Selkirk Provincial Park
Selkirk Provincial Park
3.5
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- jim mLondon, Canada5 contributionsCheck vehicle before a tripIt was ok but avoid jul. + Aug, kids are up late playing and yelling,ya ,we go to bed early-- old farts .first problem,driving to site,there are ditches with culverts on both sides of roadways to camp areas.the camper tire went into the ditch---our door steps were bent and a scissor support also.you must really turn wide to avoid it.wife gave me hell-- bad driver.ditch pipe was really bent from other campers! Yes -- a good thing -yes water to our site had pressure,the pump could sleep. stony Beach - gotta sit there in the breeze at the,nice quiet area---also our u joint was flapping-- got worried ,called CAA ,had it towed to CTC dunnville.maybe get a safety check before a trip , we didnt. Happy camping!Visited August 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten August 22, 2024
- LJP1971Toronto, Canada62 contributionsA great park, great camping sites, pretty, clean and well managed.A small gem amongst the many provincial parks in Ontario. We were here for a week in August, in our 36 ft RV and had a fabulous time. The park is one of the smaller parks and has a cozy feel to it. The camp sites are all very well maintained and grassy and clean. There’s a nice hiking trail which is quite easy and good for bikes too. There’s ample beach access and in our campsite there was a dedicated launch spot to launch kayaks and canoes from into the river. The entire area is very well managed and clean and campers range from families, to couples and lots of dogs. Everyone was very respectful of park rules and dogs were always on leash. We had some neighbours who were very loud, playing music which you could hear from quite a distance. The park warden had a word with them and they turned the noise down. No issues, everyone treated respectfully. If you have an RV I recommend sites 73, 75, 88 but really any site is good. Will definitely be back!Visited August 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten September 2, 2024
- Janet K6 contributionsGreat Hidden GemFor a small park,we were pleasantly surprised. The Staff were very friendly and the Sites were very spacious. Having water hookups on site was an added bonus. The Comfort Stations were very well kept and plenty of hot water to be found. Will definitely returnVisited October 2024Travelled with familyWritten October 14, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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3.5
69 reviews
Excellent
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Very good
28
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Terrible
6
CdnGoldy
Kitchener, Canada990 contributions
Jun 2021 • Family
First, what we didn't like: this Park is in an area of Ontario with a high concentration of Deer ticks, which can cause Lyme disease among other ills. So we checked our grandchildren carefully after walks, hikes, playground time etc.
This park is right on Lake Erie with a rocky beach and seaweed. It also has a playground, small store, and a short nature trail with a boardwalk over a beautiful marsh area. There are horseshoe pits too.
While we were there, a very large storm caused some flooding (not in the park), and the trailer sanitation site was closed when we needed it. :(
Our campsite was in area 2, close to comfort stations containing flush toilets, showers and maybe laundry facilities. Our campsite was a very large site, fairly private, with short grass over the entire site. Someone was maintaining a bird feeder on our site so were treated to cardinals, red wing blackbirds, mourning doves and many other birds visiting constantly.
This park is right on Lake Erie with a rocky beach and seaweed. It also has a playground, small store, and a short nature trail with a boardwalk over a beautiful marsh area. There are horseshoe pits too.
While we were there, a very large storm caused some flooding (not in the park), and the trailer sanitation site was closed when we needed it. :(
Our campsite was in area 2, close to comfort stations containing flush toilets, showers and maybe laundry facilities. Our campsite was a very large site, fairly private, with short grass over the entire site. Someone was maintaining a bird feeder on our site so were treated to cardinals, red wing blackbirds, mourning doves and many other birds visiting constantly.
Written June 29, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AMsays
Thornhill, Canada5,034 contributions
Aug 2021
Along the shores of Lake Erie, this beautiful 73 hectares park provides camping, picnicking and swimming. There are 4 Campgrounds with about 150 sites. We stayed in campground 4 for a few days. The sites are big, well groomed with the usual picnic table and pit, some have electricity, most don't. The park has an East and West Trail loop of 1 km each. In my early morning walks I saw a couple of Voles that scampered off even though I was tiptoeing. Whilst swimming I saw 4 hawks that kept circling above. Maybe Voles for dinner? Of course there's the usual squawking ducks, honking geese and noisy cicadas.
The only thing I found unacceptable was the state of the vault toilets near the beach area. They were exceptionally dirty even though we were told they are cleaned twice a day. Also, watch out for the rocks in the lake close to the beach. Once beyond the first 20 feet, they turn into sand. Wear your water shoes!
The only thing I found unacceptable was the state of the vault toilets near the beach area. They were exceptionally dirty even though we were told they are cleaned twice a day. Also, watch out for the rocks in the lake close to the beach. Once beyond the first 20 feet, they turn into sand. Wear your water shoes!
Written September 4, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
curtis
Region of Waterloo, Canada7 contributions
Aug 2020
the road going in was like a dust bowl.. Might have been new gravel. Surely they could water the roads or put down some sort of dust control down.. The trailer dump station only has one hookup to dump sewage and the water fill is located in the same lineup.. Be prepared for a long wait at rush times.. When arriving get water at any empty campsite and don't wait in line.. The park staff don't offer any advice like this, you have to fend for yourself.
Written August 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TravelG392
Toronto, Canada38 contributions
Jun 2020
I've camped here twice, first time was a few years ago and it dropped to 8 degrees and poured rain the entire time, so that trip just turned into a survival mission. The most recent time, June 2020, I figured I'd give it another shot and went with my dog.
Check in was fast, our site was large and private, we enjoyed the dog beach, campground was quiet and we enjoyed ourselves. Its a southern Ontario campground that doesn't require the 3+ hour drive to and from that the northern ones require, so for that its just fine.
Check in was fast, our site was large and private, we enjoyed the dog beach, campground was quiet and we enjoyed ourselves. Its a southern Ontario campground that doesn't require the 3+ hour drive to and from that the northern ones require, so for that its just fine.
Written September 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dave B
Simcoe, Canada24 contributions
May 2023 • Couples
This quiet provincial park on lake Eire is a bird lover’s dream. There are plenty of migrating birds to see here. The amazing sounds of song birds are everywhere. The sites are well maintained, grassy and open; not very private. Electrical sites have water hook up for RV’s . A 25 ft power cord is sufficient.
We encountered no bugs, perhaps because of the large number of birds. The park has playgrounds, a pet beach and picnic area. There is only one trail, Wheeler’s trail, a 1.2km hike with some muddy areas and a board walk. There is a bridge across the beautiful marsh lands. There is one filling/dumping station with only one tower. Our wait time to dump on a long weekend was half an hour.
The closest towns within 30 minutes are Port Dover, Hagersville, Jarvis, Cayuga, and Simcoe. There is the small village of Selkirk nearby. Wheeler road is noisy with traffic occasionally going by. My rating is 3.25 stars out of 5
We encountered no bugs, perhaps because of the large number of birds. The park has playgrounds, a pet beach and picnic area. There is only one trail, Wheeler’s trail, a 1.2km hike with some muddy areas and a board walk. There is a bridge across the beautiful marsh lands. There is one filling/dumping station with only one tower. Our wait time to dump on a long weekend was half an hour.
The closest towns within 30 minutes are Port Dover, Hagersville, Jarvis, Cayuga, and Simcoe. There is the small village of Selkirk nearby. Wheeler road is noisy with traffic occasionally going by. My rating is 3.25 stars out of 5
Written July 25, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Explorer_IM
Cambridge, Canada561 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
Another beautiful provincial park in the banks of Lake Erie that we visited recently is beautiful. The drive their is not at all crazy rather it is via quiet county roads and you can enjoy natural beauty all along. Even the Lake Erie decided to be super quiet here. The dandy beach area is small but looked clean and people were enjoying it. The washrooms were okay.
Written July 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sherrill G
Providenciales5 contributions
Jun 2024 • Couples
Such a lovely area ruined by putting a park in. Sites were populated with large groups of people who drove to the only shower/washroom area in the park, occupying all the stalls and bathrooms. Filthy washrooms and showers. Too many tents on many sites, young inexperienced staff was indifferent and did not monitor noise levels, barking dogs, too many people on one site, powerful lights flooding the area all night. At one point the only washrooms were closed including the only handicapped washroom and shower in the park. I was told they would t be fixed for three days because of the holiday and they couldn't get a plumber to come in. We were forced to drive 1/2 hr to buy a portable toilet just to have somewhere to go. Very limited facilities for camping, 3 flushing toilets and 6 showers for the entire park. Some outhouse type toilets sparsely dispersed around the park.
On a positive note, so many birds and rare species, as the park is on a migration path. Many rare birds can be heard, if you can hear them over the barking dogs. Many kinds of wild fruits and plants such as wild onion and leeks.
Should be returned to nature.
On a positive note, so many birds and rare species, as the park is on a migration path. Many rare birds can be heard, if you can hear them over the barking dogs. Many kinds of wild fruits and plants such as wild onion and leeks.
Should be returned to nature.
Written July 1, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Oradeanul
Brampton1 contribution
Jul 2022
We stood on site #43 during the Canada day long weekend for 3 night. The right across toilets were fitly and stinky, wind would carry the strong odor of urine and feces smell all across the area making our stay uncomfortable. All the young guys who manage the campground is to spray foam in the morning.
The camp sites main collecting garbage area has 3 wide open garbage containers over the night. I had a funny experience to see dozens of raccoons pairs of eyes coming from the garbage large containers, when I got there to place our site garbage so we do not have to keep it in the car. A great source of pest infection. Way to go!
The camp sites main collecting garbage area has 3 wide open garbage containers over the night. I had a funny experience to see dozens of raccoons pairs of eyes coming from the garbage large containers, when I got there to place our site garbage so we do not have to keep it in the car. A great source of pest infection. Way to go!
Written July 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SeasideSteph
Toronto, Canada128 contributions
Jul 2012 • Couples
I've just returned from what should have been a two night camping trip to Selkirk Provincial Park, Ontario. We only stayed for one night. However, this was in part due to our forgetting to bring the inflatable matress, which made tent-sleeping uncomfortable.
SELKIRK
Selkirk Provincial Park is a tiny provincial park located on the shores of Lake Erie in Selkirk, Ontario, about 2.5 hours south west of Toronto. Selkirk Provincial Park is east of Port Dover and south of Hagersville.
PARK ENTRANCE AND STORE
Selkirk Provincial Park seems to be surrounded by farmland. At the entrance to the park is registrations and the park store. Check-in to your campsite is after 2PM. Don't forget your confirmation papers. The park staff are friendly and knowledgeable. You can buy a multitude of camping items here such as fire-starter, snacks, wood and kindling. One bag of wood is $6.50 and a bag of kindling is $4.00. We used 2 bags of wood and 1 bag of kindling in one night.
Please do not bring your own wood. Ontario Parks is working hard to ensure the containment of invasive species like the The emerald ash borer. Saving a few dollars isn't worth the risk it places on our forests.
Once you've signed in, the campsites are not far from the store at all.
CAMPSITES
We stayed in Campground 1 at site 21. This site offered excellent privacy and was radio and pet permitting. There was good sun and shade and a picnic table and fire pit. The rest of Campground 1 on the interior loop offered lots of treed space with good privacy for other tent campers, however there were some sites that were extremely exposed.
From what I saw of Campground 3 which is radio-free, there was little privacy for campers here. We did not visit Campgrounds 2 or 4.
LAKE ERIE
It was really hot and one of the main reasons we booked Selkirk was to swim in the described shallow beach area with warm and welcoming waters. On approach to the beach, I began to smell an intense odour that I thought was coming from the outhouses. Southern Ontario was coping with a heat wave so it was quite plausible that this was the cause. Unfortunately, the smell was coming from the lake. The lake smelled extremely foul, not fishy but like sewage, and the shoreline was encrusted with bright green fuzzy algae. The water was also very murky, topped off with a gigantic dead fish floating in the muck. I grew up next to lakes in the Trent Severn region of north eastern Ontario and am familiar with regular smells and sites of lakes... and everything about this beach said don't go in. This is not based on any facts, only my gut, therefore it may be baseless. Disappointed we returned to camp. During the evening and into the morning, wafts of this unpleasant lake odour would pass through our site.
NIGHT TIME
Once we headed to bed, I believe the park rangers came around at 11pm and asked that all radios be turned off. Other campers were relatively respectful and kept quite. There are raccoons so be sure to put your food into your car.
In conclusion, we saw one rabbit and a raccoon. There is Poison Ivy at Selkirk, but not that much. Take some time to familiarize yourself with it so you know what to avoid. There is only one hiking trail that is 2 km - I didn't visit it. Most of the tent campsites were decent and the park staff were very friendly. However the beach situation was a big turn-off. Taking time off work, booking and arranging the whole trip only to find the swimming area like that was really disappointing.
Overall, Selkirk is ok, but I don't think I'd go back.
SELKIRK
Selkirk Provincial Park is a tiny provincial park located on the shores of Lake Erie in Selkirk, Ontario, about 2.5 hours south west of Toronto. Selkirk Provincial Park is east of Port Dover and south of Hagersville.
PARK ENTRANCE AND STORE
Selkirk Provincial Park seems to be surrounded by farmland. At the entrance to the park is registrations and the park store. Check-in to your campsite is after 2PM. Don't forget your confirmation papers. The park staff are friendly and knowledgeable. You can buy a multitude of camping items here such as fire-starter, snacks, wood and kindling. One bag of wood is $6.50 and a bag of kindling is $4.00. We used 2 bags of wood and 1 bag of kindling in one night.
Please do not bring your own wood. Ontario Parks is working hard to ensure the containment of invasive species like the The emerald ash borer. Saving a few dollars isn't worth the risk it places on our forests.
Once you've signed in, the campsites are not far from the store at all.
CAMPSITES
We stayed in Campground 1 at site 21. This site offered excellent privacy and was radio and pet permitting. There was good sun and shade and a picnic table and fire pit. The rest of Campground 1 on the interior loop offered lots of treed space with good privacy for other tent campers, however there were some sites that were extremely exposed.
From what I saw of Campground 3 which is radio-free, there was little privacy for campers here. We did not visit Campgrounds 2 or 4.
LAKE ERIE
It was really hot and one of the main reasons we booked Selkirk was to swim in the described shallow beach area with warm and welcoming waters. On approach to the beach, I began to smell an intense odour that I thought was coming from the outhouses. Southern Ontario was coping with a heat wave so it was quite plausible that this was the cause. Unfortunately, the smell was coming from the lake. The lake smelled extremely foul, not fishy but like sewage, and the shoreline was encrusted with bright green fuzzy algae. The water was also very murky, topped off with a gigantic dead fish floating in the muck. I grew up next to lakes in the Trent Severn region of north eastern Ontario and am familiar with regular smells and sites of lakes... and everything about this beach said don't go in. This is not based on any facts, only my gut, therefore it may be baseless. Disappointed we returned to camp. During the evening and into the morning, wafts of this unpleasant lake odour would pass through our site.
NIGHT TIME
Once we headed to bed, I believe the park rangers came around at 11pm and asked that all radios be turned off. Other campers were relatively respectful and kept quite. There are raccoons so be sure to put your food into your car.
In conclusion, we saw one rabbit and a raccoon. There is Poison Ivy at Selkirk, but not that much. Take some time to familiarize yourself with it so you know what to avoid. There is only one hiking trail that is 2 km - I didn't visit it. Most of the tent campsites were decent and the park staff were very friendly. However the beach situation was a big turn-off. Taking time off work, booking and arranging the whole trip only to find the swimming area like that was really disappointing.
Overall, Selkirk is ok, but I don't think I'd go back.
Written July 13, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Becky D
London, Canada1 contribution
Jun 2014 • Couples
Just returned from Selkirk Provincial Park, Ontario - actually, cut the trip short by half because the park was so incredibly disappointing. We set out hoping to check out a new provincial park, walk some new hiking trails and enjoy a new beach. Unfortunately, none of those nice things happened.
Upon entering the park, the driveway area leading up to the check in office was a chaotic mess. An immediate backup formed due to lack of proper space for vehicles to maneuver. Wondering what had caused the backup as we joined the check in line, the reason became immediately apparent; the staff members checking in the guests were the slowest I have ever seen, and we ultimately waited over 30 minutes in line with only 4 campsites ahead of us. Bug bitten before even reaching the front gate, and extremely frustrated with entire initial experience, we headed over to the woodshed to pick up the wettest and most disappointing wood we've picked up in a provincial park yet.
Up next, we drove to our campsite to discover, to our dismay, that we were located immediately next to the washroom, a thing which we had deliberately tried to avoid by pouring over the reservation map to ensure we were not in potty county. Tired and already pretty bummed we made the best of it while being totally annoyed by several people playing loud stereos in our supposedly "radio-free" area.
Waking up the next morning didn't improve things much; we spent 45 minutes walking the extent of their poorly maintained hiking trails, and then decided to hit the beach. Immediately after clearing the rise of the hill before the beach we were assaulted with a horrifying smell and a foul looking beach. Walking a bit further down, we discovered clouds of sewage-smells algae clogged with garbage and bits of plastic. We found it atrocious to notice that parents were letting their children swim less than 100 meters up the beach from this disgusting sight.
After virtually running away from the beach, we also discovered that there is only one shower facility for the entire campsite, buried in the middle of a section we were not staying in. With no shade, no beach, & nowhere else to walk we decided to call it quits and leave before dinner. Home now and relieved we did.
TLDR: Selkirk is a horrible camping experience, and you'd be better off camping in a strangers backyard.
Upon entering the park, the driveway area leading up to the check in office was a chaotic mess. An immediate backup formed due to lack of proper space for vehicles to maneuver. Wondering what had caused the backup as we joined the check in line, the reason became immediately apparent; the staff members checking in the guests were the slowest I have ever seen, and we ultimately waited over 30 minutes in line with only 4 campsites ahead of us. Bug bitten before even reaching the front gate, and extremely frustrated with entire initial experience, we headed over to the woodshed to pick up the wettest and most disappointing wood we've picked up in a provincial park yet.
Up next, we drove to our campsite to discover, to our dismay, that we were located immediately next to the washroom, a thing which we had deliberately tried to avoid by pouring over the reservation map to ensure we were not in potty county. Tired and already pretty bummed we made the best of it while being totally annoyed by several people playing loud stereos in our supposedly "radio-free" area.
Waking up the next morning didn't improve things much; we spent 45 minutes walking the extent of their poorly maintained hiking trails, and then decided to hit the beach. Immediately after clearing the rise of the hill before the beach we were assaulted with a horrifying smell and a foul looking beach. Walking a bit further down, we discovered clouds of sewage-smells algae clogged with garbage and bits of plastic. We found it atrocious to notice that parents were letting their children swim less than 100 meters up the beach from this disgusting sight.
After virtually running away from the beach, we also discovered that there is only one shower facility for the entire campsite, buried in the middle of a section we were not staying in. With no shade, no beach, & nowhere else to walk we decided to call it quits and leave before dinner. Home now and relieved we did.
TLDR: Selkirk is a horrible camping experience, and you'd be better off camping in a strangers backyard.
Written June 28, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Where did you get the ticks on you and should we be prepared and buy tick tweezers
Written June 27, 2018
Do not use tweezers since the tick could break in half and be imbedded deeply -- instead -- apply Palmolive dish soap on the tick and it will exit the skin
Written June 30, 2020
We used tweezers to remove the ticks, it was painless.
Written June 27, 2018
I have a trailer and want to camp at Selkirk this weekend. there are a few non-reservable site open, but they have NO TENT restriction. My kids are older now and like to stay in their own tent, not in our camper. What is this NO Tent thing? Anyone have a reason why they would say NO TENT... do they actually not allow a tent on the site?
Written September 2, 2016
Call the Park. We stayed twice this year and staff were very pleasant and helpful. Some sites are very small, maybe that's the reason.
Written September 2, 2016
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