Best time to visit
Shoulder seasons tend to be more comfortable, with fewer bugs. Mosquitoes peak around mid‑June, so plan accordingly. Any clear daylight window works well for an unrushed picnic and wildlife scanning.
Overview
About Costello Creek Boardwalk
Despite the name some visitors use, there isn’t a formal “Costello Creek Boardwalk.” The signed site here is the Costello Creek Picnic Ground, about 1 km up Opeongo Road from km 46.3 on Highway 60. It’s a low‑key place to spread out lunch and stage a mellow day along Costello Creek and the Lake Opeongo corridor.
Why stop
- Picnic tables and toilets in a quiet day-use spot
- Close to the Visitor Centre, Lake Opeongo access, and other highlights
Heads up
- Not an actual boardwalk
- Small pull-off style parking
- No firepits; grills may be limited or absent
Map
Where it is
Loading the Algonquin map
Full mapLocal know-how
Tips for visiting Costello Creek Boardwalk
It’s 1 km up Opeongo Road from the Highway 60 km 46.3 junction.
Reserve your day-use vehicle permit up to five days in advance.
Bring bug spray—mosquitoes peak in mid‑June; shoulder seasons are easier.
For an actual boardwalk, pair this stop with Spruce Bog Boardwalk on Hwy 60.
Don’t plan on fires; there are no firepits and grills aren’t guaranteed.
Plan your stop
Before you go
Best time to visit
Amenities & Logistics
4 active Algonquin alerts
- CautionLow Water on Backcountry Canoe RoutesLow-water alerts are in effect on six backcountry canoe-route sections.Official details
- ClosureProvoking Falls Bridge ClosedThe Provoking Falls bridge on the Highland Backpacking Trail is closed due to safety concerns and has been removed. - Follow the posted reroute, which adds 2.5 km.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Algonquin Tour Guide
Your drive to Costello Creek Boardwalk, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Algonquin Provincial Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this place
Costello Creek Picnic GroundListen
“The picnic area you're approaching is for Costello Creek. Despite what you might hear, there isn’t an actual boardwalk here—it's a quiet stop with picnic tables right by the water.”
Plays as you drive up to Costello Creek Boardwalk in the Parkwolf Algonquin Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Lake Opeongo: Your Gateway to the Backcountry
- Lake Opeongo: A Living Laboratory
- Beaver Pond Trail: A Showcase of Beaver Engineering
- Turtle Crossings on Opeongo Road
- 139 audio storiesacross Algonquin’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Moose, Eastern Wolf, Black Bear, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 26 trails, 95 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
More about Costello Creek Boardwalk
What You’ll SeeExpect a creek-and-wetland setting where you can watch for wetland birds, dragonflies, and the…
Expect a creek-and-wetland setting where you can watch for wetland birds, dragonflies, and the classic Algonquin bog vibe nearby. The broader Costello Creek/Opeongo area is known as a calm paddle route with the chance—never guaranteed—to spot wildlife like moose or beaver.
Nearby GoodiesYou’re a short drive from the Algonquin Visitor Centre, the Logging Museum, Beaver Pond Trail,…
You’re a short drive from the Algonquin Visitor Centre, the Logging Museum, Beaver Pond Trail, and the Lake Opeongo access—easy add‑ons before or after lunch. If you’re after a true boardwalk experience, head to Spruce Bog Boardwalk on Highway 60.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Algonquin
1,231 sightingsMooseMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
245 sightingsEastern WolfMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
331 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
604 sightingsLoonMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
110 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
192 sightingsRiver OtterMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Algonquin. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
