Rockwood Conservation Area
Rockwood Conservation Area
4.2
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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.
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4.2
219 reviews
Excellent
107
Very good
78
Average
19
Poor
7
Terrible
8
Elyseyy
Hanover, Canada165 contributions
Aug 2020 • Couples
My husband and I came here for a day of kayaking and hiking. I saw that some people were complaining that they couldn’t get in but we came right when they opened and had no issues. First we went kayaking and it was really beautiful. I definitely would go again. Next before we left we hiked the trails. They were also really nice and well kept. My only negative about the park was the garbage. Obviously I can’t blame the park for this because obviously humans know better than to throw their garbage everywhere. Just really makes me sad to see this at a place so beautiful. Regardless, I would definitely recommend going.
Written August 21, 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.
Michele G-W
London, Canada587 contributions
May 2022 • Couples
Went for a day trip to do some hiking. The trails were well marked and clean. Not crowded and quiet! It was a great day away and in nature.
The views overlooking the lake are beautiful. The old ruins are neat to see. Unfortunately there's a fence around them so you aren't able to get too close.
The views overlooking the lake are beautiful. The old ruins are neat to see. Unfortunately there's a fence around them so you aren't able to get too close.
Written May 20, 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.
OntarioTraveler9
Burlington, Canada994 contributions
Nov 2023 • Solo
I was pleasantly surprised with its natural beauties. I walked both the Cedar Ridge Trail and the Pothole Trail, and I thought the scenery was definitely above par. I like the Lookout point and the viewpoint was impressive. Trails were relatively easy to navigate, except when you were close to the Lookout. Just look for the signs and follow the signs and you should be alright. The woolen mill ruins and the Rockwood Falls are nice attractions too. Too bad the caves were closed for the season when I visited. I will definitely come back in the spring.
Written November 17, 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.
pophussar
Quebec City, Canada80 contributions
Aug 2020 • Couples
Nice place, very friendly staff and clean. Nice for canoe or kayak. The trails are nice and well marked. A note on the beach, it is quite nice, however be weary of bacteria ( they have warning signs describing when and how levels can rise). It is a conservation park and there are quite a few geese on the beach, as such, be weary of goose poop, of which there is quite a bit. This would mostly for folks with small children. Overall, nice beach, trails, and a very nice campsite.
Written August 4, 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.
Madison1234567
1 contribution
Jun 2015 • Family
We were so disappointed with our stay here. Our site was right beside the highway which was ridiculously loud! The staff was extremely condescending to our family from the time we arrived to the time we left. The evening of our arrival the staff came to our site to complain about our talking being too loud. We were asked shortly after that to shut down our family reunion and go to bed. We immediately put our fire out and went to bed only to be awaken by the "superintendent" David Townsend at 7:30am. He banged on our door woke up our 1 year old daughter (who I may add had no issue sleeping threw our appearent loud talking) and told us we had 1 hour to evict as "our stay here has been terminated". We were confused and angery and are still left wondering why David Townsend issued an eviction when we complied with the security staff the night before. We drove a long way and invested a lot of our money for a fun weekend only to be disappointed by such awful, confrontational security staff. I am still shocked that they had an issue with the volume of our voices as oppose to the noises of the loud highway that runs literally right behind our row of sites. My extended family and I will never return to this awful, unorganized, loud, overcrowded campground. And I would advise anyone who is considering this location to look anywhere else in Ontario.
Written June 27, 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.
blahyaddablah
Chatham, Canada60 contributions
Jul 2011
Just got back from camping at Rockwood for the first time and was impressed. My husband, 3 kids (6, 9 and 13) and I had a great time.
This is not outback camping by any means but was great for us. The park is not huge but there was a variety of activities- from exploring the mill ruins, to renting canoes/paddle boats, hiking the trails, catching crayfish in the creek...) to keep us all busy. The beach has a shallow roped off area for the kids and has a beautiful view. There is a concesssion stand selling ice cream, fries and drinks and a mini golf course. Firewood was $8 a bag and although the bag was a good size, it seemed to burn quickly. They also have a life jacket lending program so you dont have to bring your own if you plan to rent a canoe or paddle boat.
We stayed at site 196 which was a decent site. Next time I will try to rent site 195 or 199 as I feel these sites were the best for privacy in the area. Tents must be set up on the tent pads and our pad was 4m by 4m. Our campsite had plenty of trees for shade and all the sites are close to the flush toilets. The toilets were kept clean and supplies replensished regularily. Showers are 25 cents for 3 minutes.
As a few other people mentioned, the park is close to a highway so you do hear some traffic noise although it was never bothersome. Also, there is a train track nearby and on the nights we stayed, there were 2 trains with their whistles blowing during each night. This would not deter us from returning however. Be sure to put your coolers away at night and clean up your site of food as there are cleaver raccoons.
This is not outback camping by any means but was great for us. The park is not huge but there was a variety of activities- from exploring the mill ruins, to renting canoes/paddle boats, hiking the trails, catching crayfish in the creek...) to keep us all busy. The beach has a shallow roped off area for the kids and has a beautiful view. There is a concesssion stand selling ice cream, fries and drinks and a mini golf course. Firewood was $8 a bag and although the bag was a good size, it seemed to burn quickly. They also have a life jacket lending program so you dont have to bring your own if you plan to rent a canoe or paddle boat.
We stayed at site 196 which was a decent site. Next time I will try to rent site 195 or 199 as I feel these sites were the best for privacy in the area. Tents must be set up on the tent pads and our pad was 4m by 4m. Our campsite had plenty of trees for shade and all the sites are close to the flush toilets. The toilets were kept clean and supplies replensished regularily. Showers are 25 cents for 3 minutes.
As a few other people mentioned, the park is close to a highway so you do hear some traffic noise although it was never bothersome. Also, there is a train track nearby and on the nights we stayed, there were 2 trains with their whistles blowing during each night. This would not deter us from returning however. Be sure to put your coolers away at night and clean up your site of food as there are cleaver raccoons.
Written July 16, 2011
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.
kpsm33
Georgetown, Canada3 contributions
Jun 2014 • Family
Our camping experience at Rockwood Park is filled with mixed feelings. Although it is a beautiful park that offer a great beach, picnic area, trails, playground and ample camping sites, I am very disappointed with the overnight thefts that continues to be a HUGE issue at night once all campers are snuggled into their trailers for the night (not sure about the tent areas?). Each night we were at Rockwood this past weekend (June 20-22, 2014), several campers coolers were stolen. Our cooler wasn't; however, it was rummaged through. Our bacon was stolen, my bottle of wine & my tins of Perrier water (which the thiefs probably thought was beer). We stopped the park secuirty staff in the morning to see if they had any other complaints of theft throughout the night. All they said was this was an on-going issue, they said the "locals" come through the woods at night, steal the campers coolers, drag them to the bushes, go through all the coolers, take all the alcohol and leave all the food behind. They also leave the coolers in the bushes and security staff collect them all in the morning, take them to their main office where campers can claim their coolers during the day.
I believed their story the first night; however, the more I spoke to other campers about this on-going problem, and with the theft happening a second night in a row (very brave I'd say), and again, security staff turning a blind eye to this, I'm now suspicious, leery and a little bit agitated that this park would not take proper responsibility for this on-going issue.
I don't normally write reviews; however, my personal take on this, I honestly believe this could be "the locals" committing these thefts; however, I also firmly believe that it's also an internal theft too. I firmly believe some of Rockwoods staff are in on this theft by aiding the locals. If this wasn't the case, why hasn't their security been stepped up a notch? Maybe by installing security cameras or traps to help in catching these thiefs? Apparently these cooler thefts happened all last year too.
I don't knock this park, it is absolutely breath-taking and I would definitely visit again; however, just ensure you LOCK UP YOUR COOLERS AT NIGHT.
I believed their story the first night; however, the more I spoke to other campers about this on-going problem, and with the theft happening a second night in a row (very brave I'd say), and again, security staff turning a blind eye to this, I'm now suspicious, leery and a little bit agitated that this park would not take proper responsibility for this on-going issue.
I don't normally write reviews; however, my personal take on this, I honestly believe this could be "the locals" committing these thefts; however, I also firmly believe that it's also an internal theft too. I firmly believe some of Rockwoods staff are in on this theft by aiding the locals. If this wasn't the case, why hasn't their security been stepped up a notch? Maybe by installing security cameras or traps to help in catching these thiefs? Apparently these cooler thefts happened all last year too.
I don't knock this park, it is absolutely breath-taking and I would definitely visit again; however, just ensure you LOCK UP YOUR COOLERS AT NIGHT.
Written June 23, 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.
patricia H
Mississauga, Canada13 contributions
Jul 2015 • Family
This year I organized our family reunion at this park. Having been there several times, I was sure it would be a success. Unfortunately I was sadly mistaken. We had approx. 75 campers and an additional 30 people join for the day.
The first evening the campers all gathered together to catch up and sit by the fire with the roaring sounds of the highway near by. We were quickly approached by park staff to give the noise down. Even thou we did our best to comply, its difficult to keep noise to a minimum with 70 people. The next morning at 8am, 90% of our group was removed from the park. Most of which have travelled from all over, including the U.S.
This was very disappointing that they could not attend our picnic this year.
As the group organizer, I was very disappointment and embarrassed.
You should be ashamed Rockwood, for treating people this way!
The first evening the campers all gathered together to catch up and sit by the fire with the roaring sounds of the highway near by. We were quickly approached by park staff to give the noise down. Even thou we did our best to comply, its difficult to keep noise to a minimum with 70 people. The next morning at 8am, 90% of our group was removed from the park. Most of which have travelled from all over, including the U.S.
This was very disappointing that they could not attend our picnic this year.
As the group organizer, I was very disappointment and embarrassed.
You should be ashamed Rockwood, for treating people this way!
Written July 20, 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.
Debbie W
Oshawa, Canada2 contributions
Jun 2015 • Family
The superintendent of this conservation area David Townsend is the biggest problem with the reason why this park is failing so miserably. He is on some kind of power trip with the people who stay over night in this park. DO NOT give him the opportunity to subject you to this unreasonable person who should not be in a position of authority.
Written June 27, 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.
Jessica M
Region of Waterloo, Canada2 contributions
May 2015 • Couples
My boyfriend and I recently stayed two nights at Rockwood. The first night 2 of our neighbors were kicked out and we had headlights shining directly into our tent till 3am. The second night we went to the beach at 11pm to take a couple night shots (my boyfriend is a photographer) and security creeped up on us, dressed in all black, and shined their flashlight directly into our eyes. They told us we needed to leave immediately and were not allowed to leave our campsite at all after dark. We respectfully complied, but they stayed (with their flashlights still pointed at us) till we were packed up, then followed us back to the site.
beautiful park, but not worth being treated like 14 year olds in prison.
beautiful park, but not worth being treated like 14 year olds in prison.
Written May 17, 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.
Hello, coming from Sarnia, planning a day trip to Rockwood, either October 18th, 19th or 25th. Can you tell me your hours and any fees for day pass. Maureen
Written October 8, 2019
Maureen, visit the Rockwood website for a detailed information. However I do know the fee was around $7 when I visited with family, they also have family pass. Parking is extra. They open from 8am till dusk I believe. Services are limited after mid October till April.
I'd recommend you visit their website for more information.
Enjoy the beauty of Rockwood & best of luck.
Written October 9, 2019
Hi I sometimes go to Rockwood to paint will be there on Monday (Tomorrow). Do you have a website with some of your works. I go out each Sunday with other artists in Halton Hills.
Written October 7, 2018
So sorry - thought I answered this when it first arrived in my box. I am never in Halton Hills to paint.
Written January 25, 2019
Hi I belive it could be about 7 dollars for adult. I have pass to enter
Written October 9, 2019
Are canoe/kayak rentals available by the first weekend of May? Thanks.
Written March 2, 2018
cynthiadbs17
Hamilton, Canada
Hey! Are you allowed to use motor boats in this area?
Written February 28, 2018
I don't believe you can use motorized boats here either.
Written March 1, 2018
I am looking for a beach where the water is clean, near Guelph. I am not happy with Guelph Lake and thought Rockwood might offer something cleaner. How is the water, and how do I find the place from Guelph, please?
Written September 17, 2017
I would say the water is cleaner at Rockwood....not much of a beach but it seemed pretty populated when we were there...to get there, I believe highway 7 due east towards Acton (about 6 km. ) and you can't miss it...if you go through Rockwood you've missed it.)
Written September 18, 2017
Is not open to campers in the winter,
Written August 11, 2017
TorontoCouple0
Toronto, Canada
What camping number is the best spot to reserve? 2 teenage kids and a dog. Thanks
Written June 24, 2017
I have experience camping in the EWS area and stayed on site 62. It was level side to side with lots of length for a 36 trailer. We rode around the EW area and there were several good sites available. Check out the on-line info. Rockwood has the best bakery-Saunders on the main street.
Written June 25, 2017
Morganne A
Hamilton, Canada
How close are other parks/trails from this conversation area (aside from rockwood itself)
Written May 18, 2017
There is another nature centre in mountsberg. Which is about 1/2 hr drive south . Beautiful owls and other birds to see. Check it out , there is a fee to enter. Then you have lots of trails in Guelph, and the Aboretum in Guelph is interesting place to wonder around... free parking and no cost to see.
Written May 19, 2017
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