Visitor Rules

Admission to our parks, conservation areas and trails may require the payment of entry fees.

Individual admission fees are waived for Credit Valley Parks passholders and Conservation Park members.

We also require rental fees to be paid for the use of some of our facilities.

Buy tickets or make a reservation at our parks.

We offer a Credit Valley Parks Pass that provides unlimited access to our parks. Your Parks Pass also provides access to Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) parks thanks to our Conservation Parks partnership!

This joint program provides unlimited admission to TRCA and CVC parks and conservation areas annually. This program can represent big cost savings for frequent visitors.

Credit Valley Parks Passes also make a great gift! Help us conserve natural areas for everyone to enjoy by gifting a pass to friends, family members or your employees.

Credit Valley Parks Pass Programs.

Plan to visit more than one CVC park on the same day? Show your admission or reservation receipt from your visit to Island Lake, Ken Whillans, Terra Cotta or Belfountain Conservation Area at the Island Lake or Terra Cotta gatehouses and receive free entry.

Please note that visits to Belfountain Conservation Area are by reservation only and are not eligible for the same day discount offer.

Same day entry to these other parks will be allowed if space permits and the park is not already at capacity. Please check cvc.ca/park-advisories for park status before arriving to ensure space is available.

Sometimes, you will travel to a park or conservation area by use of active transportation. This includes travel from a destination by walking, biking, jogging, running, cycling, in-line skating, skateboarding, non-mechanized wheel chairing, skiing and snowshoeing. We will reward your efforts by providing free admission!

Please note, free entry will not apply to visitors who park illegally or unsafely outside the park.

Enter at designated entry points only. Please present a valid admission receipt or membership card when requested.

Credit Valley Parks passes are available to sign out for one week at libraries across the Credit River Watershed. Contact your local branch for availability.

Participating libraries include:

• Orangeville
• Caledon
• Mississauga
• Brampton
• Georgetown
• Shelburne
• Grand Valley
• Select Wellington locations

Support persons are permitted on all CVC properties and meeting rooms which are open to the public. We will not charge admission fees to a support person who accompanies a paying guest on a one to one ratio at the following CVC Conservation Areas: Island Lake, Ken Whillans and Terra Cotta. Where confidentiality is a concern, CVC may ask the support person to sign a confidentiality agreement.

View CVC’s Accessible Customer Service Standard

Service animals are permitted on all CVC properties, including meeting rooms, which are open to the public. Service animals are not permitted where disallowed by law. Where a service animal is excluded by law from the premises, the reason why the animal is excluded will be explained to the person with disabilities.

Service animals include, but are not limited to, seizure response dogs, guide dogs, hearing dogs and other certified service animals.

View CVC’s Accessible Customer Service Standard

Admission fees for persons with disabilities apply to an individual with a disability. No documentation is required. Please request this from staff upon arrival. Support workers can accompany the individual at no charge, where necessary.

In our conservation areas, it is illegal to pick or remove vegetation of any kind. This includes live or dead branches, plants, soil or other natural items.

It is illegal to enter or remain in a park or conservation area outside posted hours of operation. You must observe and respect all posted closure notices. Posted signs ensure your safety.

It is illegal to remove, destroy and/ or damage any animal, property or structure.

We do not allow camping in any of our conservation areas.

We do not allow campfires in any of our conservation areas without a permit. Barbecues are welcome where picnicking is permitted.

Alcoholic beverages and drugs, including cannabis, are not allowed in any of our conservation areas.

Smoking or vaping, including cannabis or other drugs, is prohibited:

• At all CVC picnic shelters and/or pavilions
• Within nine metres from an entrance or exit door to any building or structure, or if no door, from the footprint of the structure
• At all permanent and temporary reserved seating areas and designated event, festival or entertainment areas
• Within twenty metres of a playground and designated sports areas

To limit the risks of fire, we strongly discourage smoking in our parks, conservations areas and along our trails.

It is illegal to possess or discharge firearms or fireworks in conservation areas.

You must keep pets on a six-foot leash (or less) at all times. Please pick up after your pet.

Some sections of trails may not be suitable for pets. Please check trail descriptions on our parks pages for more information.

ATVs, snowmobiles, gas powered motorboats or other motorized all-terrain vehicles are strictly prohibited at our conservation areas.

Snowmobiles are permitted on the Elora Cataract Trailway, in season. Participants must have a current Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) permit. The trail is only open for snowmobiling when OFSC allows.

Please do not damage or (re)move picnic tables or other area property.

We do not permit drones on or above CVC property. For educational and research purposes drone operators may apply for a Conservation Lands Access Permit.

• Please stay on designated trails. Don’t go off trails. For your safety and to protect soil from erosion do not take shortcuts.
• Respect the sounds of nature. Avoid using loud voices and creating noise from mobile phones and music.
• Be predictable and travel consistently so other trail users know what to expect. Always look behind before changing positions on a trail.
• Don’t block trails. Please stay within your own half-width of a trail.
• All modes of active transportation, including cycling, non-mechanical wheel chairing, skiing and snowshoeing, must yield to pedestrians. If a pathway is busy with pedestrians, consider walking instead of cycling or stepping to the side to allow them to cross. Dismount when meeting pedestrians on narrow bridges at Island Lake CA.
• Be cautious. All boardwalks are slippery when wet.
• Observe wildlife from a distance. Do not follow or approach wild animals.
• Never feed wildlife. Feeding animals in the wild damages their health and alters natural behaviours.
• We have garbage and recycling stations throughout each conservation area. Please use them and don’t litter.

Property rights and trespassing can be complicated and confusing. Anglers accessing fishing spots should always respect the property rights of others.

• Do not cross:
  • Any visible property or fence lines
  • Areas posted “No Trespassing”
  • Areas marked with the round red international “No Trespassing” symbol
• Where a round yellow symbol is posted, access under certain conditions is allowed. Some properties on the Credit River are accessible as long as anglers follow a prescribed set of rules.

Water itself is a public resource, but the stream bed and banks on which anglers walk may be private.

• Water conditions can be dangerous at times and too shallow at others.
• If canoeing or boating, please observe and obey all federal and provincial regulations.

Please keep the following in mind when angling or walking along the river:

• If you are unsure about accessing a piece of property, do not enter.
• Do not litter. Bring a small bag and pick up litter on your way out.
• Landowners really appreciate this and will be more likely to grant you access in the future.
• Restrict harvest according to the landowner’s wishes.
• Do not set fires or cut vegetation.
• Respect other anglers who have arrived before you. Don’t intrude on their casting area. Walk quietly around others.
• Yell “fish on” when you hook a fish near other anglers. The other anglers will appreciate not getting their lines tangled.
• Limit your catch. Do not take more than your legal limit.
• Offer to help those with less experience.
• Have fun and learn something every time you go out.

Learn about fishing regulations in the Credit River Watershed.

Explore CVC Parks.

Reduce your waste

• Use reusable, compostable, biodegradable or recyclable containers. Hot/cold drink bottles are for sale at Terra Cotta and Island Lake Conservation Areas.
• Don’t package fresh fruit –it “wraps” itself.
• Choose washable, reusable cloth napkins and tablecloths.
• Skip the individually packaged drinks. Choose drinks in jugs or coolers to share.
• Use a canvas bag or other reusable totes for your food and picnic supplies.
• Throw any unwanted items in the proper bins.
• Take leftovers home to enjoy later.

Appreciate nature

• Protect habitat. Our parks are home to nesting birds, native plants, and other species that are easily trampled. Make sure your children and pets stay on trails and in open spaces.
• Observe and learn. Take field guides, binoculars, even a nature journal to learn about wildlife and habitat. Start a fun “life list” of species you see.
• Use natural bug repellant and sunscreen. They’re less toxic for your family and safer for nature.
• Carpool. You’ll reduce emissions and save on park admission!

Manage your impact

• Onsite recycling includes plastic and glass bottles and aluminum cans.
• Don’t contaminate recycling bins. All contaminated recycling ends up in the landfill.
• Break down large cardboard, and leave it stacked beside recycling bins.
• All types of coffee cups and lids, as well as Styrofoam containers are NOT recyclable and belong in the garbage can. Use reusable container instead.
• Reduce your noise footprint, be courteous to those picnicking around you and limit your use of amplified sound. Restrictions apply.
• Picnics with a reservation at Island Lake Conservation Area will also have access to compost bins. We provide signage on what is acceptable onsite