The bad: The bugs! Oh my. We were lucky enough to visit on the first weekend of the season and upon arriving late Friday, all I could think was "I'm going to be eaten alive by morning". In the end, the mosquitoes were all the young'ns that are too small to bite (THANKFULLY) however later in the season this place must be infested. Yes, bugs are a part of camping. I love camping, bugs are natural. However, this campground's waterfront campsites have gone untouched, which means no cleaning away the rotting trees, film over the water of all the nastiness that flows down the St Lawrence and other factors in stagnant water areas that will result in an unnecessary surplus of bugs. Building a campfire (smoke) certainly helps keep some bugs away, but the site's $8+ bundles of wood are overpriced and they stated to us that no outside wood was allowed on the camp. There is no lake nearby to the campsites so there isn't really anywhere nice to get into the water since the St Lawrence seaway is a dump. I also disagree with not including any car parking in your campsite fees. I don't mind if the 2nd or 3rd car need to pay for a sticker, but do you think we hitchhiked to get to the site? Only upon leaving were we told that parking was free in the lot by the front desk. Many of the campsites are very rocky and have a heavy slant. I would have expected better however this isn't a man-made site.
The good: The little shop has basic snacks, ice and smokes materials as one would hope. The area is gorgeous for biking. I mean gorgeous. You can bike for miles across the Long Sault Parkway, a flat surface with great views. The campsite is a short walk away from a man-made beach with volleyball court and other grassy areas. This is an enclosed area so it is perfect for boating on kayaks/canoes, particularly if you're entertaining children on the site. Another positive was the PUPPIES! Dogs are clearly accepted at this site as they were everywhere. My favorite part of this campground over others was the washrooms. Central, VERY CLEAN, individual shower rooms with their own lockable entrance (rather than lockable stalls), a washer/dryer for those children's accidents in sleeping bags, and plenty of hot water. I also appreciated the visible notices for the tick invasion that was going on in southern Ontario at the time.
Would I go back? Yes, but equipped with additional bug radius tools. I would also make a point of driving around to look at what camp sites are available rather than accepting a random site from the front desk. There are many sites that could have a very negative impact on the camping weekend. FYI - there is also a timmies and gas station just outside the parkway for those who need their fix or emergency supplies. TIP: Ask for a map of the open campsites and take a drive to look at them to pick a good site! There are a few I wouldn't want to be stuck with! read more