Don’t let the rumour that campsites are hard to come by this summer put a wet blanket on your campfire! There’s still plenty of camping fun to be had with a little creativity. Here are some woodsy workarounds to ensure everyone in your crew gets a chance to be happy campers this summer!
Set Your Sights On An Off-The-Radar Find
Large provincial campsites are the go-to option for many campers, but plenty of smaller privately run campgrounds offer outstanding camping experiences too. Excellent local options include:
Toronto West KOA, Campbellville
Milton Heights Campground, Milton
Pine Valley Park Campground Resort, Flamborough
Olympia Village RV Park & Campground, Waterdown
Birley Gates Camping, Brant
Chiefswood Park, Ohsweken
Consider A Cabin
Camping doesn’t HAVE to mean sleeping in a tent. The new Chiefswood Park Cabins offer a rustic stay in the Carolinian forest. There’s a fire pit for evening s’mores and the opportunity to try some traditional Indigenous activities like lacrosse, Double Ball, Long Ball and Snow Snake. Toronto West KOA in Campbellville also offers cabin rentals.
Pair Camping Fun With A Hotel Stay
Combining daytime outdoor fun like paddling, hiking and fishing with an overnight stay at a cozy hotel is a great way to have a woodsy getaway with a lot less packing and organizing and far fewer mosquitos! Here are just a few local suggestions.
Grand Experiences’ Weekend in Paris Adventure includes your choice of a paddling, hiking or cycling excursion and an overnight stay at the historic Arlington Hotel.
Pair up a chartered fishing trip out of Oakville’s Bronte Harbour with Hearn Fishing Charters with a stay at an Oakville hotel with a pool, like Holiday Inn Oakville, Hilton Garden Inn or Sandman Hotel.
Zipline through the treetops at Treetop Trekking in Hamilton and afterward cool off at a nearby hotel with a pool like BW Premier C Hotel, Staybridge Suites, Courtyard by Marriott or Four Points by Sheraton.
Cycle the 50-km HamBur Loop from Hamilton to Burlington and spend the night at Burlington’s Waterfront Hotel.
Kick Backyard Camping Up A Notch
If getting away overnight just isn’t possible, invest what you’d have spent on a campsite to make your own backyard camping experience a little more special.
Order in some really great barbecue from a local favourite like Stoney Creek’s Memphis Fire Barbeque Company, Hamilton’s Saltlick Smokehouse, Camp 31 in Paris or Georgetown’s Hungry Hollow Smokehouse.
Outdoor activity kits are another fun way to keep little campers busy in your own backyard. They’ll love Terra Greenhouses’ DIY Butterfly House Kits, Wildlife Insect Habitat Kits, Birdhouse Kit and Birdfeeder Kits.
Do you have other suggestions for keeping your campers happy this summer? Share your ideas with us by tagging your pictures on social media with #stayandplayinhhb.
