Came here to camp from August 19-22nd. Family has been camping every year for the past three years…read moreat different provincial parks like Algonquin and Marten River. Wanted to go somewhere a little closer to home this year, so we chose Albion Hills. We are a group of 20-somethings, if that is helpful for perspective. We stayed at site 27, 28, and 29.
Cost: About the same as provincial park rates per night. Two adults to one site, and each extra adult is $5/night. They charge you when you get there. So what's actually included in the base cost is two adults and four children (17 and under). Some of my family came to visit during the day, and they had to pay $5/person to come in. I don't think that was worth it, considering the amenities of the park.
Amenities:
Recreational activities:
- The actual recreation centre was just a basketball net that was crooked/old.
- We read flyers that there were canoe lessons, and we saw some idle paddle boats near the beach, but the hours of operation are so limited that we couldn't do anything by the time we had set up camp and walked around to explore (this was about 6-7 pm).
- There were a few playgrounds for kids, in the Albion Hills campground and at the beach.
-Swimming: We didn't use the pool/splash park, mostly because it was an extra cost. We walked past by it, as well, and it seems more suitable for children. The pool was very small and very shallow. Hours were very short too (10-5pm). For summer hours, that is pretty ridiculous. The "beach" nearby left much to be desired, and area was just full of geese than actual people. There is a caution to swim at your own risk. We didn't.
Showers/washrooms: Compared to what we have been through at the provincial parks, the showers at Albion Hills weren't as good. You'd have to press-and-hold for the water to come out, and it would only last for 3-4 seconds. We found ourselves having to shower with one hand while the other held the button to ensure we wouldn't run out. Flush washrooms available near the chalet, and outhouses available throughout the campground. Outhouses were naturally nasty.
Campsites: Not a lot of grassy areas, but I guess it depends on which site you pick. Our campsites unfortunately were full of dirt, and when you book online, it unfortunately does not have descriptions for each site.
Noise: Lots of trailers set up in our area. When we got there on Monday, we were the only campers in the area. A few others started coming in around Wednesday. There is also a train that passes by during the night time that is very audible.
Nature:
- Because of the proximity of the campground to the city, there were tons of light pollution, and the night sky was never as beautiful as it was when we were in the provincial parks. The weather was great in the days that we went camping (clear nights), so it was unfortunate that we couldn't get a better night sky view.
- Bike/hiking trails seemed challenging as we walked through it. But very small/short compared to something you'd find in Algonquin.
- Tons of mosquitoes, and I mean tons! Campground is near lots of water, so this is expected. Bring and use lots of bug spray.
- Animals we saw during our stay: racoons, chipmunks, gophers, racoons, frogs, racoons, one snake, and racoons. Racoons were not scared of humans, often roamed as close as they could, and threw lots of apples at us. :P
Verdict:
If you want a place to just camp out, sit around the fire, drink alcohol and just be lazy, this is a good place to go.
If you actually want to use the park for its amenities, go somewhere else. Not much else to do at Albion Hills.