Our first time camping on Manitoulin Island, we stayed at Batman's Cottages & Campground. Here's everything you need to know about the RV park!
Now that we’ve covered some of the beautiful places we visited - Bridal Veil Falls, Cup and Saucer Trail, and Misery Bay Provincial Park - let’s look at where we actually stayed during that trip!
We had a look at a few different Manitoulin Island campground options, and decided to book at Batman’s Cottages and Campground.
Part of this was convenience - they had an online booking system - and, let’s be honest, a good portion of it was the name.
I’m not even a fan of DC, but come on now. “Batman’s” definitely got our attention! (It’s actually the founder’s last name.
... but there aren’t any government campgrounds on Manitoulin Island, so private it was!
We showed up to our new camp spot with an open mind, and had a great time exploring the island.
It’s the world’s largest freshwater island, after all! It’s located on the largest freshwater lake in the world, and features all kinds of inland lakes of its own... so we knew we were in for a treat!
Anyway, we get into that more on other posts - for now, let’s talk about this Manitoulin Island Campground, specifically!
The Basics:
Campground Name: Batman’s Cottages and Campground
Address: 11408 ON-6, Sheguiandah, ON P0P 1W0, Canada
Website: https://batmanscamping.com/
Price Variable. See Trailer, Tenting, & Cottage Rates for more details.
Reservations: Ontario Parks Reservations, info@batmanscamping.com, or by calling 705-368-2180
Logistics
One thing to note about this park is that you need to drive a fair amount past the sign - and past some buildings - before you come to the gatehouse.
We were so used to private campgrounds like this starting out with a gate, that we weren’t sure if we missed the office on the way in. The building I THOUGHT was the office - at first - was a rental cottage!
So, you’ll turn off the highway, get to the end of that road, and curve right around a corner. After passing a few cottages on the left, the park office will be REALLY obvious.
Anyway, here’s some other information to help you plan your stay at Batman’s Campground and Cottages:
Registration and Check In
We booked our stay several months ahead of time - 2025 reservations opened on November 15, 2024.
Though the booking portal was different from the one that Ontario Parks and Parks Canada uses, we were familiar with it - it looked to be the same setup that Meaford Memorial Park uses.
Check in was relatively quick and easy.
The staff member went over some of the rules, and highlighted the park map in a few places, showing us how to get to our spot, and telling a bit about the amenities at the campground.
She also provided a large newspaper-type handout about Manitoulin Island, and highlighted several points of interest, which was super helpful. We’d had a couple of them in our plans already, but some were new to us!
Maps and Signage
Some info to help you get around Batman’s Cottages and Campground:
Park Map
The park map is a black and white, 8.5 x 11 photocopy, with the wifi password written on top, and several points of interest highlighted.
It was cute and well laid out, and was easy enough to use, despite the lack of a map legend.
Signage
The signage at the park was a bit weird.
As I’d mentioned, we were a bit confused as we pulled into the park - passing several rental cottages before coming to the registration office.
When we got there, though ... it was pretty obvious where we were supposed to be. There was a lot of visual chaos - signs and more signs, and ads and sign blocks and everything.
While the roads are named on the map, we didn’t really see much in the way of street signs, so you’ll you definitely want the map as you're trying to find your way around.
It’s a small park, though, so once you’ve found your spot and driven or walked around a bit, the lack of directional signage isn’t much of an issue.
Waste & Water Services
There are a range of sites in the park, with some that have water and sewer hookups. We booked a waterfront site, which has water but not sewer.
The park has a dump station, which is a half loop off the road between the highway and the front office. It’s not labeled facing the highway at all, so it’s definitely intended to be used on the way OUT of the park.
When leaving the park, you’ll turn left into the poop loop, and the dump platform will be on the driver’s side.
It’s a single dump platform, with a non-potable water hose. There is no potable water fill station there.
It was located on the outside of the shower building across from site #126.
There are also rules posted both at the garbage area and on the back of the map.
These definitely seem more geared towards long-time campers. Specifically, they listed out all kind of large items that you’re not allowed to dispose of there - furniture, fridges, BBQs, Beds, TVs, yard waste, etc.
Connectivity
On Rogers Wireless, we had really good cell reception everywhere in the campground. At our campsite, it was good enough to be able to stream TV in the evenings.
Additionally, the park offers Wifi - it’s via hot spot in the area around the park store and recreation hall, and the password is written on the park map.
Accessibility
For a park with a lot of seasonal trailers - usually an older crowd - I was surprised at the lack of accessibility at Batman’s Cottages and Campground.
First of all, there’s nothing in the way of accessibility information on the park map, website, or any signage that we saw.
Remember... information is an accessibility issue!
Beyond that...
1. The “Accessible” shower was just a larger shower than the regular one, with a seat integrated into the stall. There’s a lip you need to get over, to get into the shower. There’s also very little (if any?) parking at the shower building that was open, and there were no designated accessible sites marked there.
2. Beyond that, parking is an issue. There’s no parking at the beach, and the parking you can use for the beach is around a few corners, a fair distance away if you’re having mobility issues.
3. There’s nothing in the way of accessibility accommodations at the beach or boat area.
If you’re not a wheelchair user, though, the park is relatively accessible - aside from the lack of parking near the beach.
Pets
Batman’s Cottages and Campground considers themselves a pet friendly campground, but has some rules in place:
1. Dogs have to be leashed at all times, including in the campground. This was not enforced - we had unattended dogs running up into our site on a few occasions.
2. Dogs aren’t allowed on the beaches or in the swimming areas, but there’s an area in the marina for them to swim in.
3. Owners are to pick up after their dogs and properly dispose of it.
4. Dogs aren’t allowed to be “constantly barking”. We also found this one to not be enforced - our first day, our next door neighbour just let their dog bark for what seemed to be hours on end, completely unattended.
Thankfully, they left the next day. (They were very noisy in general. Who uses a leaf blower to not only get their fire going, but CONSTANTLY to keep it going???)
Anyway, the park says that they will charge you $20 for unleashed dogs, and $50 for not picking up after them.
Parking
The sites at Batman’s Cottages are huge, which is good - there wasn’t much in the way of additional parking in the campground. That said, you’re only allowed one vehicle per site.
All of the parking we could see was located in the area between the recreation hall and the garbage area.
This is about a 2-5 minute walk from the beach, depending on your mobility level.
Miscellaneous
Some random bits of info specific to Batman’s Cottages & Campground:
Check In, Check Out
There are different check in/check out times, based on whether you’ve got a campsite or a cottage.
Campsites are 1:00pm, both for check in and check out.
Cottages have a check in time of 3:00pm, and a check out time of 10:00 am.
Rules
While a lot of the rules are either very similar to the ones at Provincial Parks - or just common sense - some raised an eyebrow. A few examples:
1. “Foul Language and Swearing are strictly prohibited”.
2. They allow you to consume alcohol off your site, as long as it’s “not made obvious to others”. They give examples of “placed in plastic cups, thermos, coolies, etc”.
Had a bit of a flashback to my little reality TV adventure, when we were hiding alcohol in hotel room disposable coffee cups. The idea of the production people giving a rule like this one made me laugh a bit!
3. All the buildings, the swimming area and playground are non-smoking areas, which is nice to see!
4. They don’t let you move the fire pits, which makes sense... but the fire pits for our row of campsites were placed at the front of each site, rather than in the area next to where you park your RV / where the picnic table is. In our case, it was placed slightly in front of the parking pad, so we had to drive around it on the way out.
5. You have to make an appointment to do your laundry.
6. They don’t allow dirt bikes smaller motorcycles, mini bikes, or ATVs within the park boundaries, and no one under the age of 15 is allowed to bike without a helmet. They further specify NO bike riding after dark, unless the bike has proper lighting.
Night Sky Viewing
Manitoulin Island is well known as being an area of low light pollution, and fantastic for star gazing and astrophotography in general.
The “Sunset Beach” at Batman’s Campground is more or less north-facing, and we’re told it’s a great spot for watching the northern lights. Unfortunately, we didn’t happen to have the right conditions during our stay!
If you’re interested in possibly seeing the northern lights, check out our posts: Aurora Hunting, How to Photograph the Northern Lights, Can I See the Northern Lights Tonight?, and Where to See Northern Lights in Ontario.
Campground Amenities & Info
Some information on the amenities offered at Batman’s Cottages and Campground:
Creature Comforts
There are two shower / washroom buildings in the campground, though one was out of service at the time of our visit.
The one that was open was the one that’s easy walking distance from the park office / store, and there’s some signage pointing you how to get there, from that intersection.
As a note: there’s no obvious/marked parking at this building.
The regular showers are down a tiny corridor with a narrow shower at the end - no table or anything anywhere to put your stuff. The accessible showers are a little bigger - as mentioned in the accessibility section.
The washrooms section of that building is pretty cute - it almost feels a little resorty, or like the washrooms you’d see at certain spas.
Anyway, this building has flush toilets, but there aren’t any outhouses or any other public washrooms in the campground. Well, aside from the other shower/washroom building that wasn’t open, anyway.
We didn’t have to do any laundry during our stay, but it looked to be 3 washers and 3 dryers - so far as we could see, through the door.
There was a sign that said $3.
As mentioned previously, you need to make an appointment to do your laundry.
Park Store
There’s a LARGE park store / gift shop located in that main registration building.
It has firewood, groceries, ice, souvenirs, beach toys, and all KINDS of stuff.
We didn’t spend much time browsing, but it was definitely way more extensive than anything we’ve seen in the Provincial Parks we tend to camp at!
The campground is located about a 15 minute drive from the town of Little Current. You know, the town with the swing bridge you’ll drive over on the way to the campground?
Anyway, there’s a well known ice cream shop next to the Tourism Information center there, as well as a brewery, grocery stores, and all kinds of other shopping.
Day Use Area
Batman’s Cottages & Campground has a very large common area near the front of the campground, which basically serves the purpose of what we’d see as a “day use area” in our usual campground reviews.
There’s a large recreation hall with pinball, ping pong, a pool table, video game machines and apparently even a sauna! (We didn’t end up going in, though!)
Outside, there’s a badminton net, bocce ball, horseshoes, shuffleboard, and a volleyball net, as well as a picnic area with a bunch of picnic tables.
There’s also a stage - I wonder if they have performances during the summer?
Anyway - elsewhere in the campground (near that second shower building I mentioned earlier) - there’s a large playground.
Rentals
Batman’s Campground offers Canoes, Fishing Boats, Kayaks, Paddle Boats, and Stand Up Paddle Boards for rent.
Campsite Details
While most of the 142 sites at Batman’s Cottages seem to be seasonal ones, they have a variety of campsite styles for transient campers.
At one end, you’ve got tenting sites - with no services. At the other, you’ve got electric sites that also have water and sewer. As a note, though: The waterfront campsites don’t have sewer hookups.
As with most parks we’ve been to, the sites all seemed to come with picnic tables and a fire pit.
Personally, I wouldn’t bother with the non-waterfront sites at all. They seemed pretty small and crowded.
Going by some reviews we saw online, they tend to get muddy and swamped after rain (it was dry during our stay).
We were a bit surprised when we showed up and it was so open - the photo on the reservations page made it look more private than it was.
It was decent, just not what we expected. Nice to wake up to sunrise over the water, though... and having camp fires with that view was a nice perk, also.
Roofed Accommodation
There are 4 cottages available for rent.
Cottages 1 & 2 are small cabins next to the water, Cottage 3 is a large one just up the road (not waterfront), and Cottage 4 is a trailer.
You need to bring your own linens (bedding and towels) - and food, obviously - but everything else is provided.
There are all kinds of different offerings across those cabins, and different prices / minimum stay requirements. If booking a cabin is something you’re interested in, check out their Trailer, Tenting, and Cottage Rates page for more info.
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Entertainment and Activity
For such a small campground, there’s a surprising variety of activities you can participate in. Here’s some basic info for you:
Hiking
There is a single nature trail in the campground, but all we knew about it was that it was a 2 km loop. It looked to be a long and narrow loop of a hiking trail, taking you from the trail entrance, out to a trailer storage area, and back.
In actuality, it wasn’t so straightforward.
Porter did the trail, here’s what he had to say about it:
There are sections with moderate inclines and some rough footing, so I'd rate this moderate. It's on the easier end of moderate though. I was surprised at how nice the views were, a rocky trail through a lovely forest.
Further in it approaches the highway and it grassy for a bit, before going back into forest. It abruptly drops you off at a boat and trailer storage area about 1.3km in, with no signage where to continue.
The map was no help, as the trail marking looked absolutely nothing like the route you actually take.”
Shortly after the poop loop there's a rough road to the right, so I followed it. It led to an area with discarded equipment, and a narrow trail leading back into the woods. This was clearly far less traveled, as the trail was quite overgrown.
As I neared the end of the loop, there's a fork and I took a right turn because left had an equipment trailer in the path so I thought it was someone's camping spot.
The right trail led to what looked like an abandoned ampetheatre area, a dead end.
It turns out you do turn left, pass the equipment trailer and you're back at the trail head.”
The last part was just really, really weird.
It's obvious that others agree, since it's overgrown. I recommend either turning back at the storage area and returning to the trailhead, or just walking along the road as your return route.
Biking
There aren’t any biking trails, but cycling is permitted on campground rounds during daylight hours.
Anyone under the age of 15 is not allowed to bike without wearing a helmet, and cycling isn’t permitted after dark unless the bike is properly lit.
Swimming
Technically there are two beaches at Batman’s Campground, though I think referring to the second one as a swimming area is a bit of a stretch.
The main one - “Sunset Beach” is a relatively big sandy beach, on the Sheguiandah Bay of Lake Huron. It’s a short walk from the park store, recreation centre, and the parking lot out in that area. (It doesn’t have parking of its own).
This one is super cute, and was REALLY well maintained at the time of our visit - it always looked like it had been freshly raked.
The sand and water are both really clean looking, and the water was super clear and sparkling under the sun. There’s a floating swim platform a little way off the shore, and a large swim area, roped off with buoys.
As you can guess by the name, it’s known as a great place to watch the sun set. There’s a little boat launch and marina next to it, with a little lighthouse - the whole area is very scenic!
The park’s website refers to this as a “natural lakefront setting” and “no groomed beach”... it was swampy. We saw people in the water - getting out to boats that were anchored there - but in no way did it look like somewhere meant for swimming.
It was a great place for birding, though...
Row 2: Merlin, Northern Harrier
Birding, Wildlife, and Nature
As people who tend to camp in Provincial Parks, we had no idea that a private trailer park could actually be pretty good for birding.
Our birding experience started out almost as soon as we set up, as we noticed a Merlin flying around the marshy beach area in front of us. He kept coming by over the course of a few hours, but we didn’t see him again after that first day.
Very cool, though - he kept flying really close!
Anyway - as far as birds go - we saw and/or heard:
American Crow, Blue Jay, Black-Capped Chickadee, Common Loon, Downy Woodpecker, Mallard Duck, Merlin, Osprey, Ring-Billed Gull, Song Sparrow, Turkey Vulture, and White-Breasted Nuthatch.
At one point, we saw a few White Tailed Deer on the campground road leading to the highway, as well!
Boating
There's a boat launch next to the beach - with a little driving loop to get down there- but it’s not super clear on the map.
The entrance is on the left side of the fish hut - as you’re facing from the main road to the beach - and you exit on the other side of the fish hut. There’s no parking down there, btw.
The boat launch opens into a cute little marina, which apparently has a gas pump right there - convenient!
Fishing
Batman’s seems like a nice spot to go fishing, even beyond how cute the whole boating and marina situation is.
There's a little fish cleaning hut next to the boat launch, and the park sells live bait. For that matter, you can even rent a fishing boat from them, if you need.
Fishing right off the pier is another option.
Anyway, the fish up for grabs are Bass, Lake Trout, Musky, Northern Pike, Perch, Pickerel, Rainbow Trout, and Salmon.
Niantic Games
Despite having really good cellular reception, there were no Niantic game points (Pokestops, Ingress Portals, etc) in the campground.
We spent so much traveling around Manitoulin Island that it wasn’t that big of a deal, though - we got our daily tasks done at the various places we visited.
Nearby Attractions
We were only camping on beautiful Manitoulin Island for 3 days, so in NO WAY did we get to see and experience everything.
There are so many wonderful places to visit! Here are some of the nearby attractions we either visited this time, or plan to in the future:
The Cup and Saucer Trail
This nature preserve is widely seen as being one of the best hiking trails in Ontario, and it’s only about 20 minutes from the campground.
See our Ultimate Guide to the Cup and Saucer Trail post for more information.
Providence Bay Beach
We only spent a short amount of time at this popular beach, as it was cold and windy at the time of our visit... but we definitely plan to go back.
It’s super cute - a large sandy beach, with a big, sweeping view of Georgian Bay.
There’s a large playground on the sand, and we were surprised to see a Mobi-Mat connecting all the play areas!
When we got a closer look, we noticed that it wasn’t just a child’s playground - there was an adult playground, as well - outdoor gym equipment!
Despite packing dumbbells and having lofty goals to actually weight train during our camping trip, we’ve definitely been slacking on that front.
So, it was kind of fun to try out a bit of the equipment. It’s really slick - the ones we tried were all bodyweight based. For instance, the Pec Deck seat rises up as you squeeze the bars together - you’re lifting yourself.
My upper body strength sucks, so I definitely had to give a little assistance from my legs, LOL.
I love seeing these outdoor gyms. There’s one in Burlington, one in Goderich, and another one somewhere just past Espanola, on the way to Manitoulin Island. Very cool!
Manitoulin Eco Park
This is a dark sky preserve - known as a great place for stargazing - and also has a campground.
We didn’t get around to visiting it this time around, but definitely will in the future!
South Baymouth
This is 40 minutes away from the campground, and it’s where the MS Chi-Cheemaun Ferry to Bruce Peninsula arrives / departs from.
When you see photos of Manitoulin Island that AREN’T Bridal Veil Falls, it’s usually of this area. There’s a little marina with crystal clear water, and a bridge out to a boardwalk area overlooking Lake Huron.
A really stunning area to visit!
Bridal Veil Falls
This was a surprise hit for us. We’ve seen a lot of waterfalls, and this one seemed like it was going to be pretty small compared to some.
Also, most of what we read had it as ... well, JUST a waterfall.
We were utterly unprepared for how great that whole area was. There are trails along the river, amazing birding, etc. We’d expected it to be basically a quick little rest stop with a waterfall, but it was SO much more than that.
We’ll definitely be going back - and allotting more time to do so, next time!
For more information, see our Bridal Veil Falls, Manitoulin Island post!
Gore Bay
We didn’t make it out to Gore Bay, but plan to next time - it looks beautiful, and was highly recommended as a destination.
Misery Bay Provincial Park
Our visit to Misery Bay Provincial Park was definitely one of the highlights of our visit - and probably of the entire road trip!
See our Misery Bay Provincial Park post for all the details!
Final Thoughts
Aside from Meaford Memorial Park, we haven’t had the best experience with private campgrounds.
There was the one we stayed at when we first moved to Hamilton and were house hunting (Who sprung some REALLY snobby RV age restrictions on us at the last minute, and demanded far more money as a result!), and the one we stayed at during our first trip up north... which was so bad, we cut our stay to just one night!...
So, we were slightly apprehensive about Batman’s.
As it turns out, that was completely unnecessary and we ended up pleasantly surprised.
The staff were super friendly and helpful, the few other people we interacted with were nice and welcoming, the beach was gorgeously maintained, and our campsite had a great view.
Aside from that first night (with the super noisy people next door), we had a really nice, peaceful, and quiet stay.
We’ll probably be back, next time we stay on Manitoulin Island. (If not, it won’t be as a slight against Batman’s, we just might want to check out the Dark Sky Preserve.)
Anyway, a nice little park - you should check it out if you’re in the area! It’s a pretty ideal spot to have as a base of operations, while touring the island.
More Near-North Ontario Provincial Parks & Places to See
Want to read some more about the parks we've camped and at places we've seen in Near-Northern Ontario? Here are some more posts!
Near-Northern Ontario Campground Reviews:
Arrowhead Provincial Park
Chutes Provincial Park
Driftwood Provincial Park
Fairbank Provincial Park
Finlayson Point Provincial Park
Grundy Lake Provincial Park
Kap-Kig-Iwan Provincial Park
Marten River Provincial Park
Mikisew Provincial Park
Killbear Provincial Park
Oastler Lake Provincial Park
Six Mile Lake Provincial Park
Sturgeon Bay Provincial Park
Near-Northern Ontario Places to See:
Big Chute Marine Railway
Bridal Veil Falls, Manitoulin Island
Cup and Saucer Trail, Manitoulin Island
Fielding Bird Sanctuary
French River Provincial Park
Hardy Lake Provincial Park
Misery Bay Provincial Park
Onaping Falls
Oxtongue River-Ragged Falls Provincial Park
Screaming Heads
Want to explore beyond Near-Northern Ontario? Check out our full list of Campground Reviews, Ontario Waterfalls, and other Places to See.
We also have a ton of Camping Recipes to cook up, while on your adventures!
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