Victoria Park Campground
138 Division St., Cobourg, Ont.
Victoria Park Campground combines outdoor camping, sun-basked beach fun and exploring quaint towns all in one. Just steps away from downtown Cobourg, Ont., and its expansive beach, Victoria Park has camping spots for both RVs and tents. Within walking distance of the campsites is Cobourg Beach, a popular tourist destination complete with a children’s playground, splash pad and marina. A few steps further is downtown Cobourg, which is comprised of unique boutiques, restaurants and ice cream parlours like Harbourlight Delights that serve unique flavours (we’re partial to caramel coconut crunch!).
Beavermead
2011 Ashburnham Dr.,
Peterborough, Ont.
Beavermead Campground is one of this writer’s favourite camping spots. Situated on beautiful Little Lake in the heart of Peterborough, Ont., this gem of a campground has everything you could want for a camping excursion with the family: spacious sites for tent or RV camping; a beach lined with grassy areas and trees for picnics in the shade; a full-sized children’s playground; and a beach volleyball court. If you forgot to pack something or are simply craving pizza, stores and restaurants are just a short drive away, as Beavermead is right off a central strip in Peterborough.
Island Spirits
On Grasshopper
Island, Rice Lake
Cedar Bay Resort,
86 Rolling Banks Rd. 1A,
Roseneath, Ont.
There’s camping, and then there’s camping on a private 25-acre island. Take a ferry to Grasshopper Island for tent camping that’s a stone’s throw away from an 85-foot floating barge for fishing
and swimming, sandy play areas, kayaks, canoes and paddle boards and biking trails. However, the highlight of camping on this island
is its unique experiences,
from a 100-year-old fireplace and pizza oven (bring your own ingredients!) and a gigantic checkerboard to a petting zoo with baby sheep and alpacas, mini donkeys and more.
Sandbanks
Provincial Park
3004 County Rd. 12 RR #1,
Picton, Ont.
Sandbanks is a popular tourist destination notorious for its three expansive sandy beaches and proximity to Prince Edward County’s wineries, bicycle tours and antique shopping. It’s also known for its campgrounds, so booking your campsite early is a must. Sandbanks’ campsite options range from dry land tenting to trailers only, with waterfront sites (the most popular) to woodland (but still close to the beach) in five designated areas. If tent or trailer camping isn’t your thing, Sandbanks also offers cottages for rent.
Left:LMI Yurt Village boasts an upscale camping experience for those tentative campers. Top Right: Camping at Sibbald Point. Bottom Right:Camp fire bannock enjoyed by all.
LMI Yurt Village
926 Townline Rd., Sideroad Entrance, Ashburn, Ont.
For a more luxurious outdoor camping experience, LMI Yurt Village, located in Ashburn, Ont., has you covered. This 100-acre off-grid farm has large yurts and “glamping domes” with queen-sized beds, lighting, a sitting area and power banks. The village provides an unobstructed view of the night sky and features forest trails to explore by foot or four-wheeler. It also offers outdoor common areas where you can socialize with other campers while BBQing, playing games, shooting some hoops or taking in a movie on an outdoor movie screen.
Emily Provincial Park
797 Emily Park Rd., Omemee, Ont.
Nestled on the shore of
Pigeon Lake in the Kawarthas region is Emily Provincial Park, offering four large, grassy campgrounds that accommodate tent and RV camping. With two beaches, several hiking trails and paddle board and canoe rentals, this campground has much to do onsite (including a free Learn to Fish program) but also has plenty of places to visit a short drive away. Don’t miss the Doube’s Trestle Bridge, a 200-metre, elevated railway trestle with a spectacular view of the Kawartha Trans Canada Trail.
Presqu’ile
Provincial Park
328 Presqu’ile Parkway, Brighton, Ont.
Presqu’ile Provincial Park in Brighton, Ont., is home to the second oldest operating lighthouse in Ontario, but its also known for its two-kilometre sandy beach and 16 kilometres of trails and paths (including a marsh boardwalk that winds through the largest protected marsh on the north shore of Lake Ontario). It offers a variety of campsites from shoreline to forest. While tent or trailer camping is the preferred getaway in this provincial part, Presqu’ile also offers cottages for rent.
Sibbald Point
26071 York Rd 18 (Park Road),
Sutton West, Ont.
Located on Lake Simcoe, Sibbald Point features a large sandy beach, grassy picnic areas and a forested hiking trail a mere 15-minute walk from 10 campgrounds. All are in close proximity to a boat launch and a park store that sells groceries, fast food, ice cream and camping supplies. Have a large group? Sibbald Point has six group sites that can accommodate 15 to 50 campers. If fishing is your camping tradition, Lake Simcoe has an abundance of trout, bass, whitefish, pike, yellow pickerel and jumbo perch.
Photo Credit: iStock/JackF; Courtesy of NEB’s Fun World
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