We went to 6 campgrounds on our most recent road trip across eastern Canada, some in Canada and some in the US.
This is a review of all of them, starting with the worst to the best.
Lakeview Treasure Campground - Catalone, Cape Breton 2/10
Lakeview Treasure was the 3 campground we stayed at and without a shred of doubt in my mind, was the worst campground we stayed at the entire trip. Here's why.
For starters, when we showed up, the owner was no where to be found. We called, but there was no answer, so we left a messaged and just waited until we heard back. When we finally did, we had to pay with cash only as they didn't take card, and didn't give receipts. Not the worst thing for sure, but also no ideal.
There also wasn't any WIFI at this campground, again not the worst for sure as there are many campgrounds that don't have WIFI. Authentic camping typically doesn't have WIFI anyway, but the more moderns ones do for sure. With nation wide data, it wasn't a huge deal for us, but definitely not ideal.
Next, the communal bathrooms at the campsite we something straight out of a horror movie.
There were stalls, but the stalls didn't lock. Thankfully, there was toilet paper, but the toilets were not secured to the floor well, so they would rock when you used them. It was definitely one of those washroom where you do a hover pee.
There was also no soap and no paper towels or hand dryers at the sinks.
The showers were paid, but how to pay was beyond confusing and questionable. Someone had drawn arrows, in black sharpie, on the wood that was pointing towards where you paid for the showers, however it was next to impossible to find.
Hidden away at the back of the shower was a coin slot like the ones you'd find on the washer and dryers at a laundromat. It only took loonies and it was unclear how much the shower cost. Someone has also written on the coin slot, in black sharpie, how much it was, but it was illegible.
Once we had gotten set up for the night, mom and I decided to go for a walk and have a look around the campground. Let me tell you what we found.
Up front, by the gate, is a nasty in ground pool. The water was green, the same kind of green you get when you don't maintain your pool. The pool deck was completely empty, no lawn chairs, except for the random bits of garbage.
There was a floaty left in the pool. The wooden fencing on the one side of the pool looked as the the wood was rotting and falling apart. Overall, not a place I'd go swimming for sure!
Compare the picture of this pool to any of the other ones at any of the other campgrounds and you'll see clearly the vast difference.
Continuing around walk around the campground, we found 2 old playgrounds. Both were missing equipment, such as a swing, and were broken. There were slides missing corners, so there was just exposed, dirty, sharp plastic on the playground.
While we walked around the plots, the campground definitely had this overall unsafe feeling. The people seemed to be very clique-y which made us feel very othered. It was definitely a night where I locked the door on the camper just in case.
Honestly, the best parts of the campground were the seasonal campers who had put incredibly amounts of work into their plots.
There were campers with decks, with outdoor house editions, with enclosed wooden patios, etc. They were covered in beautiful fairy lights, with adorable signs of who lived there, and so much more. These looked like spaces that really didn't belong in this campground.
Why people stay at the campground I think has to do with it being so close to Louisburg Fort and that it's right on the lake. It's called lakeview for a reason. The lake was literally 20 feet from out campsite, which was a beautiful sight for sure, but not enough to make up for everything else wrong with this campground.
The only reason I gave this campground a 2/10 and not lower was because the electric and water on our site did work well, and we survived that night.
If you find yourself out in Cape Breton or are looking to explore Louisburg Fort, I implore you to find a different campground. Even if it is farther out or more expensive, it will be better than staying here.
Cedar Valley Campsite - Morrisville, New York 5/10
The next campground on this list is called Cedar Valley Campsite.
It's ranked number 2 in the worst to best campgrounds we stayed at, however this campsite was not terrible. It was honestly nice and the people were kind.
We were able to book over the phone a day before arriving. Over the phone he let us know that they were having a firework show that night for 4th of July and he wanted to make sure that if we had many pets that they would be okay with the fireworks. It was very kind of him.
When we got there, the owner, Paul, greeted us and showed us to our campsite. We had booked a site with all 3 services as there weren't many 2 service sites at this campground. Our site was meant to be a back in, however, when we got there, Paul gave us the 1 of only 2 pull through sites.
He asked if we were staying for just one night, and since we were, he wanted to make it easier on us by giving us a pull through site. It really made setting up and setting off so much easier.
It also wasn't expensive to stay. A pull through, 3 service site at this campground was only $40 USD, about $54 CAD.
I also took a peak at what seasonal is at this site, seeing as there were many seasonals set up, and it's less than $2k USD for the season. That is really cheap in Canadian standards.
Paul was an absolutely delight. He was telling us how him and his wife used to be truck drivers before they bought the campground.
Even though we only stayed one night, I think they've built a beautiful and close knit community at the campground. Everyone seems to love Paul and his wife.
Before we got settled in, Paul said the firework show was due to start an hour, so he said he'd let us get settled in and handle the payment tomorrow. It was a cozy feeling having him trust us this much, even though he just met us.
Now, why it this campground ranked number 2 and not higher you ask? It has to do with the amenities at the rest of the campgrounds, as well as the washroom situation at this one.
The only real downside to this campground was the washrooms, which seems to be a theme for most campsites. I think the more common seasonal campers are, the less nice the communal washrooms are.
In the women's washroom there were some stalls where the locks didn't work and some without doors entirely, just a shower curtain.
It looked as though there were 3 sinks at one time as there was a broken sink, turned upside down to cover up the hole where it would've been.The other 2 worked well though, and they did have paper towel and soap thankfully.
The showers were also questionable looking, but they were free, which is a huge plus when they aren't the nicest.
Everything else was wonderful. Cute playground with no broken plastic or missing parts, a basketball court, and a horse shoe pit. There was also a rec room full or arcade games, pool, air hockey, a library, and an old juke box, though the rec room didn't have working lights.
There was no pool or WIFI at this campground, but they happened to be having a firework show which was wonderful too. Where our site was was close to the action. I was able to sit with the door open and watch the fireworks.
Overall, the campground wasn't terrible. It was pretty standard for trailer camping, it was just missing a few things.
If you have a camper with your own washroom that you don't mind using, then I would absolutely recommend this place. Paul and his wife are lovely people, the campground is beautiful, it's not too expensive, nearly all sites come with sewage access, and the people seem nice as well.
Oakhill Pines - Nova Scotia, Lunenberg 6/10
Oakhill Pines is the campground we stayed at the longest on this trip seeing as it was the closest to my dad's side of the family. It wasn't terrible, but definitely not my favourite.
Because we were staying for 2 nights, we paid $116 CAD for our site - about $58 CAD a night.
It had no sewage and was a back in site, but we did have electric and water, as well as a fire pit and a picnic table.
They had a pool, big playground, a rec room, an arcade that we never saw, an outdoor BBQ space, a shop with some snacks and drinks, as well as a communal washroom and showers.
Thankfully, the showers here seemed quite nice and we were right behind them. There were 2 in the women's washroom and they were paid showers at 6 minute increments.
Inside the stall was a little box where you would insert coins to pay for the shower. Initially, I thought this was a short amount of time, but if you aren't doing an 'everything' shower, it's not actually that bad.
The washrooms were nice as well with each stall having a working door, the toilets not shifting when you tried to use them, there was soap and an hand dryer, and no broken sinks. Basically, it was what a washroom should be like.
What I was not super keen on was how many rules there were at this campround. There were signs posted everywhere! Some, obviously made sense - one way roads, don't drive down them - but some were, in my opinion, excessive - don't wet the floor when getting out of the shower. It gave me a 'walk on eggshells' kind of feeling at times.
I get that common curtsy looks different to everyone, but some things I do feel don't need to be said, and when they are it makes things feel restricting. Like, you can use the shower, but only in this specific way or you're doing it wrong. I wasn't a fan of that.
The laundry room was also not great. It did have a small counter for folding your laundry that also had a few books you could read, however, it was $3 for 45 minutes in the washer, but $2 for 20 minutes in the dryer. Naturally, you will need more time in the dryer at such a short amount of time, so you end up spending more money to do your laundry.
Why not just hang it out on a line you ask? Believe me, I tried. But Nova Scotia was quite humid and it was quite shady with very little wind where our campsite was, so it did not dry. We ended up spending a total of $9 CAD just to do one load of laundry.
When we were checking in, we decided to pick up some firewood from the shop. The firewood they had at this location was a bit pricey at $7 for a bundle and we had to pick them ourselves.
Some places have them pre-bagged, some have them delivered to your site, but this one had piles of wood at the front, that had sat out in the rain, for us to pick through. I would've preferred a bag and dry wood personally.
Overall, this campground isn't a bad place to stay. They have all the basics and the basics are nice. It just didn't feel very welcoming or comfortable for me.
Would I stay here again? Yeah, I think so, but only because of how close it is to my family.
Camp Kamay - Quebec, St. Hyacinth 6/10
Camp Kamay was the first campground we stayed on this trip, and it was wonderful, I have nothing but nice things to say about it.
We reserved a spot at Camp Kamay by rolling right up to their gates and asking if they had space for the night. This was day one and, while we had planned to make it all the way from Ontario to New Brunswick.
Things did not go as planned, so we stopped at the first campground we could find around us, which happened to be Camp Kamay.
We got a 3 service, pull through site for the night at about $58 CAD, not bad. We had no problem setting up the electricity and water, and the sewage drain worked great. Our site also came with a fire pit and a picnic table, the standard additions.
Throughout the rest of the campground they had some great amenities at the park; an in-ground pool, a basketball court, volleyball court, a playground, a bonfire pit, a restaurant, a store, a rec room with games such as billards, free WIFI per device, and a laundry room.
What more could you need? How about a cat? The next morning we discovered a camp cat! He was quite the friendly and cuddly black cat. A cute addition to camping in Quebec.
Maybe I'm bias being that I'm a second language teacher, but I really enjoyed the language barrier we had while we stayed.
Checking in was interesting as we had to find someone who spoke English first, and going to the washroom was a funny feat for my mom as she couldn't tell what femme and homme meant.
I really enjoy using my brain in that way, it makes me feel like I am truly in another world, away from my own reality back home. It feels like an authentic travel experience to me. I really do find it fun to struggle in that way.
My only downside, if I had to state one would be, you guessed it, the washrooms.
The shower rooms were fine; there were 3 if I remember correctly, they each had their own rooms that locked, had a small bench, a small sink, and a garbage can, along with a soap and paper towel dispenser.
I'm not sure if they were paid or free as we didn't use them, but with all those accoutrements, I'm sure the shower would've been worth it.
It's the toilet rooms that were a bit iffy.
They also had their own rooms, doors that locked (no curtains thankfully), also came with a sink, soap and paper towel dispenser, as well as a mirror and garbage can. The toilet in the women's side however, was really close to the wall and bit wobbly. There was also only one toilet room for men and one for the women for the whole camp.
That said though, I would take the washrooms here at Camp Kamay any day when compared to the washrooms at Lakeview Treasure or Cedar Valley campground.
Overall, Camp Kamay was a wonderful stay. The people were kind, the site was great, the amentities were fun, and it felt like I was in a whole other world. I'd go back in a heartbeat.
The next time you're traveing through Quebec, I would definitely recommend you check out Camp Kamay!
Oak Bay Campground - New Brunswick, St. Stephen 8/10
Oak Bay Campground was where we stayed before we roadtripped through Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and New York as St. Stephen, NB is right on the boarder to Maine.
This campground was by far the best one we stayed at this entire trip as, not only was it only $39 CAD for a 2 service, pull through site, but this was the first one with a free hot shower!
I cannot tell you how excited I was when I read that one their website prior to booking.
When we got there, the shower was one of the first stops for me and oh boy, did it ever live up to expectations! There was only one in the women's washroom, but that only made it more luxurious.
It wasn't just a cramped shower space, I had a whole big shower room to myself. There was a shower caddy for me to set all my toiletries on, there was a big bench and full length mirror, as well as a spacious drying and dressing area. The shower also had a sky light in ceiling and the water was indeed hot and free! It was wonderful!
I was able to play music without disturbing anyone, move around freely (which is a huge perk after being in a car with family for 8 hours at a time each day), do my skin care privately, and not risk getting my clothes wet changing while surround by damp walls. For the shower alone, I would come back to Oak Bay!
But let's talk about the other amentities now.
They had free WIFI, a playground, a restaurant on site (though only open from Thursday to Saturday), a rec hall, a kitchen shelter, and a laundry room. There is also an insanely goregous view on the lake right across the road, perfect for a walk with your morning coffee.
Why this place was a cheap as it was I think has to do with it not having a pool, though there is free beach access. It won't be heated, but you won't have to go without a swimming experience.
While this place did a less amenities, the washroom were immaculate which is, in my experience, a rarity that needs to be celebrated, hence the high rating.
You should definitely choose this campground the next time you're in New Brunswick and/or traveling to the US through New Brunswick. It is absolutely worth the visit! I look forward to coming back to stay for longer!
Bay View Campground - Bourne, Massachusetts 9/10
This campground was definitely the most high-end and expensive campground we stayed at. A 1 night stay for a 2 service site, back in, with a extra adult was a total of about $100 USD, the most we have paid the whole trip. I promise however, that it was worth the price.
Our site was right in front of the majority of the amenities, had a picnic table and fire pit, and was a rocky terrain instead of the grassy spaces we had a most campsites. While the site wasn't the most amazing space, the amenities more than made up for it!
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They had:
Free WIFI
An arcade room
3 pools
A food truck
Huge and clean communal washrooms
A giant laundry room with a soap dispenser
An ice cream parlor
A playground
A sports section with a tennis, pickleball, volleyball, and basketball court, as well as a ping pong table
We lucked out with most of this being right across from our campsite. But, that wasn't all they had.
There were even more amenities further into the park such as a baseball field, soccer field, another basketball court and playground, 2 horse shoe pits, and a dog park.
They also had a shop up at the office, an area to fill up tires, and a place to fill your propane tanks. This place was absolutely massive with 285 campsites!
Since we were so go-go-go this trip, this was the only campground we stayed at long enough to actually enjoy the pool. Sadly, it was raining that day, so the pool was cold.
Let's talk specifically about the washrooms. The stalls all had working doors, there were no broken sinks, they had soap and paper towel dispensers, as well as garbage cans (you know, the things they should have), it was well maintained, and even had body length mirrors.
What was truly wonderful though was that they had 5 free showers! It wasn't a full shower room like in Oak Bay, but there was a small space in front of the shower to set down your things and dry off.
I absolutely loved the arcade room. It was a ton of fun to play a bunch of the games, with my favourite obviously being the rubber duck claw machine.
The laundry room was great too. They had so many machines available, both washers and dryers, and even had a laundry detergent dispenser.
I think if I were to go back to camp somewhere, this campground would definitely be on the top of my list. It had all the basic necessities one would need when camping in a trailer, and so much more as added bonuses.
Sure it's on the pricier side, but it was well worth the expense!
Overall, the campgrounds we stayed at during this trip definitely had a lot of variety to them. I think I've learned just how important your own bathroom can be, and to research the number of seasonals at a campground as they tend to indicate the washroom situation.
If I had to pick an overall favourite, I'd have to say Oak Bay in New Brunswick. It just had all the things I needed without being too flashy and was well worth the price. It was also right on the border to the states, making a day trip easy.
Did any of the campgrounds stick out to you? Which would you consider camping at?
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