Shore Acres Campground – May 2017

Shore Acres Park in Port Dover was not a disappointment! Despite the weather, we had a great time here. We debated cancelling the weekend altogether once we were sure the forecast wasn’t going to change from the record amount of rain expected! The weekend actually began rather badly with a visit to our storage facility to pick up the fiver. The plan was for me to go out before Dave finished work, turn on the battery disconnect, the propane and  the fridge. Load what was left of supplies in the fiver then hook it up so that we were ready to leave when Dave arrived. It shouldn’t have been a surprise, but our fiver was surrounded by a lake of water! I got the job done and was happy to change into dry clothes and shoes when Dave arrived.  The drive west is always so nice. We took Hwy #3 to Hwy #6 south straight into Port Dover.

Nothing strikes fear into the heart of an RVer like a “Detour” sign! Two streets before our turn to get to the campground, they’d closed down Hwy#6. I called the campground to let them know we’d be a little delayed and they helped us with directions to back track to get to our destination. We arrived in between raindrops and were able to set up before the next round of rain moved in. I wasn’t sure about the site I originally booked – #16, but upon arrival, I was sure I didn’t want it. Fortunately there were plenty of other sites available. We moved to #14. Although not very close to the lake, the view of the green space behind and Lake Erie in the distance was spectacular!

We were amazed at how well landscaped and run this park was. The green spaces were trimmed up nice, the roads well cared for, the lakefront area very nicely kept and the campsites themselves very level with a stone pad for the picnic tables. Upon our walks around the park we seen wood ducks, woodpeckers, numerous finches, cardinals, robins and Dave saw a fox on his way fishing. Here are some photos of the lakefront:

And here are some photos of the cute little wood ducks!

Here are some photos of the park:

We took off into Port Dover to find some perch fillets for sale and take a look at the waterfront. Lake Erie didn’t look anywhere near as high water level wise, as Lake Ontario which is overflowing it’s banks where we live in St.Catharines. We found a fish mongers in the fishing area of the pier and bought a pound of perch to fry up for dinner and a pound of pickerel to cook on a later date. Here are some photos of our visit to Port Dover.

After our little trip to Port Dover, Dave decided to so some fishing in the rain back at camp. Along the shore was a rocky outcrop which he thought looked like a good spot. Turns out it was! He caught a couple monster carp and a very fat catfish.

We spent the rest of the day under the awning with the propane fire going. We might have been able to have a real fire, but we parked our fiver too close to the firepit thinking we’d never have one anyway due to the rain. Despite the rain, it was a wonderful weekend. We ate well, slept well, got in lots of walking and really enjoyed our stay at this park.

So let me tell you a little about the park and give you our review! Shore Acres is located about 10 minutes west of Port Dover on Radical Road. It’s a beautiful, well kept campground right on the shores of Lake Erie! All campsites have three way service – 30 amp, water and sewer. Most have either a gravel pad or a beautiful, level grassy pad. The overnight sites are not very private and rather close together but some have a beautiful view of the Lake. Sites 11-16, 17 and 10 all have water views. All are back in sites, but there is plenty of space for big rigs especially on sites 11-16. Backing in is very easy!

The park manager, Joanne is very friendly and very helpful. She showed us to our site after hours and made sure we were happy with it. Aside from friendly service, the park has a rec hall, gym (yes workout room), library, laundry facilities and of course washrooms and showers. The beach looks very nice and there is a place to drive down and drop off your kayaks which can be stored on the kayak rack provided and launched into Lake Erie. There is a nice kids playground and plenty of well groomed, nicely cut grassy areas for sports like soccer or football.

There are some rules at this park such as no tents nor pets allowed. As is the case with most parks, no outside firewood either. This park was so nice that we are honestly considering a seasonal site here for next year, depending upon what’s available when the time comes.

So, if you don’t have pets and you have an RV and are looking for a very nice, clean, well run campground near Port Dover, I’d highly recommend this one.

Here’s a link to the Shore Acres website:

http://www.shoreacrespark.ca/

And to Port Dover in case you’re looking for things to do their!

https://www.norfolktourism.ca/port-dover/

Hope you’ve enjoyed this review!

HAPPY CAMPING!!!