Tidewater Provincial Park – the complete travel guide

Most visitors will land on Charles Island, as that is where all facilities (toilets) and development is located. Charles Island is actually split in two by a man-made channel allowing for boat traffic between the communities of Moosonee and Moose Factory on Moose Factory Island. This has led to the formation of the so-called “South Charles Island”.

The main attraction to the park itself is its natural features; the tidal erosions, fossils and forest growth that are representative of the region in general.

Camping

Camping is the primary reason most visitors come to the park as Tidewater Provincial Park provides the only monitored camping facilities in the region.

10 campsites are available on a first come first basis. All campsites are un-serviced with each having a fire pit and picnic table. A picnic shelter is located at one double site and a large group picnic shelter is available near the group camping site.

Please note once again that as of 2015 camping and all other services are once again available at the park no matter what you may read elsewhere online.

Hiking

• Riverside Trail

  Enjoy the sub-arctic scenery of the Moose River as you stroll along the parks 2 kilometre (1.2 mile) long Riverside Trail. It is very easy to navigate and should take at most 45 minutes to complete.

Fishing

There are many small streams that flow through the various islands of the park and all are well worthy of throwing a line in as they are full of brook trout. For those seeking to land bigger fish the Moose River contains trophy sized walleye and northern pike.

While the fishing is definitely better further upriver for those without access to a boat or canoe this may be the best location for attempting to land one of these prized game fish.

Wildlife Viewing

Tidewater Provincial Park is not a wildlife paradise but you will find some animals of interest on the islands including:

• Muskrat
• Black Bear
• Owl
• Grouse
• Ducks
• Squirrels
• Rabbits

Canoeing/Kayaking

While the Moose River has long been a main canoe and kayaking route it gets very wide and choppy near its mouth at James Bay. It is recommended that you are an experienced paddler if you wish to traverse the waters near the park as it can become quite dangerous.

There are no canoe/kayak rentals in the park so if you wish to participate in this sport you must bring your own on the Polar Bear Express train.

Swimming

Swimming in the Moose River near the shoreline of the various islands of the park is not recommended as there are strong currents and tides.

Picnicking

Now that camping has been curtailed in the park picnicking has become one of the primary reasons that people still visit. There are a couple of picnic shelters and plenty of picnic tables along with fire pit grills that many locals make use of for family get-togethers.

All are available for visitors who may wish to spend a part of the day visiting this far-flung provincial park.