Fifty Point Conservation Area – July 2015

 

We were looking for a park that was relatively close to home for a weekend trip. Fifty Point fit our requirements. It was under an hour from home and as a nice bonus, had full hookups. This was our first visit to Fifty Point and we weren’t sure what to expect. Opinions varied online as can be expected and of course, I’m always one to try out new parks at least once despite any negative reviews. So, we arrived on a Friday night and were checked in by a very nice gal at the front office. I had already reserved, but had forgotten to enter our Hamilton Conservation Area pass and had missed out on my discount. She refunded me the cash once she realized in the system that I was a valid card holder. 

Our site was a nice, level gravel pad with 30 amp electric, water and a sewer hookup. The reservation system didn’t show site photos, so I just guessed and picked any site. The only overnight sites available are sites 50-80. I booked #74.  There were better ones available in the loop we were in. Unfortunately the main downside to our site was that it was full sun. Pretty much all of them in this loop are. 

We quickly got set up and enjoyed a nice cool drink and some relaxing time outside. It was already evening by the time we were ready to explore and seeing the park was important to us. We walked to the dog beach first and found it to be a great place to launch our kayaks!

 

Next we walked to the day use area and main beach on Lake Ontario. The change rooms and washrooms looked very clean and modern. The beach wasn’t too bad either. 

 

 

Fifty Point Conservation Area has a full facility marina with two boat launches. It’s very large!

 

So what is there to do at Fifty Point? Well, besides the ability to launch a kayak or canoe and relax on the beach, you can also walk through the park and enjoy birding! Yes, this Fifty Point is considered one of the hot spots in Niagara for bird watching! You can also visit “The Landing” restaurant at the marina, take in one of the events the park offers or cast a line into their stocked pond and hope to catch a beautiful rainbow trout! Here are some photos of the fishing pond:

 

Friday night I awoke to the wind rattling the awning. I brought it in and noticed lightening in the distance. A storm was rolling in! I stayed up and watched it roll through. Very beautiful!

 

Saturday we enjoyed company. My brother, father, niece and great niece joined us for a BBQ. We played games, enjoyed great food and each others company!

Before I give my review of Fifty Point, here are some photos of the campground –

 

 

So, for my review – Fifty Point is a very clean, quiet,  well run campground! We found no litter on the campground roads, the comfort stations were very clean and the staff helpful. One of the most often mentioned negative thing I’ve heard about Fifty Point is the lack of individual campsite firepits. Yes, that is true. There is one common firepit at the comfort stations. It seems that the park leaves wood at this firepit for anyone that wants to have one. We started one on Saturday night and enjoyed it very much. It’s basically first come, first served or join in and meet new campers. I suppose for some that would be a major negative point, but for us being out every other weekend, it isn’t. If we really wanted one, we’d still have one at the common firepit. I’d have to say the only thing I found negative was the fact that all the sites pretty much in our loop had no shade and it was a hot weekend!  Due to the lack of trees, there is a lack of privacy too. The best sites seem to be 60,62,64 and 66. They were larger and I believe some may have had a little shade. This campground looked relatively new due to the number of smaller, younger trees. 

Fifty Point wouldn’t be a park I would come to if I didn’t camp as often as I do. If I had a limited amount of time to camp, I’d go somewhere a little more private and wild, but it’s all about the experience that you wish to have. We love any and ALL camping and especially love trying new parks. This is not a wilderness park , it’s a clean, decent serviced campground in Southern Ontario, GTA in fact. It’s amazing that Fifty Point has the green spaces and waterfront areas that it does. If you’re like us and hike, kayak or sight see while camping, it’s just a really good quality place to park the trailer or RV and stay when you’re not out enjoying other things. I would absolutely recommend this park to anyone, but you have to know the type of park it is – not a wilderness setting. We love any and ALL camping and especially love trying new parks. Nothing ventured – nothing gained!!

Here are some links:

https://conservationhamilton.ca/conservation-areas-2/fifty-point-conservation-area/

https://secure.camis.com/HCA/FiftyPointConservationArea?Map

HAPPY CAMPING!