went on to be the Riverside Campground area, with the original land bought by Rowe being the Group Camping area. The park expanded in 1962 when William John Fletcher passed away, and the provincial park bought his land, which includes the modern day lake. As park superintendent, Braden purchased lands from numerous families (expanding the park to 300 acres), created Mono Cliffs and Forks of the Credit, constructed all 4 Westside Campgrounds, dammed off the river (recreating the Mill Pond that William Fletcher once had on the site before it was drained), and created the two beaches. Although since then much has changed, it was all thanks to Bill Braden that we know Earl Rowe as it is today.
This information is sourced from this fantastic article here.
Westbeach
Accessible only via trail and the day use road is Westbeach. It is sometimes wrongfully referred to as "the dog beach", but it just another large, sandy spot to enjoy the waters of Earl Rowe. You can often see some shorebirds on West Beach, if you're looking in the right spots.
Eastbeach
Earl Rowe's most popular swimming area is called "Eastbeach", but it's sometimes called "Main Beach". It's one third of a kilometre long and is exceptionally wide, making it great for spikeball, volleyball, as well as swimming. Make sure to go to the store afterwards for some ice cream.
The wading pool hasn't been reopened since it closed in 2020. They are currently working to reopen it.
Rainbow Run - 11km, easy
Earl Rowe's best trail is not-so coincedentally the longest. Rainbow Run gives you the ability to see everything that Earl Rowe has to offer. From the dam and fish ladder, to the twin bridges, to the baseball diamond, to the fields of trilliums, marshlands, forested canopies, and much more.
Lookout Trail - 4km, moderate
Earl Rowe's only non-biking trail is one that is worth the hike. Climbing up an escarpment to a nice view of the surrounding countryside. There is a platform atop the hill with two benches, so you may want to pack a picnic. Please note that you can also access the lookout from Tosorontio Sideroad 5.
Resource Trail - 1.5km, easy
The Resource Trail is a divergence from Rainbow Run that takes you northwest towards Concession 6. Even though there is an ungodly amount of bugs in the air, the informative panels teaching about Earl Rowe's resources makes it pretty enjoyable. The best part is when the river is on your left and the marsh is on your right, showcasing an interesting dynamic.
Fletcher's Mill Pond Trail - 1.5km, wheelchair accessible
Earl Rowe's easiest trail is entirely paved and connects the dam to west beach, by travelling northwards around the lake. Starting at Westbeach, it goes across the twin bridges before shifting right behind the store and ending up beside Eastbeach. The trail concludes with a nice view of the dam.
Little Trail - 1.4km, easy
The Little Trail is (surprisingly) a little trail, mirroring Fletcher's Mill Pond Trail. It connects the dam to the Westbeach, just on the south side of Earl Rowe Lake, and is much more shaded and private. Unlike Fletcher Trail's pavement, the Little Trail walks upon a bed of orange pine needles.
Riverside Campground Trail - 0.4km, easy
This trail connects the main road to Riverside Campground by going underneath Concession 7. This trail was formerly a road made evident by the speed limit signs, overgrown pavement, as well as what was formerly a check-in station. If look at aerial shots or the map below, the road split around halfway down the trail, and this where the gatehouse would've been. See the video below.
The line colour is the colour of the title (above) and of the signs on said trail.
Fishing
Earl Rowe offers spectacular smallmouth bass fishing, as well as the spawning salmon. The park also offers a Learn to Fish program at the eastern terminus of the Fletcher's Mill Pond Trail.
Paddling
Earl Rowe Lake is very large and island-dotted, making for great paddling. I stand-up paddleboarded here in the torrential downpour and it was an incredibly memorable moment.
The park also offers two playgrounds, trailer storage, an amphitheatre, self-guided winter hikes, and a discovery program.
NOTE: THIS GUIDE IS FROM THE MAIN ENTRANCE - not from Riverside Entrance or the Group Camping.
After passing the entrance sign, arrive at the roundabout. First exit takes you to parking for the fish ladder; second exit leads you to the main section; and third exit leads you to the Westbeach day use area. Take the 2nd exit. You'll pass the dam/fish ladder, store, beach playground, comfort station, and Fletcher's Field Campground before you have a choice - go to Boyne Meadow Campground, Meadowbrook Campground or Trillium Woods Campground. See map below.
Note that the photos in this section are not explicitly from this park, they are good photos of species that live here.
Trilliums (see SPOTLIGHT)
Atlantic Salmon
Shorebirds
Finches
Canada Geese
Seagulls
A plethora of ferns
Scavenging Crows (we saw one eating at this goose egg)
Day trip here in the fall or spring from your home (if you live in the GTA).
Visit Alliston. It's a nice little town.
Come here in the off-season to enjoy less day-use visitors. May is the sweet-spot.
Visit JJ's Chip Wagon, where Concession 7 and Highway 89 meet. They don't have a website, but their Instagram is here.
For the best sunset viewing, go to either the dam, the eastern end of Fletcher's Mill Pond Trail, or the Little Trail.
There is a very good argument that I should've picked the fish ladder as Earl Rowe's main attraction, but I've never seen trilliums in such large amounts so consistently. White Trilliums (trillium grandiflorum) are a flowering plant native to much of eastern North America, and they grow in particular abundance in Ontario. Because of this fact, the white trillium is the official symbol of the province, and you've definitely seen it on the official government logo. At Earl Rowe, you'll also see the pink variety on the right, and it is known as a Rose Trillium (trillium grandiflorum f. roseum). Spotting this rare form is always a cool sight, and I do love taking photos. I also don't recommend picking trilliums. Not only can it harm their regrowth, but if you pick one up on the trail, it'll be dried out, wilted, and dead by the time you're back at your campsite. So take photos and nothing else. Let everyone enjoy them.
The best spot to see trilliums is going to Trillium Woods Campground in May.
The swimming in this park is so on and off. The pool needed reconstruction. So they started working on it. After this, the beaches were tested unsafe because of the large amounts of goose poop. Then once the water had cleared and the pool was finished - they couldn't get a lifeguard. Anyways, a nice park in the city. The reason I rank it above Bronte Creek in terms of "city parks" is that it doesn't feel like you're in the city. Very wooded and secluded. I think of it similarly to Ferris. A 5.9/10 on a good day.
IMG_2976.MOV
May 2022
May 2025
Main Entrance
Group Camping
Riverside Campground
Overview Map: https://www.ontarioparks.ca/pdf/maps/earlrowe/earlrowe_park_map.pdf
Westside Campground Map: https://www.ontarioparks.ca/pdf/maps/earlrowe/west_side_campground.pdf
Riverside Campground Map: https://www.ontarioparks.ca/pdf/maps/earlrowe/riverside_campground.pdf
Scanned Aug 19, 2024 at 10:54:56 PM.pdf
