My "memorable" experience at Riverside Retreat began with the long and very poorly maintained dirt…read moreroad with dozens of potholes of differing sizes and shapes, and because it had been raining, I couldn't gauge the depth of the potholes. Slowly, slowly, slipping and sliding I finally found the "campground". Very rough sites, not cleared, soil base, no way to set up a proper dry campsite in the rain. Basically mud. Finally got to the site that he had assigned me and I pulled in to regroup. Glad that I didn't have to go any further because there was a large puddle of questionable depth across the whole road just beyond my site (it had pumps in it, so owner is aware of the problem). As I was wondering about my bad luck, I noticed only two other campers in the campground; both had multiple tarps up and seemed to be there for the long term. The next moment a large white pick up truck blasted by, drove through the large puddle at a high rate of speed, spraying mud everywhere, stopped a little further down, turned around and came back out doing the same thing - the whole vibe just seems kind of sketchy to me. I immediately texted Shannon and told him that I was not going to be able to stay and I would appreciate a refund (we're talking about $35) and thus began probably the most negative experience with a business person I may have ever had in my life. I will spare you the details, but just leave you with a quote from the last email that he sent me: "Your negative review won't cause me one second of missed sleep, and I look forward to replying to it. Your $35 means nothing, it's the negative, self-entitled attitude I have no intention on trying to work with. We don't have time to deal with every person that expects the world to revolve around them." I can assure you that I do not think the world revolves around me. I am an experienced solo camper and had just finished 2 1/2 weeks in the New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia area. I had dealt with lots of rain on this trip but I have never had such a negative feeling as when I pulled into this place. I suppose my first impression was a warning as to what I was going to be up against with this owner. Just look at his reviews; if you praise his campground, you're his best buddy. If you have anything negative say, observe his replies. I'm sure that he will slam me as well. The only thing I would warn you about, is don't say anything bad to his face; I would hate to see what comes of that...

A few things I would want to know. We showed up on a rainy day and ended up canceling our booking…read moreas the campground was not what we expected. A few things to note. The main issue for us was the website did not indicate that the campsites were walk in...which we note now the change has been made. The other issue was the map of the campground identifies solid lines to campsite which usually indicates drivable road but should be a dotted line to indicate walking path. When we asked to cancel and be refunded based on this we only received 50% back which was disappointing. Also it should be noted that the campground has no cell service or internet away from the small office building. Pictures show the road in which is washed out in places and would be comparable to a logging road. We were also told that the river was too high to be accessible. Due to rains we were not wishing to walk in to a site so we left to another campground. Host seemed very friendly but due to misinformation on the website we feel a full refund would have been appreciated.

The person who suggested this place said it was "an absolute must", they did not steer us wrong!…read moreThis was a serious highlight for us. We rented a cabin. This is very basic, it includes mattresses without bedding and a place to plug in phones, but no electricity or lighting. The mattresses are very thin, supported by a wood frame. My boyfriend likes firm so that was good for him, if you like soft like me you might want to bring a pad. The cabin was clean. There is also a camper to rent or tent spaces. Bathroom facilities are a little walk and they have hot water for showers too. There is a seafood food truck. There is a beach, and hiking trail, but the real magnificence is the view. Seriously, take this advice: wake up early to see the sunrise. It made our whole trip.

I asked an employee at the Markland coastal resort what is something you can see close by and…read morequickly that is absolutely beautiful and she suggested Meat Cove. This was on the day on a wedding I was attending so only had the morning to explore. It was well worth it! It's amazing, I can't believe you can camp on the edge of a cliff! There's also a beach that you can go visit and a great restaurant. I kinda wish I got to camp here. The views are breathtaking.

What a find! Off the beaten path but so worth the stop. This is a campground that happens to have…read morean oyster bar in the office. They are Asby Bay oysters and the couple who own the place will shuck them for you and you eat them at the tables on the outside patio. The oysters were just the right mix of briny and sweet. The couple said they have been farming the oysters in the bay just down the road for the last 40 years or something like that, just amazing. A hidden gem.

I was there for raw oysters and king crab legs. They were fresh and tasty. The outdoor patio is a…read morenice space for enjoying the food and a nice breeze on a hot day. Clean bathrooms on property.

Cottage is great BIT the bed needs a update and is worn out so it's not comfortable at all . The…read morecottage and location however are fun and we hav been there for the past 5 years to rent the full service air conditioned cottage . Owners please invest in a new bed and you will be hitting it out of the park. Bring water shoes for the water because the water is awesome .

Stayed in cabin #2 after a long stretch of tent camping and it was a wonderful retreat. Loved the…read morequirky decor and the bed was super comfortable. The mini fridge, DVD/TV combo, and BBQ grill were big bonuses. Left my favorite headlamp and they shipped it home to me! Great people and a great location!

I can't give much of a review for this campground. We arrived late in the pouring rain and left…read moreearly the next morning. It's less than half an hour from the Newfoundland ferry terminal in North Sydney, so we weren't the only ones using it as a one night pit stop. The campground is easy to find. It's on the Trans Canada Highway, snug between a lake and the bottom of a cliff. Note: you need to drive along the cliff base on your way in. It is marked with "beware of falling rocks" signs. The campground is terraced on three levels. There are 3W and 2W sites, and unserviced sites. Our site was a pull through 3W. There was a row of them, about 50' x 30' each. As I said, we arrived late in the pouring rain, so we appreciated that they were waiting for us, and guided us to & into our site in their golf cart. The site (23) was level and had both 30amp & 50amp hookups. The wifi was non-existent at our site. The campground staff did warn us that the wifi was iffy at best. The campground overlooks the lake (nice!) and the highway (not so much). Unfortunately, you can hear every transport truck as it engine-brakes coming down from the bridge. It is noisy. It's okay for a night, but I wouldn't camp there if I could find something with less noise and/or larger sites.

Jason, the owner of the campground was extremely friendly and super accommodating…read more The camp site was huge, open and beautiful. Everything was very clean and it was right at the foot of a great cliff. Highly recommend this campsite to anyone looking for a great place to stay ( also close to Sydney ) Make sure to contact the office before 8pm if you are doing things last minute as we were as that is when the office closes ! Thanks again for the awesome night !

This is a top notch national park. Incredible views. Great beaches. Tons of hiking trails that…read moreare well maintained. Friendly rangers. Nice kids explorer program. This is a must see national park.

This review would be five star if it weren't for the lack of transportation to the launch spot…read more Visitors must take their vehicles from the registration area to the launch area over 5 kilometres of the roughest,dustiest road imaginable. The roads are likely to cause suspension damage to all but the most rugged vehicle. The rafting was excellent but even the shuttle back to your vehicle is extremely dirty. For the price paid transportation to the launch and then back to your vehicle is essential

Great instructors.. told us what to expect when we got on the river for their lazy river tubing and…read morewe had a wonderful time! Would definitely recommend their skill guides and look forward to trying other services they have to offer! My kids loved it and it was a great outing for the family. If it's sunny I recommend lots of sunscreen but aside from that it was fun for all and we want to thank the staff for their amazing service they provide and I'm giving my family a fun day activity.

Although the cafe is closed to the general public the owner, Ton opened the cafe for breakfast for…read morethe guests who stayed in his cabins. First of all, this is such a peaceful place. You hear the waves, the birds chirping, and very close to the Cape Breton Highlands National Park. We ate at the cafe twice, and my absolute favourite was the pannekoek with bacons and homemade ginger jam. Omg, I am drooling thinking about it. Pannekoek is a Dutch pancake, and I never thought I would love pancakes this much. Ton is such a great host and you will not regret staying here and experience eating his pannekoeks!

A wonderful little cafe with a gift shop. Nice and cozy ambiance with great food and good service…read more The place is nicely decorated. We were seated at the table under the nice big moose head :-) The menu has quite a good number of choices for pannekoek (Duch crepe). We had pannekoek with fresh fruit and another one with banana, coconut and chocolate. Both were superb. Nicely prepared and presented. The little gift shop has nicely selected souvenirs. Definitely recommend this place for a good meal while visiting Cabot Trail.