Niagara Falls, Ottawa, Montreal & Quebec Campgrounds

[norsula]

We are planning a six week excursion from East Tennessee to Niagara Falls, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec and returning to E. TN.

We are driving a 35 foot MH with a toad.

We will appreciate any campground recommendations for these areas.

Suggestions about routing and attractions "not to be missed" along the way will also be helpful.

Thanks!!

'09 Journey/'11 CR-V

[Guest Wayne77590]

We have been to the Niagara Falls area twice now, and both times we have stayed at Niagara Heartland RV Park, in Gasport, NY. If you take the scenic route to the falls, up through Olcutt, it is about 30 miles. Nice country ride. The RV park is a Passport America park so if you are a Passport America member it is $15 a night and a $5 a night deposit for electricity. A far cry less than what you will pay close to the falls. If you are not a PA member and decide to become one, let me know first and I'll give you my PA number. I get credit.

In any case, good luck and happy trails.

[norsula]

Thanks for the advice, Wayne. We will definitely look into Niagara Heartland RV park.

[baldeagle1356]

Wayne, I will join passport America in 3 weeks. I could use your number so you get your $10.00 I also used your answers to many forums. Thanks

[FCOntario]

If you are going to be on the Canadian side anyway I would suggest a campground on the Canadian side as thats also where there is more to see and do.

For campground recommendations:

Niagara Falls: KOA Lundys Lane has always served us and our friends well

Ottawa : Recreationland Campground

Montreal: Depends on where you want to be:; West: in Hudson Quebec: Camping Daoust

South: KOA Montreal South

East: Camping Alouette Saint Mathiew dr Beloeil

Quebec City KOA Quebec City.... Much nicer than camping Transit which is close

[windchaser]

Hi All:

1. You will need your passport.

2. You need to see the falls at night and in the daytime.

3. Parking at this time of the year is difficult on both side of the border.

4. At the falls there are fees for everything.

5. When I visited the falls I stop at the Greyline tour site and purchased a day and night tour, when we arrived s in the afternoon, we asked to stay at the parking lot, Greyline allowed us to stay the night because we would not return from our tour until 11pm. they also have a electric plug (15amp). we dry camped.

6. We saw all the major sites at night, great light show, then stayed in the parking lot and did the day tour the following morning. I think the cost for two seniors for both tours was $300~. If we where to drive and park and get in line for all the sites we took in, we would have had to spend several day on both sides of the border and just about the same price. With the tour there was no hassel.

Enjoy your trip. Good luck

JIM MOORE

[norsula]

If you are going to be on the Canadian side anyway I would suggest a campground on the Canadian side as thats also where there is more to see and do.

For campground recommendations:

Niagara Falls: KOA Lundys Lane has always served us and our friends well

Ottawa : Recreationland Campground

Montreal: Depends on where you want to be:; West: in Hudson Quebec: Camping Daoust

South: KOA Montreal South

East: Camping Alouette Saint Mathiew dr Beloeil

Quebec City KOA Quebec City.... Much nicer than camping Transit which is close

Thank you for the recommendations. These will provide us with some wonderful options from which to choose. Norm and Ursula

[norsula]

Hi All:

1. You will need your passport.

2. You need to see the falls at night and in the daytime.

3. Parking at this time of the year is difficult on both side of the border.

4. At the falls there are fees for everything.

5. When I visited the falls I stop at the Greyline tour site and purchased a day and night tour, when we arrived s in the afternoon, we asked to stay at the parking lot, Greyline allowed us to stay the night because we would not return from our tour until 11pm. they also have a electric plug (15amp). we dry camped.

6. We saw all the major sites at night, great light show, then stayed in the parking lot and did the day tour the following morning. I think the cost for two seniors for both tours was $300~. If we where to drive and park and get in line for all the sites we took in, we would have had to spend several day on both sides of the border and just about the same price. With the tour there was no hassel.

Enjoy your trip. Good luck

JIM MOORE

Some very good advice and ideas. Thanks

[jleamont]

Friends; need some help on deciding where to stay close to Niagara Falls. We have passports but I am apprehensive if I want to cross the boarder with the Motorhome or stay on the NY side and day trip over in the toad. Any recommendations, campground suggestions?

I always look for that nice campground that's well groomed and it must be able to handle 41' or motorhome, full hook up 50 amp.

Sharing your experiences and recommendations would be greatly appreciated for sites to see (besides the falls) and Campgrounds. I have never crossed the boarder before so I am a bit nervous about the process, this is the reason I figured crossing in the toad would be easier, maybe its just a fear I have.

I have looked through http://www.rvparkreviews.com/, most for that area were old and poor from Motorhome folks, so that is making it worse. Real experience would be a huge help.

Thank you.

[wildebill308]

What time of the year are you going? You will need your Passports.

I would stay on this side and take the toad across. I was in the area two years ago and stayed out near Lockport I don't remember the name of the place and probably wouldn't recommend it to a friend.

Niagara Falls Campground & Lodging, 2405 Niagara Falls Blvd, Niagara Falls, NY 14304, niagarafallscampground.net, (716) 731-3434. Doesn't look to bad and it is close in. I would check them out in http://www.rvparkreviews.com/. There is a KOA in the area and should be OK.

There is a couple days of things to do on the Canadian side.

Don't forget to ride the Maid Of The Mist.

Visit the Canal Side area of Buffalo https://www.canalsidebuffalo.com/visit-canalside/ They have done a great job of revitalizing this area. I was impressed this last summer.

Bill

[jleamont]

Thanks Bill! We are headed up in late May, passports in hand.

From RV park reviews it seemed like the NY campgrounds didn't perform well in their reviews which had me concerned. I have only had one not so good experience with a KOA in Allentown PA, all of the other times they worked out just fine.

Another thing, when I search for a campground I always look at campsite photos on their web site and trip advisor, if they do not have any it raises a red flag with me, I feel they are hiding something and most people don't post photos of their site on trip advisor.

I guess I will have to dig into the KOA website and see how it goers from there.

Thanks again Bill, your experience is appreciated.

[wildebill308]

Glad to help. The campgrounds in the North East seem to be of the older style and have never been upgraded.

You can use Google Earth to see some of the campgrounds.

I spent 3 months up that way last summer.

Bill

[jleamont]

Yep, I used Google earth often to see what I am getting myself into. Funny how much pre planning we do for this. You are correct, thank you for mentioning that the NE campgrounds tend to be older style, we find they are small and usually not maintained well. I booked KOA Grand Island, site with a patio, I figured it should suffice.

Am I the only one that tries to avoid campgrounds with unpaved roads? I hate cleaning the coach, driving up and it looks great until I pull in and...... here comes the dust cloud.

Another thing....is it me or does it seem like it is getting harder and harder to get into certain places, with regards to them being booked full. Every year I book earlier and earlier and still have problems. This was the first year I was told "we are booked solid May1 through Labor Day" at one CG.

[tbutler]

You will find that many of the campgrounds in the eastern US and also in eastern Canada are filled with local campers who have an annual contract on a site and park their trailer there on a more or less permanent basis. This becomes their weekend and vacation spot. These are the summer equivalent of the winter campgrounds in the southern US where the snow birds roost from December through March. They have lots of spaces, the listing in the camping guides may show a hundred spaces but there will only be a handful of transient spaces available and those are often booked around times when there are special events, holidays, summer vacation times. It can mean that if you want to see the area you have to plan ahead and sometimes take what you can get. We've had good and bad experiences at these campgrounds. They cater to their "permanent" clientele and tolerate the transients.

Given what I've said, let me say that we still make a pass through the northeastern US and Canada on a regular schedule and wouldn't miss the great scenery, history, parks, recreation opportunities and seafood that the NE US has to offer. Just be prepared to take what you get and live with it.

Note also that if you are traveling in the fall their camping season ends at Labor Day for many campgrounds. Once their regular campers are gone they close up the doors and head south!

[jleamont]

Tom, as we have become more experienced we try and avoid campgrounds with tents, cabins and permanent sites. It never fails they are the people that have little respect for themselves or the people around them. I know they are not all bad but the majority rules. We have seen some real interesting, amusing and sometimes scary stuff happen at those places. If there was a topic on here I am sure we could all get some real entertainment with the stories we all have.

Thank you,

[lmsooter]

Yep, I used Google earth often to see what I am getting myself into. Funny how much pre planning we do for this. You are correct, thank you for mentioning that the NE campgrounds tend to be older style, we find they are small and usually not maintained well. I booked KOA Grand Island, site with a patio, I figured it should suffice.

Am I the only one that tries to avoid campgrounds with unpaved roads? I hate cleaning the coach, driving up and it looks great until I pull in and...... here comes the dust cloud.

Another thing....is it me or does it seem like it is getting harder and harder to get into certain places, with regards to them being booked full. Every year I book earlier and earlier and still have problems. This was the first year I was told "we are booked solid May1 through Labor Day" at one CG.

I see you have already booked a site. But if you are in the area again, try Four Mile Creek State Park. Has electric only (50 amp), large sites and located on Lake Ontario. We were there in August and had a wonderful of Lake Ontario, and on a clear day, Toronto across the lake. Dump station on the way out was very easy to get in and out. While you are there, you might want to visit old Fort Niagara overlooking the Niagara River and Lake Ontario - lots of history.

[jleamont]

Imsooter, thanks for the information. We won’t go anywhere without W/E/S, with four of us and daily showers it just doesn't work without daily trips to the dump station which turns into a hassle. I looked at the photos of the park and I was taken by them, it looked beautiful. I was hoping that was a state park with hookups, when I saw it wasn't I continued to look.

[obedb]

Joe/ if you have a dog with you and decide to take the critter into Canada, you will need written proof from your vet of a rabies vaccination. The tag on the collar doesn't work unless that has changed. Also need it for NY state parks.

[wayne77590]

We have stayed at Niagara Heartland RV Resort (resort name only). Sites are close but nothing we have not had before. About 40 miles from Niagara but if you go North from Heartland to Hwy 18 the drive along the coast is worth it. Only 30 miles by direct route. Niagara Heartland Passport America rate is $16 a night with metered electric but still cheaper than downtown Niagara and other areas.

Daisy Barn Campground in Wilson, NY is 22 miles from Niagara. Check out their Drone Video. Rates are typical for the area at $40 a night and $250 a week but the view and sunsets are spectacular. Sitting in the Gazebo you can see Toronto across the lake. Many permanent but very nice people. Boy do they have the grounds to expand.

[jleamont]

ObedB thanks for the information on the dog, yes we do have one. We were not sure what the rules were for the dog and now that we are staying on the US side we should be good. I will remember that for the future.

Wayne, I looked at Heartland, the poor reviews turned me off, most complained the sites were small and it was hard to navigate through the campground. I actually thought about Daisy Barn and when I Google earthed it I saw a bunch of permanent sites I cringed. Since we live close to NJ and anyone that has ever camped in NJ with all of the permanent sites in every campground would understand why I cringed and closed the web browser .

Our past experiences sometimes dictate how we plan for trips in the future the next time I will consider Daisy Barn since you have experienced it and the people are nice, it is good to know that there actually are pleasant people in permanent sites.

We have got to get out of this area more often and explore.

[wildebill308]

You will be hard pressed to find a place in the north east that doesn't have permanent/seasonal sites. I was in about 40 last summer and most had them. I never had a problem.

Bill

[obedb]

Try Friendship Village in Bedford Pa. They do have some permanent sites, but they look expensive and no junk allowed. It is the nicest park that we have seen in PA. I was surprised in view of all of the others I have driven by in PA.

[wayne77590]

ObedB thanks for the information on the dog, yes we do have one. We were not sure what the rules were for the dog and now that we are staying on the US side we should be good. I will remember that for the future.

Wayne, I looked at Heartland, the poor reviews turned me off, most complained the sites were small and it was hard to navigate through the campground. I actually thought about Daisy Barn and when I Google earthed it I saw a bunch of permanent sites I cringed. Since we live close to NJ and anyone that has ever camped in NJ with all of the permanent sites in every campground would understand why I cringed and closed the web browser .

Our past experiences sometimes dictate how we plan for trips in the future the next time I will consider Daisy Barn since you have experienced it and the people are nice, it is good to know that there actually are pleasant people in permanent sites.

We have got to get out of this area more often and explore.

Hmmm! Where did you get your reviews from? Here is a link tohttp://www.rvparkreviews.com/regions/new-york/gasport and the review for Niagara Hartland is has a "7".

I have a 40 ft mh pulling a toad. I was able to drive around and up to the pull-through with no problem. I did decide to stop before pulling in and disconnect. Upon leaving I connected before pulling out. Yes, it is out in the middle of nowhere but that gives it the charm, quietness and good pricing. When y'all are up that-a-way, give it a drive through. We stayed 4 nights with the additional electric rate $4 a night deposit and on leaving we had a $4 refund. Nightly rates seem to have gone up since we have stayed there, and I think our rate was $16 a night plus $4 deposit came out to $19 a night. Not bad in my book.

The sites at Niagara Hartland are the typical/standard size sites. Not big and wide by any standard. The sites at Daisy Barn are maybe a little closer, but no much. The area is nice and only 20 miles from Niagara. It used to be a Passport America park but I believe it has dropped that status. Daisy Barn is all back-in sites.

It would be nice if more people who stayed at CG's would post up-to-date reviews. In any case, enjoy your trip and don't forget, there are three bridges The Rainbow Bridge, Whirlpool Bridge, and Lewiston/Queenston Bridge. My preference is to go across the Lewiston/Queenston bridge and visit Niagara-On-The-Lake, then double back on the Niagara Parkway stopping at the Whirlpool and continuing on down to The Falls. The shoppers and walkers will like Niagara-On-The-Lake village. There are some restrictions on the Whirlpool Bridge. For truckers the Lewiston/Queenston Bridge is he route. That is the one I crossed going over to Michigan in the MH. Wonderful highway across.

Have a happy trails ride!

[jleamont]

Thanks Wayne, good info!

[bigman2x4x8]

We went to Niagara Falls about ten years ago and stayed at the Four Mile Creek Park. BEST state park we have ever stayed at. We are getting ready this coming fall to hit the roads for a year and are planning on staying there again. We didn't have a toad back then and our 32' Allegra was used to get to and from the Falls. They have a great big parking lot on Canada side and a shuttle to and from the falls.

Now we have a Dutchstar and a toad to do the exploration. I can't wait to get back on the Maid of the Mist and this time I;m going to get on outer rail and put my hand on the water coming down falls. The Planet Hollywood there was pricey but everything else was reasonable.

ENJOY THE FALLS day and night.