Ferris P.P. is located on 474 County Road 8 in Campbellford, ON. The park is known for its unique suspension bridge and the waterfalls it overlooks. The park is on the scenic and historically significant Trent River. We visited in July 2024.
Ferris has a very complicated history, and it is best illustrated by the signs the Friends of Ferris have installed throughout the park. These sign images are below. A basic history is that descendants of James Marshall Ferris donated the land to the province in 1962. Interestingly, the park was disfunded in 1994 before the Friends of Ferris were established in June of that same year.
Ferris is the last name of the original owners.
Ferris offers:
- biking on numerous trails
- fishing by the boat launch
- discovery programs of many sorts
- photography of rare birds and wildflowers
- canoeing and kayaking on the Trent River (rentals available at the front office)
- swimming (just kidding)
The best trails at Ferris are:
This trail leads to scenic Ranney Falls and the dam behind them. Unfortunately, you can no longer access the riverbed OTHER THAN the lookout point, pictured on the left. (Ontario Parks will say "no bikes", even though this trail is flat).
Ferris' most iconic trail goes along the Trent River's scenic flow, passing by the boat launch, the stone walls, the fisherman's area, and, of course, the Ranney Falls Suspension Bridge. (would not recommend bikes)
NOTE: THIS GUIDE IS FROM THE MAIN ENTRANCE - not from the bridge or Saskatoon Ave.
After passing the entrance sign, drive past the office. Go left to the campgrounds, Milkweed Trail, and the dump. Or go right to the boat launch, playground, bridge, River Gorge Trail, Drumlin Trail, Ranney Falls Trail, Ranney Falls itself, dog exercise area, and the day use area.
Note that the photos in this section are not explicitly from this park, they are good photos of species that live here.
Various wildflowers (including milkweeds) See the Ferris wildflowers guide below.
Unique Valley Landscape and Species
Visit the Dockside Bistro in Campbellford - irressistable food. The price may be high, but it's worth it. Website
Come here as day-use from Sandbanks or Presqu'ile - small enough park to enjoy in one day.
Go in the fall - great colours and the lack of swimming doesn't affect your opinion on the park.
While visiting Ferris, you may have noticed the large stone walls that run through the park. They were built in the 1880s by a Scotch man who was working for James Ferris. He brought the European dry stone technique to Canada for the first time, creating the style seen on the right and above. An interesting point in the history of the walls was the 10 year restoration project that occured from 2009 to 2018. The Friends of Ferris and Drystone Canada got together and repaired the walls to their former glory because after 200 years, the walls looked rough. One final piece of trivia is the three stones that stick out in certain areas of the wall. What are they? - stairs. They were for climbing the wall with ease.
This park is beautiful BUT the lack of swimming hurts it. We visited in the summer and the sites are BRUTAL (on a hot day). They're large and grassy but SUNNY. Great park for day use. It feels a conservation area to me - right in the city. As a day use park - 7/10. As a camping park - maybe a 4.2/10.
Overview Map: www.ontarioparks.ca/pdf/maps/ferris/park_map.pdf
Campground Map: www.ontarioparks.ca/pdf/maps/ferris/campground_map.pdf
Scanned Aug 1, 2024 at 9:44:05 PM.pdfWildflowers guide
Scanned Aug 1, 2024 at 9:48:04 PM.pdfALL trails guide
Scanned Aug 1, 2024 at 10:14:25 PM.pdfFriends
