Driftwood Provincial Park
Driftwood Provincial Park
4
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
43 reviews
Excellent
18
Very good
17
Average
7
Poor
1
Terrible
0
MyTravelAdventures
Toronto, Canada98 contributions
Aug 2022 • Couples
This park is gorgeous. We walked around quite a bit and noted that most sites are pretty private. Lots of trees, quiet at night. Comfort stations and area toilets (flushies) were very clean. It’s 5 hours from us, but we’ll be back!
Written August 17, 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.
Patsy B
Elliot Lake, Canada225 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
We stayed for four days in one of thr pull through sites. We were at site 73. This and the sites on either side are not level in the least. The people beside us moved. Most of the pull through sites are level. The sites are fairly big and private. We walked through to the other electrical sites and they looked good. The non electric sites are on the river. The beach was close by and sandy and shallow. We went on the beaver dam trail. There are five or six trails in the park. We saw an albino squirrel. Yates general store in Stonecliffe has everything you need including gas and firewood. I have to mention that the wood bags are not recyclsble ad are not picked up from the permit post. Use the garbage. I recommend this park and plan to stay there next year.
Written August 29, 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.
Pam C
Victoria, Canada39 contributions
Aug 2013 • Couples
This is a wonderful , smallish Prov.Park....with many campsites located right on a Bay created after damming on the Ottawa river....it faces out onto the mouth of the famous Dumoine river, a favourite whitewater canoeing river in Quebec.
Sites are large, exposed to prevailing breezes which keep the mosquitoes at bay for the mot part..it is very scenic. Hiking trails lead to some wonderful views.
Park is clean, well maintained and a real gem.
Sites are large, exposed to prevailing breezes which keep the mosquitoes at bay for the mot part..it is very scenic. Hiking trails lead to some wonderful views.
Park is clean, well maintained and a real gem.
Written June 8, 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.
iLOVEspringROLLS
Ottawa, Canada9 contributions
May 2013 • Couples
We weren't sure what to expect given that there aren't many reviews available for this campground. We stayed in the Brumm section and found the sites to be of good quality for the most part. With a trailer that's over 33' long, we need a site that gives us plenty of space to set up. Our pull thru site provided enough space for the trailer, tow vehicle, awning, large screen tent, 2 additional vehicles (visitors who should have parked elsewhere in hindsight), all while still having enough room to get a good sized fire going.
The unserviced sites along the lower section of the campground have great views of the water.
We were there for the opening weekend of camping season in May and were surprised that there weren't more mosquitoes. Family members joined us on this trip, and being in need of entertaining young children, they seemed a little less than impressed with the scenery in the hiking trails (they have camped in some of the most scenic parks and are used to spectacular vistas).
Staff was kind, and were happy to answer all my questions.
The unserviced sites along the lower section of the campground have great views of the water.
We were there for the opening weekend of camping season in May and were surprised that there weren't more mosquitoes. Family members joined us on this trip, and being in need of entertaining young children, they seemed a little less than impressed with the scenery in the hiking trails (they have camped in some of the most scenic parks and are used to spectacular vistas).
Staff was kind, and were happy to answer all my questions.
Written June 17, 2013
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.
Marc C
Rockland, Canada20 contributions
Aug 2015 • Family
A nice campground to sit back and enjoy some brews.....beautiful sunsets.....can be very windy and storms can happen pretty quick.
Written October 13, 2015
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.
cdnhart
Ottawa, Canada91 contributions
Jun 2015 • Friends
This park has a beautiful location right on the ottawa River, although it is wide enough at this point to be considered a lake. We come here year after year to relax on the sandy, shallow beach and enjoy the scenery. A short kayak ride took us to a small island where a loon was nesting and around the point was a small waterfall. The sites are well cared for and relatively quiet.
Written June 30, 2015
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.
Lisa P
Minden12 contributions
Jun 2013 • Family
Driftwood is an amazing place to camp! If you can get a site by the water, you will experience the most amazing sunsets over the ottawa river. The beach area is nice and quiet,and swimming from your campsite is great, you can walk out for a ways on a nice sand bottom. The main washrooms are nice and clean, they have showers and laundry. The 'outhouses' have flushable toilets and running water. Our family goes to driftwood atleast 2 times a year. I highly recommend this site!
Written August 5, 2013
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.
Amber N
Ottawa, Canada84 contributions
Jul 2014 • Family
Camping right on the water with our own little patch of beach was really nice. A highlight was seeing a group of five river otters swimming past us just off shore. The water is shallow and safe for smaller children. Excellent canoe and boat access. The views of the Laurentians are gorgeous, and we enjoyed many of the hiking trails. Note: The riverside sites face the prevailing winds, so if you're in a tent, keep that in mind if you experience a storm or high-wind conditions! Driftwood is a smaller provincial park that's much better if you want a few days of alone time with the family as opposed to heading to a larger main beach where everyone gathers. (There is a main beach but it's a good walk away if you're camping riverside.) One odd thing we did note was the lack of bear-safe garbage receptacles or recycling bins. We asked staff and they told us to use the bathroom garbages at the comfort station which were very small and not meant for food waste and campsite garbage!
Written July 15, 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.
Larry W
Ottawa, Canada29 contributions
Aug 2013 • Family
I beautiful smaller park with fantastic bay side sites. Wonderful scenery and good walking trails.
This park is more isolated than others in terms of nearby towns etc., but still a nice place to relax.
All the sites are suitable, the staff is warm and friendly but watch out for cool nights in August .
This park is more isolated than others in terms of nearby towns etc., but still a nice place to relax.
All the sites are suitable, the staff is warm and friendly but watch out for cool nights in August .
Written August 27, 2013
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.
Ken M
Ottawa, Canada30 contributions
Aug 2023 • Solo
First time at driftwood after having stayed at dozens of Ontario parks - and its worth visit.
Pros include easy to access car camp sites, a shower station with laundry machines, majority of sites on the water, family friendly for kids and pets. And the sunsets are famous just based on how the park is situated.
Cons include poor privacy between sites, sandy ground cover for set up, wood for sale is somehow in smaller bags than Algonquin (for example) —and perhaps the biggest con is the Ottawa River. For context, having lived on the river for 50 years, it has its up’s and downs-sometimes low water, sometimes quality issues and this time blue green algae —which closed the beach on this visit. And while beautiful, the water can also be pretty choppy/windy for paddling -so checking wind conditions is worth it.
Best advice-don’t let cons stop your visit but call ahead to check water quality and And look for private wood sales on the highway on your way to get value for money.
Pros include easy to access car camp sites, a shower station with laundry machines, majority of sites on the water, family friendly for kids and pets. And the sunsets are famous just based on how the park is situated.
Cons include poor privacy between sites, sandy ground cover for set up, wood for sale is somehow in smaller bags than Algonquin (for example) —and perhaps the biggest con is the Ottawa River. For context, having lived on the river for 50 years, it has its up’s and downs-sometimes low water, sometimes quality issues and this time blue green algae —which closed the beach on this visit. And while beautiful, the water can also be pretty choppy/windy for paddling -so checking wind conditions is worth it.
Best advice-don’t let cons stop your visit but call ahead to check water quality and And look for private wood sales on the highway on your way to get value for money.
Written August 22, 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.
Hey Everyone; Just wondering if anyone is familiar with the boat docking protocol. I know there's a boat launch, but when I'm done boating for the day, can I keep my boat at a dock? Is there a fee? Do I have to take it out of the water? Can I keep it at the beach near my site? Thanks so much,
Pete
St. Catharines, ON
Written April 21, 2019
Hi I'm planning on bringing a canoe with me and would like to know if there is close spots to go ?
Written August 20, 2017
Hello Mark, YES! Driftwood park is tailor made for canoeing. If you get a camp site over on the west side close to the water you can launch right from your site into the wide Ottawa river. There are lots of small islands and secluded places to explore that you can only get to by boat. Be careful if the weather turns rough. Because the Ottawa river is so wide at this point, the waves can be pretty big if it gets windy. Enjoy!
Written August 20, 2017
The trails are set up like loops (they colour code them.. red, yellow, green, etc.), and each one isn't very long - maybe averaging around 4km? To get to some loops you have to go on other loops (you can't get to green without using blue), and if you string them all together then you can get something longer. A little warning though, some of the hikes were inaccessible while I was there a few weeks ago - read my review for details. Good luck!
Written June 5, 2017
Group site # 2 is fairly close to a comfort station, the road, and the Look Out hiking trail. It is large and wide open but is surrounded by trees and gives good privacy. It is a beautiful spot but you will have to walk a fair distance (or drive) to get to any of the beaches.
Group site # 1 is not close to anything and you would have to walk or drive even further to get to one of the beaches.
Written November 6, 2017
Does anyone know how much it is to rent a Motorboat at Driftwood, or how to reserve one?
Written May 26, 2016
Hi Laney,
Please call the park office directly.
You can find that number on our website.
Sincerely,
Ontario Parks
Written June 24, 2016
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