Rock Point Provincial Park

Rock Point Provincial Park

Rock Point Provincial Park is located on the north shore of Lake Erie approximately 60 km from Niagara Falls in Ontario.

Site Review:

There are 175 sites located at Rock Point.  75 have electric service.

There are 4 named campground areas within the park:

  • Kinsey Campground
  • Niece Campground
  • Minor Campground
  • Lookout Campground

Ontario Parks names camping loops in order to organize sites and help with navigation so you can find your site when you get there. And while the areas are named on the campground map found on the website, at the actual park you just find site numbers.

You will find this directional sign after passing the gatehouse on the main campground road. This sign is not very helpful!Rock Point Provincial Park For clarification, you might want to familiarize yourself with where your site is, especially if you are arriving late and Check-In is closed for the day.  Tip: The higher numbered sites are closer to the entranceRock Point Provincial Park

Sites:

There is an assortment of sites to be found at Rock Point Provincial Park. The sites that are set in the open field setting are where you will find the electric sites.

Some of the sites that are in a more forested setting tend to be suitable for tents and smaller equipment.

There are no sites that are directly on Lake Erie. A handful of sites have their own path that connects the site with the walking trail that runs parallel to the shoreline.

We had site #163.Rock Point Provincial Park

This site has a connecting path and while you could not actually see the lake from the site you could certainly hear it. The surf was quite rough when we were there and it was clearly audible from the site. I liked it personally, it muffled the sounds of the campers around you and gave a feeling of increased privacy.

There are 3 comfort stations with flush toilets and free hot showers located throughout the park.Rock Point Provincial Park There is a sanitation dump station that is easy to navigate even for the larger rigs. You can also fill with fresh water.Rock Point Provincial Park

Activities:

Swimming:

It’s all about the beach here. Rock Point Provincial Park is set on a 1 km natural sand/pebble beach.

The swimming area is not marked off with buoy lines and can be enjoyed the entire length of the beach.

Many people visit as Day Use visitors. There are 4 large Day Use areas with separate parking lots. There is a shaded grass section just up from the beach where there are numerous picnic tables.Rock Point Provincial Park

Thousands of people visit here in the summer to picnic and enjoy the water. Even in the Covid summer of 2020, the place did not feel crowded or cramped and it was easy to maintain social distance.

I would suggest if you are coming to Rock Point Provincial Park for the day that you try to arrive before 10 in the morning. I was riding out of the park on my bike around 1030 and the length of the line to enter the park was already at least 40 cars long. Rock Point Provincial ParkThere is room for everyone, it’s just that it would be unfun to be stuck in that line.

Note: for campers leaving the park and then returning, or for the campers who are just arriving, you will also be in this line. There is no bypass option.

Fossils:

Rock Point is at the end of the beach and is a limestone outcrop.Rock Point Provincial Park This is where you will find fossils imprinted in the rock. There are no signs pointing this out. You just have to discover them for yourself.Rock Point Provincial ParkRock Point Provincial Park The beach around the point at first glance looks to be sandy Rock Point Provincial Parkbut in fact, it is lots of little broken shells. Rock Point Provincial ParkThis is like walking on razor blades. I highly recommend some sort of protective footwear.

Note: It is just the beach section at the point that is made up of shells like this. The 1 km length of the main beach is natural sand and pebbles.

Lake Erie is one of the Great Lakes and first-time visitors to any of these 5 lakes are often awed by their sheer size. The lakes can be very rough and do have powerful wave action. Lake Erie, in particular, has the distinction of being the “World’s Worst Tempered Lake” and the undertow can be particularly dangerous. Use care when enjoying the lake.

Boating:

There is no boat launch within the park.

Canoeing/Kayaking:

Lake Erie can be very rough. Rock Point Provincial ParkOn the calmest days, you can enjoy a paddle along the shore. You would have to bring your own equipment because the park does not rent any. There are no inland waterways to explore.

Biking:

You can bike the campground roads and along the multi-use path that runs parallel to the shore of the lake. The roads are gravel and the path has some sandy sections but the grade is flat and the pedalling is easy.

Outside of the park, the roads are flat. You can see a lighthouse in the distance when you look west from the beach in the Day Use Area. This is the Port Maitland Lighthouse. I thought a bike ride to it would be interesting. To do so is a bit of a challenge because you have to cross the Grand River.Rock Point Provincial Park Without crossing the river the closest you can get to the lighthouse is this:Rock Point Provincial Park which is a bit of a letdown.

Hiking:

The Woodlot trail is the only hiking trail at Rock Point Provincial Park.Rock Point Provincial Park It is a 2km linear trail that runs parallel to the shore of Lake Erie. There are multiple access points from the trail to the beach, and to the campground areas.

The trail runs from the Day Use Area to the Limestone rock point at the end of the beach.

There is a viewing platform built above the sand dunes and looks over Lake Erie.Rock Point Provincial ParkRock Point Provincial Park

Day Trip to Niagara Falls:

Niagara Falls is less than an hour from Rock Point Provincial Park. Click here for information about things that you can do in Niagara Falls.

Things to Know:

  1. Wood and ice can be purchased at the camp store located in the Day Use Area.Rock Point Provincial Park
  2. There are no lifeguards
  3. A dog beach is located at the far west end of the beach.
  4. There are a variety of sites. The descriptions given on the Ontario Parks website are accurate.
  5. No sites within the park have direct accessibility to the lake.
  6. Laundry facilities are located in the comfort stations in the Kinsey and Minor campground loops.
  7. For information and reviews of other Ontario Parks please click here.

IMO:

I like Rock Point Provincial Park for a weekend stay. It was a typical Ontario Park camping experience. The campsites offer reasonable privacy. There wasn’t much in the way of other things to do besides the beach. Niagara Falls is less than an hour drive away and Toronto less than 2 hours away. Combining the beach with a couple of day trips to some major tourist attractions would make a nice vacation. I would definitely recommend Rock Point Provincial Park as an RV Place to Go.site icon