Camping at Presqu'ile was a espur of the moment camping trip. I booked this site on Tuesday and we were camping on Saturday! This trip was very special to me. I went with my sister, Alicia and her unborn baby. I know Baby Bean is going to have many more camping adventures with Auntie Lizzy.
When we first arrived at the park we were shocked at how large it was. We drove around the park until we found our site. When we arrived there were still people on our site so we decided to explore around a bit while we waited for the other campers to pack up.
Our campsite was walking distance to the lake, had vaulted toilets and a water tap right
across the road and the comfort station with the flush toilets and showers was just a short walk. Our site was a decent size and had a decent amount of privacy. We walked down to the lake and of course, I needed to go in the water. Alicia was a little worried about slipping on the rocks so she just stood on shore and was my photographer. The water was cold, but not the coldest I've been in this year. The waves were crazy! I couldn't believe how big they were. It was very challenging to stay standing on the slippery rocks with the waves rolling in the way they were. I wish I had packed water shoes.
There was a beautiful lighthouse on the end of the Island that was pretty neat. Like all Ontario Parks, there were tons of signs with info about things that had happened in or around the park. We learned that 8 ships sank between Presqu'Ile Bay and Lake Ontario. The lighthouse was located near the day use area of the park. There were tons of beautiful places along the lake for a picnic or a beach day!
Once we got back to our site, we started setting up camp.
I love the Wood's tent that I have. It took us about 3 minutes to have the tent set up. We got the air mattress inflated and then it was time for lunch. With Alicia being pregnant, it's always time for snacks with her. I made Campfire Nacho Dip and we snacked on that while I finished getting everything else set up.
After we were all set up, we decided to go for a drive around and see the other sites in the park. There are so many waterfront sites at this park. Some of the sites that have water access have zero privacy. It was more like an RV park, rather than camping. They looked nice but they were not for me. I prefer to have a campsite surrounded by trees instead of trailers. If you are an RV camper, the waterfront sites may be for you because you have the privacy of your trailer.
After dinner, we decided to go and watch the sunset. We found a beautiful spot down the road to the Calf Pasture. There were no calfs or cows of any kind in this area but we found a nice spot by the lake and were able to enjoy the sunset. This is a great spot for a beach day. It's a little further away than the normal day use area, but there was a picnic table there and a small little private beach area. I loved it here.
This camping trip was very special to me in a lot of ways. It was a great opportunity for Alicia and I to reconnect. We have not been camping together in many years. We were distant for a lot of years, well, because boys, life, you know, things happen. But we were able to take this night and make the best of it. We laughed a lot, we talked forever and we just sat by the fire and watched the fireflies in our campsite.
While we were watching the fireflies, we could hear something ruffling around in the long grass behind our campsite. We had a baby raccoon come and visit us. She was so cute. But you know, where there is a baby, there is always a momma. We were on high alert for the momma. Eventually she showed her face. We put the flashlight on her and she ran back into the woods. After that, we decided it was time for bed.
Sunday morning, I woke up early, made coffee and decided to let Alicia and Rosie sleep while I went to check out the hiking trails. I hiked the Pioneer and Newcastle Trails. The trails were nice and well marked. Both of the trails were through the forest and you could see plenty of birds along the way. I also spotted a deer that was too quick for me to get a photo of. As I was walking the trail, I came across an Ontario Parks sign that had an anonymous quote that really hit home for me "The trail is the thing, not the end of the trail. Travel too fast and you miss all you are traveling for". After reading this quote, it didn't matter how far I walked. It was all about the journey.
In total I walked 10 km. The trails were very easy. There were no major inclines, so 10 km didn't really seem that hard. I have done 5 km trails where I thought I was going to die at the end. Both of the trails pop you out onto the main road which I wasn't a huge fan of. Overall, it was a great few hours for me to be out in nature alone.
After the hike, it was time for breakfast. Alicia had already cooked up the bacon and I scrambled the eggs and we sat in the sunshine and enjoyed breakfast. Then it was time to start packing up. We packed up the campsite but didn't leave the park, it was still early. We decided to go and check out the beach area.
Dogs are not allowed on the sandy beach so we left Rosie tied up and ran down to the beach just to check it out. Only Beach 1 was open while we were there. The beach was really nice. There was an accessibility mat that ran from the parking lot to the beach that I thought was amazing. The sand went on forever and I was able to walk out in the water for quite a distance and it was still very shallow. It would be a great place for kids to play and build sand castles. In the photo, you can see how hazy the sky was. There are so many wildfires happening right now it's scary. There was no fire ban in effect at this park while we were there, however, I'm sure there will be a ban there very soon.
Overall the trip was great. It was more of a bonding trip between two sisters who just needed
a weekend together to catch up and enjoy each others company. I would recommend this campground to anyone who is looking for a beach getaway. With water shoes, you can enjoy the rock beaches if you are camping with your pup. If you have kids, or just want a nice sandy beach, this place would be great for that. If you are looking for good hiking, this is not the park for you.
Don't forget to follow me on Instagram @fitness_adventures_with_liz to keep up to date with all of my adventures! I am hoping to sneak one more trip in before my trip to Charleston Lake for Canada Day.
Happy Camping!
Love,
Liz
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