cape croker indian park

Quiet Beauty. Always enjoy our stays here. Scenic charm. Lots of wildlife. Clean water. Decent facilities. Friendly staff.

I did some fall camping & rock climbing at Croker. It's a cool spot! Here is a review and a link to some video I took when I was there. This review is mainly focused on the climbing aspect. Cape Croker Park is owned and operated by the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation. It’s located on the eastern shore of the Bruce Peninsula in Ontario, Canada and nestled between 2 hefty limestone bluffs. Cape Croker offers pretty good quality sport and trad routes. Other areas just down the road are Lion’s Head, TV Tower and White Bluff, which are more popular and better known for climbing then lil Cape Croker. BUT! You make a nice day or two of climbing at Croker and then head just around the corner to the other areas for a nice lil climbin’ trip.Cape Croker is an ideal place to set up camp for a climbing trip. It’s a hike away from the Croker climbs and just a short 10-20 minute drive to the other crags in the area. Sites range from ‘roughin’ it areas where you just hike in and camp wherever you want to full on cabins with hydro and water. Costs range from $28-$60/night. You can check out all the rates here:http://www.capecrokerpark.com/rates.phpHere is a link to a video I did at Croker:http://www.bucketthis.com/cape-croker-rock-climbing/Climbing GuidebookI couldn’t find a guidebook for this area or even a half decent website with the climbs from this area. My 1st day here I just hiked in to what looked like the crag. When I pulled out my phone to get GPS coordinates, I found a very handy Google Maps tool that had the crag area and a handful of the climbs with descriptions. Score! This combined with rock climbing dot com’s site, Iw as able to piece together all the climbs and had a map with gps coordinates for where everything is. All of this and legendary fall weather was all I needed for an amazing climbing weekend.GPS GOOGLE MAPS LINK:https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&t=h&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=107153861308622782006.0004382633f59f1491b2a&dg=featureROCK CLIMBING DOT COM (*Warning*..only use this for the climbing descriptions and grades in the Right and Left Ladder links. The approach info and most other info on this post is completely WRONG).http://www.rockclimbing.com/routes/North_America/Canada/Ontario/Central_Ontario/Cape_Croker/The people who run Croker are very nice and accommodating:)

This is NOT a "Glamping" destination! This is for families/couple/friends who are into a northern camping experience at it's best! The water in Sydney Bay was outstanding and clean. A little cool on our first trip to Cape Croker Indian Park, but very refreshing. Wear water shoes to swim, flat pebbles/rocks under your feet. Kayaking was awesome in the bay, many families used their canoes or rented at the park office. Very friendly staff, but do not break the rules ... saw one family with three trailers evicted for being too loud and what we can tell, had been drinking on an "alcohol ban", the weekend of the popular Pow-Wow. The washrooms are not pretty, but clean. And they supplied "good" toilet tissue, not the one-ply stuff at provincial parks! We stayed in the "beach" sites area. Large sites, but you are close to your neighbours. Make new friends, and you'll have a blast. We had a couple storms come through, so batten down and you'll be fine. The Niagara Escarpment faces you everywhere. Didn't walk the trail on this visit ... more interested in chillin' on the water with our floaties and kayaking. This is a great location for young families, no real beach, but the water is shallow at the shore for kids to romp in the water. A very good age mix of folks too. We are in our early 50's, in a popup tent trailer. Everything from tents, to trailers, to huge RV coaches. We had a hydro site right on the water and loved every minute of our weeks vacation. A couple wet, windy cool days ... but all in all and outstanding camping experience on a First Nations reserve.

Cape Croker is the real deal camping northern experience. I have been coming here for 20 years and I continue to love it here. The campsite is never crowded--lots of space and the sites are bigger than the Provincial Parks which near by. The amenities are great--showers on site. What I really love is the location on the Bruce Peninsula on the Niagara Escarpment and the bald eagle watching! Lots of wildlife and birds--bring your camera!

I Read all the reviews right back to 2009 and to be honest this is an awesome place !!!the people at the park are nice and we received awesome service from all the staff. The park offers a play ground, beach area and yes it is rocky bottom but the whole lake is rocky bottom. beautiful scenery and they have showers and a laundry area for people to use.we stayed in the maples and I was impressed big time . we walked to the beach daily . they offer a cottage rental and they offer group camping. also you can have a trailer there that is over 10 years old and your fee includes your hydro no user pay rate for that and the boat launch is free..so it may not be what all people are looking for but at least your not stacked on top of one another there is lots of space between sites...i would recommend this place to anyone as this park is clean quiet and has beautiful views ....poison ivy I have yet to see any on my travels through the park...

the area natural location the Niagara Escarpment rock formation. The native people dancing costumes and friendliness

There is no 3.5 "Good" rating available on this scale, so I gave it a 4/5 because it's definitely better than a 3. Before I launch into my review, here's a breakdown of the good and the bad:Good: beach site views, hiking, swimming, customer service, priceBad: small sites, no privacy, loud neighbours (could have just been bad luck), pay showersWe've just returned from a Labour day weekend camping trip in Cape Croker. Our site was in the "Beach" area and I have to say the view of the Sydney Bay Bluffs from our site were spectacular. The views were definitely a highlight of the trip - great hiking up a portion of the Bruce Trail to the Rockfall Caves and the Ladder to the top of the bluffs. I didn't go all the way up because the trail was slippery with mud and moss, but the experience was still amazing, I've never seen boulders like that. The Rockfall Caves aren't named all that well since they aren't caves, just more boulders that have fallen down from the escarpment. Still worth the trek though.One key downside to the park is that the campsites are extremely close together with no privacy from your neighbour - in the Beach area anyway, I don't know what it's like in the interior camping areas. All I can say that is that we were there for two nights and did not get a lot of sleep - you could hear every conversation from neighbouring sites as if they were right next to our tent (because they basically were). I could even hear someone snoring the next site over. There were also some dudes partying loudly both nights until the wee hours. Quiet hours were posted but not enforced.Still, the swimming was good - the water is shallow and not too cold, and the bottom is soft and a bit weedy once you get past the rocks. The beach is not sandy, it's grassy and rocky, but again, the view of the bluffs while you're swimming is amazing.Customer service by the park staff was also good - there was a mix-up with our site booking and they graciously provided us with free ice and firewood (too bad the firewood was damp and didn't burn well, but hey. To buy wood, it costs $7.50.All in all, it was an enjoyable weekend and I would definitely consider going back - but only if we can get a Beach site again. And I'll bring ear plugs next time.

I have camped here 5 times now and it has become our "go to" spot on the peninsula. But you have to go there with certain expectations, or lack of them in some cases. Cons: To be fair, the comfort stations (the main one and the one by the beach) are in rough shape and we prefer to skip the showers. The privvies in the campgrounds are generally a better bet. Campsite quality is very diverse. Many are poor, lots of "acceptable", and only a handful of what we would rate as "really good". But that is our view and your mileage may vary. Swimming area is not really a beach - very rocky until you get past the shallows and no sand to speak of. Would be nice if they had fewer seasonal sites that detract from the overall appearance of the campgrounds.Pros: the view across Sydney Bay to the bluffs is fantastic and the avenues to enjoy "nature" are plentiful. Without the crowds you now get at Cyprus Lake, for example. Lots of opportunities to go hiking right from the campground or nearby Bruce Trail access points are high on our list of reasons to stay here. Swimming in Sydney Bay is excellent - out past the cobblestones that is - and water is normally much warmer than other nearby spots. There is a sandy beach at Little Port Elgin well into the reserve but we have not been there. Rough Area is okay to try for smaller tent equipment. However, many of the sites have a rock/cobblestone surface - not ideal for most tents. We have a dining shelter and one 4-person so the Maples is our preferred area. Beach camping area is mostly RV/electrical with a few tent sites and thus not our taste. Our advice would be to avoid long weekends and stick to non-weekend dates if possible - weekdays is normally very quiet, weekends are not.We prefer to tolerate the "rough edges" for the quality of the surroundings. If you are looking for ideal sandy beaches and washroom facilities, best keep looking. But you will miss out on an excellent camping spot.

Where I go to recharge myself. Great for the outdoors enthusiast. Excellent park for canoeing and kayaking on big water.....Georgian Bay. Easy access to The Bruce Trail. Spectacular setting on The Niagara Escarpment.

The beach does have some rocks, however after walking for about 10 feet there is a lovely sandy bottom. Shallow area that goes for yards! Great camping place for older couples and families. Camping ranges from unserviced to full services. Yes the signage can be confusing, then you are on vacation and can take your time finding where your spot is. After it is easy!The Chippewas of Nawash Band are gracious hosts. The campground is perfect for those who wish to come and relax, hike and meet interesting people. It is rustic, quiet and perfect. Great for bike riding, canoeing, hiking, close to other attractions in the Bruce area. The bird watching in the area is amazing!!!! Great place for artists to paint plein air.

We camped in the Rough Camping area recently, right on Sydney Bay. Pros: - Beautiful view- Quiet- Right on the Bruce Trail (we're hikers)Cons:- Showers on a coin timer - $1 for 5 minutes. Really? Lose that, and just charge an extra $2 per night.- Showers had no hot water. Why am I paying for this?- Lots of poison ivy around the campsites. Luckily, we knew what it was and stayed away.- Very uneven terrain on our site, making tent placement tricky. Some grooming would be in order.- Sullen check-in service. Please be nice to me when you're taking my money.Overall, just okay. Get a new desk clerk and some proper showers, and I might come back.

This was the worst park my husband and I have ever been to! There is no beach for children to swim, it's all very slippery slimy rocks which even adults were falling over while trying to walk out on. The hadicaped washroom had no door and the shower curtins were covered in mold! Most of the sites are very small and not enough privacy (ie.trees). There were drunk idiots (which yes, there can be anywhere-but normally they are delt with and told to be quiet at 11pm)who were up untill 4am yelling and screaming at each other and no one from the park came to tell them to be quiet. The only good thing we have to say about this park is that it's cheap. If anyone reading this is wanting a nice place to go to, drive a little farther noth and go to Tobermory Village Camp gound and I garentee that you'll have a good time!!

I've always felt at home here....I try to come at least 5 times I can't get my fill of our beautiful each side of this rez is...who can get water scenes every road ya go down....I love of quiet n reserved this place is....if ya wanna get away this the place....n the washrooms are fine..its roughen it up here.

We decided to head over to Cape Croker Park the last weekend of August, even after reading a negative review regarding this property. As for the negative review we read on Tripadvisor, there was no evidence to indicate that it is true while we were there.The park has a vast assortment of campgrounds that would and should suit any camper. The best sites are at The Beach for those who choose to tent it. Especially for the girls as there are flush toilets nearby, a short walk away. As for the girls they indicated that the washrooms at this site were acceptable. The girls refuse to use porta-potties, that are scattered throughout the park.Personally we found The Beach to have the best campsites for our group. Clean, large, nice view, the water nice and clear. The only issues would be that the beach is a stone beach not a sand beach and they charge the premium rate for the sites. If you want to take a shower, you must head over to the main gate - they charge for showers. The water there must be boiled prior to drinking. If you get there early Friday before noon, the odds are that you will find a very nice site at The Beach. As for the other campsites on the property. There are many to choose from, though some are quite rough, and muddy after a rainfall. If you are the type who prefers to use a motor home or camper - no problem they have many sites to accommodate.Should mention that this property connects directly with the Bruce Trail.One nice thing we found when we arrived at the park, was that they permitted our group to drive around the campground prior to confirming our site. Not to mention they provided us with maps and information regarding the campground, and did not charge us till we confirmed the site that we wanted to settle in too for the next 3 nights. Reservations are not necessary as they have many sites to choose from. Unless you may wish to have a specific site that is popular.Would we go back again - yes with the list of our preferred sites.

As soon as we arrived at the campground I knew we were going to be disappointed, and my intuitions were correct. To compare it to the standard of provincial or national parks (where public servants are responsible for the upkeep and overall camper experience) is quite a stretch. The glaring differences....Campsite directions and signage: I don't think the girl at the desk had ever ventured into the campground, gave terrible directions, no map, and terrible signage.Porta-potties: C'mon. all that traffic into these unmaintained johnny on the spots? almost sat on bodily waste it was so high and they ran out of water at the water stationsPoison ivy: Not the fact that it was everywhere, rather no indication that it was.Campsites: Appalling condition on our arrival; garbage everywhere.Service: Never saw an employee for 3 days. Don't know whether it was because we spent as much time as possible away from there or they don't exist.Cut and dry...Love the Bruce, will drive the extra km to Cyprus for a dependable Park Service experience.