There is a great restaurant on the campground. Dinner Service and Breakfast. Music venue every night during season. Ocean view camping. Beach excess. The staff and chef are top. Great place to get away from the crowds. We camped in back of the playground. It was quite and more private. Full hookups. The road is a little rough coming in. Just take it slow. Deer come out at night to greet you. Check out it out and tryout gold mining You'll see what I mean when you get there. Say hello to Justine. read more

Bought two nights at the Ovens but left after one night because of the rude actions of the manager Jane who was upset that we bought our firewood outside the camp at the local gas station and it was our mistake that we did not read the rules about fire and we had a fire going in the morning, her employee said nicely that he was going to get water to put it out and we apologized but five minutes after he left to get water she came speeding into our campsite yelling at us! Asking us if we had a bucket to put it out?! We explained that her employee was bringing water she proceeded to yell about fire wood and then speeded off. We packed up and left. I believe that there are better ways to talk to people without hostility especially in front of children! read more

The Ovens Natural Park is located about 20 minutes from Lunenburg or 1.5 hours from Halifax, Nova Scotia. "The Ovens" are a series of Sea Caves that branch off the Atlantic Ocean carving some beautiful holes into the cliffs of the land. Located on private property, this location is open from May till October. There is a mandatory admission ($10 for adults) to see this place. At very least, you get to hike the 1.5 kms long trail along the ocean to see the caves. If you are wanting to stay longer, they have a campground (tent, camper and cabin) should you wish to stay in the area. They do have size restrictions, so you'll have to leave you larger trailers or RV's at home. We spend 1-2 hours roaming the trails and taking our time reading the information provided about the history of the property and the area's gold rush past. We created a YouTube video of your experience as well which will really help you get a sense of the location. This is a beautiful area and well worth the trip. Perhaps a little on the expensive side, however, being able to see the caves was really quite amazing. If you come, be prepared for the temperature difference compared to inland - it's a bit cooler being on the ocean (even in the summer). For additional information on this location, plus direct access to the YouTube video, please check out our travel guide of this location on our website at www.joshthetravelguy.ca read more

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Great ocean views. Considering the $10/adult entry fee and $5/child, I expected more than a few view-only caves on a 20 minute trail. On the upside, they did offer a playground for the kids, and petting zoo - on the downside, they feel like token additions. The playground is from 1977, lacks adherence to today's safety expectations; the petting zoo is 1 goat, 2 pigs, 4 rabbits, a few chickens, all fenced in and can be pet if they walk by. Facilities could use attention. read more

The Ovens Natural Park - If expecting a "playground", you might be disappointed. Not much beyond this awkward slide, a couple wooden swings, and a tetherball. - Parks Near Me - Riverport, Nova Scotia

Great walk and nature scene Food is ok It's nothing for the Michelin guide But it will cover the bases read more

The caves are fun! It's a short walk. We camped and we're disappointed in how we were treated from the beginning. We paid $60 for the night. When we first arrived the woman was cranky, scowling and demanding insisting we pay without even checking out the $60 sites. She informed us all amenities were unavailable yet we had to pay full price. Power went out about 5 pm. We went to sleep at 10 with no electricity. So we paid for something we never got. We called the emergency number to check and were yelled at that it was out everywhere. Check out was 11am and the black security truck was standing by to be sure everyone was out on time. Yet this same security never came by to check about our power or offer an apology or explanation. I would expect if I pay $$$$ for a spot to be treated at the least with appreciation. read more

It's all about the pig. That's right, the pig stole the show! Sure the trails are pretty with several awe inspiring views. The sea caves have some thrill factor, a cooling effect on hot days and provide some neat (yes I said neat) thundering noises that impress my lake raised ears. The panning for gold resulted in a bit of gold in my purse and some childlike glee on the sea shore. The cold beer (mmm mmm Garrison's), bottled only and onion rings were delish. No way would I pay the $180 for a cabin when I live an hour away but if you are a land locked person, meh, maybe. Now the small petting farm is something I approached with trepidation. The three goats and two alpaca's seemed healthy enough if apathetic. But fighting our way through the flies and smell was the grubbiest, funniest most affectionate, people loving pig. Yes, go for the pig...maybe save it from the plate in the process!? ;) read more

Considering 5 star reviews tend to get knocked off of Yelp, I hesitate to rate The Ovens Natural Park and adjoining campground as such. But it's what it deserves, nothing less, so I guess I'll have to take the risk and hope that Yelp does what's right and supports this listed small business by posting a true, factual and verifiable 5 star review. Here goes... The two reviews within the last month are mind boggling to me. How can you review a campground that you never stayed in? I do hope the age old saying of "Never judge a book by its cover" will resonate with the two prior reviewers. It's too bad when small businesses who (more and more) have to rely on positive social media reviews get harshly critiqued. What people don't realize is that businesses can suffer greatly when people lend their (short sighted and unfair) personal opinion to a review site. I'm a small business owner in Massachusetts and I unfortunately understand this all too well. Hopefully the last two reviews will be balanced out by my observations while visiting the caves AND staying at the campground: 5 Stars for the VIEW- incredible, breathtaking, serene, beautiful, majestic. It is all of these. 5 Stars for the CAVES- a once-in-a-lifetime experience, extraordinary, explosive, wildly different, adventurous, incomparable. They are all of these. (Note: maybe the two previous reviewers decided to visit during high tide? This is the only reason I can guess as to why only one cave was entered. Also, is it really fair to dock a business its rightful stars because you weren't impressed by what nature has created for us? Aren't the caves completely out of the campground's control?) 5 Stars for the GOLD RUSH- fun, family bonding, memorable, wistful, exciting, joyful, thrilling. It is all of these. (Note: you are DEFINITELY not left to your own sifting devices, as one previous reviewer stated. The campground happily provides a large metal hand shovel and a large metal sifter to help you pan for your retirement or your kid's college. If you have a metal detector, though, bring it! My son was psyched to finally put that thing to sensible use. Don't ask me why he travels with it. What can I say- that boy is one of a kind.) 5 Stars for the CAMPSITE- large, secluded, woodsy (very), easily accessible yet remote, comfortable. It was all of these. 5 Stars for the RESTAURANT- yummy, unexpected, huge value add, convenient, fun, original. It is all of these. (Really- what family campground has a three meals per day restaurant with a FULL bar to boot? Never mind the live (FREE) music they provide for your cochlear enjoyment!) Lastly, and most importantly, 5 Stars for the STAFF- personable, friendly, knowledgeable, caring, individualistic, attentive, professional, fun, happy. They are all of these. If I could give each one of them more than 5 , I would. They are THAT good in a day and age when superior customer service is so very hard to find no matter where you travel or what you're doing. I always tell my staff at the ice cream stands my husband and I own, "At the end of the day, it's just ice cream. If they come see us again, they're most likely doing so because of the service you provided. And if they don't? Then it is 100% because of the service that you DIDN'T provide." Even given all the aforementioned 5 stars, the staff at The Ovens Natural Park and Campground are the main reason that we'll be coming back to visit again. Thanks for making us feel so welcome!! read more

So disappointed! Grew up in this area and this place used to be FREE and a nice place to spend a morning or afternoon. Now it's $23.00 for two people!! This is not worth it at all, the hike is very very short, 15 - 20 mins walking slowly. It might be a great place to camp but charging people to just go see the caves is ridiculous. What a shame. Won't be back, I will keep my memories but whatever jackass is pocketing the money for this is gouging people terribly. OH it was also $6.00 for two cans of pop. Good ol days are over. Complete disorganization where you have to pay too, person ducks out of the store she is working in there to take your money and people are all confused as to what they are supposed to do. All in all , a shoddy, shady operation. RIP OFF. read more

Loved it!! I wouldn't say run down, I'd say charm! 1/2 full people!!! My family from NJ had an amazing 24 hours there ! None of us will soon forget. The Ovens was one of our stops on our family road trip. We pulled in starving, ate a delicious meal at the restaurant, while the Chapin Sisters performed live!! (yup!Look them up on iTunes!) We camped under a full moon right on the cliffs overlooking the ocean! We woke to ships and sailboats and seagulls. Cooked up our breakfast on our camp site as the sun rose right in front of us over the ocean. Absolutely Gorgeous view! We then walked around the cliffs on a path, and even went down into ocean caves! After lunch my 12 year old son met a guide on the beach and panned for gold! It was great! we loved it, everyone who worked there was so nice! To camp overnight and get all of this was about $35 US dollars !!! How could you give all of that 1 star??? read more

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Absolutely magnificent love this place listening to the sounds of the cannon cave looking at the beauty of the Atlantic Ocean seeing the boats of all shapes and sizes it is one of nature's most remarkable locations in my thoughts. Highly recommend this place to visit or to stay read more

First let's start with the positives! Great location located near Lunenburg, Blue Rocks(Excellent kayaking), Lahave( Excellent Kayaking) ,Hirtle Beach( beautiful beach nearby). Overall the Ovens campground is naturally beautiful, especially with its caves. Things that need to be addressed. First off the Ovens campground has become one of the most expensive campgrounds in Nova Scotia for those who like to camp with tents. Taxes in for $41.00 per night for two adults and up to 3 children under the age of 16. A family with more than 3 children have to pay an extra $6.50 per child per night plus taxes. If you have two couples staying on the same site it will cost you an additional 12.50 per person per night and you'll have to pay an additional $ 7.50 for each additional vehicle. Please add the tax!!! That being said it could cost you almost $80.00 per night for tenting for two couples! Second, they have also implemented a new charge for pet owners this season which is an additional $5.00 plus taxes per night. Finding the justification of this very difficult to process. From what I'm hearing people are finding this a bit extreme. I know I did!!! Thirdly, the cost to enter the park to view the caves is $10.00 per adult for something that was once free. $5.00 per person would seem much more reasonable and with a cap for families. The Ovens campground definitely needs to invest in their facility, especially in the washroom and shower areas throughout the campground. The tenting area near the ocean has only two washrooms and two showers that are housed too far from each other. The washroom has no sink facilities to wash your hands. The cleanliness of these facilities leaves much to be desired Conclusion I don't mind paying more for a great facility, however, the Ovens Campground could re-invest some of their income into their facility which would definitely bring it up to standard when being compared to other campgrounds. It has so much more potential!!!! I love this place and have been going for several years but unless things start to change this customer will be looking for another campground. Norris read more

One of my favourite places to go. The ovens has a great campsite but even better sites. The caves are awesome to see even after your first time around. If you can time it so that you go when the tide is coming in, then you can really get a kick out of the booms that the caves make. The trails to the caves are pretty neat too - hard to imagine how long the caves have been there for. This is a bit of a spoiled campsite if you ask me - there's a restaurant right in front of the campground! So if you run out of food, you can just hit up the Miner Diner for some eats. On some nights they even have a live band playing but the place was absolutely packed when I went. I've gone last year near the end of August and this year in June - what a difference a couple months make. The campground is pretty packed in Aug and pretty dead in June - so take your pick - Maybe July would be a good middle ground. When reserving, you can even ask for which part of the campground you want - near the ocean or in the woods. To each their own! read more

I can describe the Ovens to you but it won't be the same as experiencing them for yourself. The caves are a fascinating peek into Nova Scotia's geology and history. The trails are beautiful and idyllic. There's also a wonderful bit of a "fear factor" here. Even though it's perfectly safe, it's got just enough of that "How old is this place!? Are these steps going to crumble underneath me?! Is this cave going to come crashing in on me at any moment!?" to make it exciting. read more

The stone formations and caves are fantastic if you are into geology or history. The paths are safe but not confidence inspiring. The restaurant is good. Beautiful views. But make sure you come at high tide for the caves and low tide if you want to do gold panning. read more

This campground may be nice, however, so are a lot of campgrounds. The staff here are rude and unhelpful. Also, unlike all other campgrounds in NS, who just use your credit card to hold a reservation but not charge it, unless you didn't show up or cancel within the allotted timeframe, the Ovens charge your credit card right away, even though you request you'd prefer to pay by cash or debit upon arrival. They say they will offer you a refund, minus a bogus $7 admin fee ( whatever that is). Maybe if they didn't charge people's credit cards right upfront, they wouldn't have to bother going through the hassle of refunding and charging their greedy bogus $7 admin fee. Furthermore, if this campground wasn't already asinine and greedy enough, they actually charge a $30 damage deposit for an unserviced campsite??? I've never paid a damage deposit at a hotel or motel before, let alone for a tenting site? The people that run this campground are nothing but greedy, ignorant people, and I will make sure to tell people what a bunch of cheapskates you are and deter them from camping there. PS-I forgot to mention, unlike other campgrounds who will let you drive in and checkout available campsites to see what you like, this campground won't let you. They ask what criteria you want for a campsite and want you to pay for a site unseen that they pick for you. The people that run this campground are total morons. read more

Rip off! $23 for 2 adults to park a small car on the playground and spend 30 minutes walking on narrow, poorly maintained trail to look at trash-filled water sloshing into caves! No "booming" sounds.Very run-down. Kids might enjoy it. Park on road and walk in. But not worth the exorbitant fee for day use. read more

The restaurant at Ovens Park is called The Miner Diner. There is entertainment here at this campground and restaurant most of the summer. This venue is owned by The Chapin Family and Steve Chapin operates the park. There is an annual Chapin Family Reunion here which features various members of the family. It is so much fun to go to the Miner Diner to hear Harry Chapin's family members sing. You will truly enjoy it even if the food at the Miner Diner is less than perfect and the wait staff consists of family members, some of whom have more experience than others. Here at the Ovens, it's all about the Chapin Family from beginning to end. The vistas of the ocean at the Park are wonderful and the caves for which the Ovens are named are one of my husband's favorite place to take visitors. There is also nearby Lunenburg, a spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Site, where you can get super food at one of 22 restaurants, so if you are looking for good food, the Miner Diner would not be your first choice. But if you are in town in August when the Chapin Family Reunion takes place, we recommend that you overlook the limitations of the food at the Miner Diner, make dinner reservations, and take in the music. We have also noticed that the food at the take out window and the lunch menu seems to be better than the food served at dinner. We have made our concerns about the food known to the owners and we believe that they will are striving to improve. We are all for the Ovens Natural Park and support them in every way. read more

I have been to the Ovens a few times and will continue to visit. It never fails to impress. I only spent a night in one of their cottages when I was a child, so I can't speak to that portion of the adventure, but I CAN say that checking out the caves makes for a wonderful, scenic day trip! Fair price for the beauty that awaits! read more

I was so disappointed with this Park. It's run down, and quite small. The hiking trail is ridiculously short. The ocean caves are nice, but it cost our family of 4, $40.50 for a 15 hike. If it were $10 for a car, I might recommend if you are nearby. Otherwise, it's just too costly for such a small walk. I wouldn't pay to go again. read more

We stayed at the Ovens Campground for 3 nights in August of 2013. I can't say enough positive things about the scenery, beautiful views of the ocean, sunsets and sea life (we saw dolphins early one morning) etc. Our family enjoyed the nature trails, the sea caves and gold panning. The facilities for camping were not as great. The campsites were a bit small and the facilities require updating. The bathrooms were quite dated and require a facelift (paint etc), and although there was a beautiful view of the ocean from the pool it also needed some renovations. There were brown stains on the walls of the pool liner (I am not sure what this is caused by) and it appeared that the liner may have needed to be replaced.The children's park was satisfactory and the petting zoo was fun for the kids. I would recommend this park for a day trip for families but not necessarily for camping. It offers adequate activities for a family and it is cost effective. I believe adults were $8 per day and children paid approximately $5. read more

Excellent location to bring a family for a day trip if you are interested in visiting the South west coast of Nova Scotia including the town's of Lunenberg and Mahone Bay as it is only about a 20-30 minute drive. Price appears steep at first with the park charging $10/ adult. However the price is well worth it as you absolutely cannot beat the scenery here. The stunning rock formations make for truly great photos. In addition, the Sea Cave trail was a nice easy walk offering multiple vantage points to view the ocean and caves alike. We did try gold panning which was a neat experience here although be warned you most likely won't find a whole lot( we found probably 2-3 flakes in 20 minutes). Overall the park was very nice although the only reason I would give it 4 stars rather than 5 is the fact that many of the wooden railings along the trail are quite dilapidated and unsafe( please replace these). read more

Although the scenery is beautiful, the campground and the owner is something to be desired. The young staff on hand are as helpful as possible, friendly and empathetic to our situation however were unable to help with our situation (not caused by us). When I asked to speak with the manager / owner she was everything but helpful. She had no time to discuss / deal with the problem which was our site that we had booked 2 weeks prior that was over run by the neighbors that were off site. In her words - your trailers are just getting bigger and bigger and wasn't her problem that her sites didn't have enough room on them. ( this was a sea side site that we were going to pay $60/night for ). The owner / manager should seriously consider a career change as she possesses absolutely no customer skills and no problem solving abilities and lacks the "give a damn" attitude that is much needed in this industry. It is unfortunate for such a beautiful place to be run by someone like this. It spoiled our 4 day vacation and until there is a change of management we refuse to go back - and will make sure that all of our friends are made aware of exactly who is behind the scenes here. read more

We truly loved our time at The Ovens this past summer. Amazing campsite right on the water. HIGHLY RECOMMEND !

The park is in poor taste. Nestled on an amazing property, but with failing facilities. Small improvements since I last visited, but in need of severe managerial overhaul. Ridiculous prices/policies (cancellation), sub-par amenities, and lack of activities suitable for the "family campground" title. Nice for a day visit - but still way overpriced. read more

On a recent visit to the Ovens park, we were left very disappointed. After speaking with a representative, we had booked a specific large sight that would accommodate four adults and two children, with two tents. On arrival our booking had been changed to a very small sight that wouldn't accommodate one tent, let alone two. Going back to reception to explain the problem, we were met with polite but completely unorganized staff. While they attempted to find a suitable spot for us, they were unable to confirm which sights were available and which were not. After much fooling around, it got too dark and we had no choice but to pack up and head back to Halifax with a very disappointed group. The Ovens would not refund our two night fee paid in advance and couldn't even refund the $18.00 I spent on fire wood and ice, both of which were left untouched. We will not be returning. read more

I'm not sure I understand where the extreme negative reviews are coming from. My family visited the Ovens on a weekday in late June when the weather was definitely less than ideal, but we loved the park and spent at least two hours there. We weren't there for camping or food, just for the caves, and they exceeded our expectations. Yes, the place is not toddler-proof. I definitely wouldn't recommend bringing the entire pre-school there for a class trip. Probably not a great choice for a birthday party of rowdy 6-9 year-old kids, either. But for most families where the adults aren't hopelessly outnumbered by crazy kids (and my kids are definitely on the difficult-to-corral side), it should be a blast. Our expectations were pretty low, having read some of the abysmal prior reviews, and we almost passed on this; but by the time we left, the visit had become one of the highlights of our trip. The park is basically a trail along the top of cliff with periodic viewing platforms and a couple of super-cool stairwells that lead you down directly into a few of the caves. I wouldn't trust my life to the strength of the fences along the trail, but no sane person should be leaning against them anyway. Kids could easily wiggle past if not closely supervised, though, so again I note that this is not the best place for the under-5 or 6 years old set. The rock formations are magnificent in general, and the caves really are a wonder of nature. There was a useful and informative self-guided walking tour provided to us as we entered the park which gave a little bit of history on the different caves, and we concluded our trip with a visit to the small, somewhat kelp-laden beach; which, though infested with quite a few flies, is also stocked with outstanding skipping stones (14 skips on one throw, thank you very much). Long story short, ignore the lame petting zoo, duck, pond, etc. and just go for the caves, If you and your crew are into cool rocks, echoes, and the might of nature, I really don't see how you can be disappointed. read more