Long Point Provincial Park is a busy - but gorgeous - beach-centered campground and day use area on the shores of Lake Erie, in Southern Ontario. Here’s our review of our short - but fabulous! - time there.
Originally published on August 8, 2023, Updated on 1/16/2026.
So, sitting in our camper in Port Burwell, our only option was a single night at *one* available spot in that campground - not the one we were already on.
On a lark, I decided to see what was between Port Burwell and home - that we weren’t already booked for (Turkey Point!)- and see if we could get a night or two booked there.
Amazingly, Long Point had a single night of ONE camp site that would accommodate us! SCORE!
After all, if we’re going to pull up and move, why not see a whole new park on the way home? We had a great stay - and we’ve since been back!
Long Point Park
Long Point Provincial park is located in the town of Port Rowan, in Norfolk County - less than a 2 hour drive from Hamilton.
I’d first read of Long Point in one of those popular Toronto blogs, and it sounded amazing.
It’s part of a 40-kilometre-long sandspit jutting out into Lake Erie, and is known for its pristine sandy beaches.
Unfortunately, it’s also wildly popular during the summer months, so I’d been unable to get a reservation back when figuring out our summer plans!
Fun fact: Established in 1921, this park is the fourth oldest provincial park in Ontario!
It comes in behind Quetico Provincial Park (1909), Rondeau Provincial Park (1894), and Algonquin Provincial Park (1893), which is also the oldest provincial park in Canada.
Also, it’s located in region designated as a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)
Anyway, lots to talk about, so let’s get to it...
The Basics:
Campground Name: Long Point Provincial Park
Address: PO Box 99 350 Erie Blvd, Port Rowan, ON, ON, N0E 1M0
Website: https://www.ontarioparks.com/park/longpoint
Price Ontario Provincial Parks uses a pricing matrix across all their parks. See 2025 Camping Fees for additional information.
Reservations: Ontario Parks Reservations
Park Classification: Recreational
Season: Camping: May 8, 2026 to November 15, 2026, Day Use: April 3, 2026 to January 3, 2027
Logistics
Some basic information to help you plan your stay at Long Point Provincial Park:
Registration and Check In
As with all of our experiences booking with Ontario Parks, booking our first visit online was quick and easy. I’m still absolutely amazed we were able to find a site, in August, with only a day’s notice!
Things have changed a bit in the couple of years between our visits.
The first time around, check in was handled through a window, and involved printed passes that we had to show at a kiosk as we drove off.
I checked in on the morning of our arrival, and the message said that we were checked in, but would have to see staff for printed vehicle passes.
The gatehouse now handles check ins inside, rather than through the window. As it turns out, it IS on the paperless system... but they wanted to run us through the entire check in process anyway.
I’m really not sure what the point of online check in IS, when some parks do this.
IMHO, if they’re going to require you to go in and do the whole process anyway, online check in shouldn’t be offered as an option for that park.
Maps and Signage
The park map is a little 8.5 x 11, full colour and double sided map. One side has a detailed view of the actual campground area, and the other side is a park overview map, with an inset showing a detailed map for the old campground section - Cottonwood Campground.
It may be small, but it’s actually a really good map. The sites are all colour coded for being electric, non-electric, or barrier-free, and I didn’t notice any glaring inaccuracies at all.
Would be nice if accessibility info was included on the map, but that’s about my only complaint.
There *definitely* could have been some better thought put into marking the one way directionality, both in the park and on the map. (Monarch’s Rest campground, specifically).
The only way we could tell where to go, was to NOT go into the “no entrance” streets, and try the next one up.
Waste & Water Services
As you’re coming into the park - before you get to the gatehouse - the Trailer Sanitation Station will be on your left.
It’s much easier to access than the map would have you believe - you can enter AND exit it easily, whether you’re coming or leaving - no u-turns needed.
This is a short loop off the main road, with both platforms on the back half of the one-way loop. It starts with a single dump platform on the driver’s side, followed by a single fill platform - with a threaded hose - on the same side.
We didn’t have any wait on either of our visits, but one had us leaving on a Thursday afternoon (summer), and the other was in the fall, when there were MAYBE 10 other campsites occupied during our visit.
I’d have to imagine that Sundays - or Mondays, on long weekends - get wildly busy, with LONG waits.
It looks like it’s been upgraded since our last visit - we’d noted it being a single platform, but there are two of them now - both with threaded connections.
Signage leading up to it from both directions on that road make me think it’s intended to be used whether on the way in or out of the park, but the actual platforms aren’t marked with any kind of directionality.
I wonder if it gets chaotic during the busy season?
In any case, you can access either of the two platforms from either side.
The garbage and recycling area was huge, well laid out, and clean. How old am I, that I get excited about well-appointed recycling areas? LOL!
Connectivity
Cell reception was decent on our first trip - not great, but it worked decently at most times, both in the campground, and on the beach.
We were even able to stream an episode of “Good Omens” in the evening, with very few buffer drops.
On our second visit, both upload and download speeds were fantastic. Not sure if something got upgraded, or if it was just a matter of load - the park was full the first time, and pretty much empty the second time.
Accessibility
Some information about the accessibility of the park:
General Accessibility
1. The park website includes very basic information, but doesn’t have anything about beach accessibility, etc. Unlike some parks, Long Point Provincial Park doesn’t include accessibility information on their park map.
2. The Gatehouse / Park Store is designated as being barrier-free.
3. There are two “barrier-free” campsites in the entire park - one electrical (Firefly), and one non-electrical (Cottonwood).
4. The campground and park roads are fairly rough and uneven, and I would imagine would be difficult for those using a wheelchair.
Comfort Stations
Apparently all have barrier-free access, we’ve only seen two of the three.
Both the Turtle Dunes Comfort Station and Monarch’s Rest Comfort Station have designated parking, and barrier-free access to the building. The sidewalks from both parking lots to the buildings are short, gradual incline, paved, and in good condition.
Each has a single accessible shower, and - at least in the case of the Monarch’s Rest one - the shower has a toilet in it as well. The main washrooms also have a wheelchair accessible stall.
Also: The two washroom buildings in the day use area have designated accessible parking spots.
The Beach
On the upside: no matter where you’re camping, you’re not super far from the lake.
On the downside... the two paths we took to the beach during our first visit were fairly inaccessible.
They were both was soft, unlined sand - the kind you really sink into as you walk. (I was spoiled at Port Burwell Provincial Park!)
During that first visit, at least one of the beach access points in the campground had a Mobi-Mat, but it was in terrible condition - crumpled, bumpy, generally poorly maintained and not actually wheelchair accessible.
During that trip, we didn’t see what the other paths from that campground - or in the day use area - looked like. We didn’t notice any MobiMats on the paths we took during our Fall 2025 trip, but that might be a seasonal thing.
Also of note: I saw a sign saying that there’s an all-terrain beach wheelchair available to borrow. (This also should be mentioned on the site, and is not!).
Bottom Row: The Firefly Barrier-Free Site
Pets
Pets are definitely welcome at Long Point Provincial Park, and we saw a TON of dogs - all having the times of their lives.
The far end of Turtle Dunes Campground has a small parking lot and a short walk to the dog beach. It’s also an off-leash dog exercise area.
You know, I’ve really taken a liking to parking our butts on the dog beaches at parks. I LOVE watching how excited they get, and the joy is infectious.
This time, we saw a German Shepherd trying to EAT the waves, and a large, spotted Very Good Boi desperately trying to get his owners to play with him, as they were dancing.
It was hilarious to watch him throw his ball in between them as they danced... poor guy! Persistent, though!
There is a second dog beach in the day use area, between Beach Access #2 and Beach Access #3. This one is an off-leash dog beach and exercise area.
Anyway, aside from the dog beaches, all other areas of the park require dogs to be leashed at all times.
Parking
I think pretty much all of the sites we saw looked big enough for a car to park (in addition to the camping equipment), and there are several parking lots throughout the campgrounds.
The parking lot at the day use area is SO big, I honestly have to wonder about what absolute chaos that beach has to be on hot weekends.
I guess at least they’re set up for it, parking-wise!
Miscellaneous
Because of its southern location, Long Point Provincial Park isn’t a GREAT place for viewing the northern lights.
If you happen to be visiting during an especially strong storm, your best bet for a northerly view would be from the boat launch area in the park.
In the immediate area, though, there’s relatively low light pollution. Directly to the north is Turkey Point, with a bit of light pollution, but nothing like big city lights.
There’s also a couple lookout platforms a few km up the road - one next to the Sandboy Marina, and the one at Big Creek National Wildlife Area - that would probably have better views, albeit with more possibility for nearby light pollution.
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 basic information on the amenities at Long Point Provincial Park:
Creature Comforts
Each of the 3 campgrounds has a comfort station with showers and flush toilets.
We’ve never seen the one in Cottonwood Campground, but the other two were in good condition for both of our visits (Turtle Dunes was closed at the time of our second visit though).
At the time of our November 2025 visits, the laundry machines were all marked as being $2 per load.
Weirdly, right above the “Washer $2" sign, there was a second sign that broke down options - Normal/delicate cycle as $1.75, “Mixed” being $2, and “Powerwash” being $2.50.
The signage also mentions that the laundry machines are exact change only - and do not give change - but that change is available at the park office.
There are also a few flush and vault toilets throughout the campgrounds, at the boat launch, and in the day use area. They all look to be newer and in good condition - they’re not the “scary and gross” outhouses.
Finally, there’s an porta-potty just outside of the gatehouse.
Visitor Centre
There is no Visitor Center at Long Point Provincial Park, nor any outdoor attractions that serve the same purpose.
Park Store
Firewood and ice can be purchased at the park store, which is located at the park office for New Park.
The store also carries the standard offerings for provincial park shops - the park stickers, crests, camping supplies, ice cream treats and other snacks, etc.
For such a small area, it has a WILD amount of stuff available.
Day Use Area
The day use area is located near the front of the park, right after the gatehouse. It’s a bit of a drive from the campgrounds!
Anyway, this is a long beach area with a TON of parking. There are a few access points along the parking lot, with each taking you through sand dunes to get to the beach.
Note: Some of those look pretty steep, and ALMOST remind me of Sandbanks Provincial Park... just nowhere near as extreme.
The overflow half of the parking area has the picnic area, with picnic tables, grills, a beach volleyball pit, and a really janky looking swing set.
Beyond that, there’s a fantastic playground at the end of the Firefly Campground (easily accessed from the Monarch’s Rest Campground as well), and apparently there’s a second playground in the Old Park Campground / Cottonwood Campground.
Rentals
You can rent extension cords through the Registration Office, and there are Personal Floatation Devices available to borrow (deposit required).
Beyond that, Long Point Provincial Park part of the OFAH Tackleshare Program. This is an equipment loaning program run by the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, which aims to get people involved in fishing.
So, there are fishing rods and tackle available to borrow, at no cost.
If you’re looking for canoes or kayaks, though, you’re out of luck - You’ll need to rent those from local businesses.
Campsite Details
As with most of Ontario provincial parks, you have the option of hydro or not, and that’s about it. In this case, I’d estimate that around half the sites were electrical.
Firefly looked to be pretty much all electrical, with Monarch’s Rest and Turtle Dunes looking to be around a 50/50 mix of electrical sites and non electrical sites.
We stayed in the Firefly campground on our first stay, which appeared to be mostly pull through sites, with basically no privacy at all.
The sites were large, but everything was right out in the open:
Our site - and most of the sites around us - had sand as the base of the site. It was firmly packed though, so we had no problems.
Anyway, the Monarch’s Rest sites were generally pretty large, and had more privacy in terms of the other camp sites, but pretty much all of them are en route to the beach, so expect a ton of people to walk by if you’re camping in the summer!
They were right in the sand dunes, very close to the beach - but due to the layout, wouldn’t have anywhere near as much walking traffic as the sites in Monarch’s Rest.
Anyway, some thoughts we had during our summer stay:
“We saw a wide range of equipment used in this park, and the roads were generally good for even larger trailers.
Some of the turns in our campground may have been a bit rough for the larger bus-style campers, but I’ve never driven one, so take that with a grain of salt.
We were surprised at how clean and quiet the park was, given the layout and number of people. We are early sleepers, and had no problem going to bed at 9pm.
Even when we were making breakfast outside, with people milling about - we heard birds and the waves on the lake... not people!”
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Entertainment and Activity
Long Point Provincial Park may be centered around the beach - for good reason! - but there are plenty of ways to keep yourself entertained in this sprawling campground!
Hiking
... But hiking isn’t one of them!
While you can take some long walks on the beach, there really aren’t any hiking trails in Long Point Provincial park.
Biking
As with Hiking, there aren’t any cycling TRAILS in this park... but there is over 5 km of calm roadways to bike on, and plenty of people seemed to be enjoying that option!
Swimming
There are access points to the sandy beach areas in both the Monarch’s Rest and Turtle Dunes campgrounds, as well as in a day use area near the front gate of the park.
We stayed in the Firefly campground, and even still, we were maybe a 5 minute walk from Long Point Beach - if that.
IMHO, no matter where you stay in the “new park” area, you’re never more than a few minutes away from the warm waters of Lake Erie.
There’s over 2 km of beach here - not a single lifeguard though, so beach at your own risk.
I was actually kind of surprised not to see any wind surfing happening the first day, seemed like it would have been ideal conditions for that kind of thing!
We did see a couple of them the next morning, though!
Beach Hours
Campers have access to the beach around the clock, which we took advantage of.
We enjoyed both the sunset the night we arrived, and then went back to watch the sun rise the next morning. So peaceful!
We actually went to the parking lot at the far end of Turtle Dunes to hang out on the beach there - it was still dark when we arrived, with the moon brightly shining overhead.
The waves were high, so it was actually pretty loud, but the weather was warm, there was a cool breeze, and it was just really nice. Highly recommend it, if you can drag your ass out of bed early enough!
The HUGE day use area at the entry of the park does close at 10pm though.
Birding, Wildlife, and Nature
Back in 2023, we wrote: “Long Point Provincial Park is the perfect place for bird watching - in fact, it may have inspired me to take it up! (We’ll see if I actually follow through on this idea, though!)”
Well, I guess we did just that - and we were much better equipped to do so, during our 2025 visit. More on that in a minute.
It was fun re-reading this post before doing our update. Here’s the rest of what I had to say at the time:
“I knew it was a destination for those who like to watch song bird and waterfowl migration, as that had come up when I was looking into parks to visit.
This one sees over 300 different song bird and waterfowl species migrating through every spring and fall, with 80 + different varieties actually nesting in the park.
Even though our campground was FULL of people, what we heard most was the birds. SO many birds flying overhead, singing in the trees, etc
We had a tiny Downy Woodpecker visit us while we were eating dinner, and one of the neighbouring sites even put up a bird feeder - they were VERY popular, as you can imagine!”
Knowing nothing about birds, I had to google them. I had no idea if they were a crane or stork of some kind (both of which are species that CAN be seen there, though!
In the end, it turned out that they were likely Great Egrets.
I had to laugh, as my first thought was that it’s too bad they weren’t SNOWY egrets... See, I used to skate to the soundtrack from Witches of Eastwick, and loved that movie back in the 90s.
So, I have to say it... No, we haven’t seen any snowy egrets around here. Not that I’d know a snowy egret if I was pissing on one.
Sorry, had to! I guess I’ll have to settle for puns about having no “great egrets” from our trip...
Anyway, I can see why they make the claim to be one of the top places for bird watching in North America!”
The region is a UNESCO biosphere reserve, Long Point Bird Observatory is located just outside the front entrance of Long Point Park, and the national headquarters of Bird Studies Canada (Birds Canada) is just up the road in Port Rowan.
Big Creek National Wildlife Area is also not far from the park - there’s a LOT of nature happening in the area!
... though I’ve got to say, all the signs about snakes definitely unnerved me a bit!”
2025 Birding Update
Our November 2025 visit happened to catch the end of the fall migration. We were shocked that there was SO much birding left to be done, so late in the year!
We finally got to check out all 3 of the locations I mentioned, the first time around - highly recommend all of them!
Anyway, during our November 2025 trip, we heard and/or saw:
American Pipit, American Goldfinch, American Robin, American Tree Sparrow, Bald Eagle, Black-Capped Chickadee, Brown Creeper, Canada Goose, Carolina Wren, Chipping Sparrow, Cooper’s Hawk, Dark-Eyed Junco, Double-Crested Cormorant, Downy Woodpecker, Gadwall, Golden-Crowned Kinglet, Great Blue Heron, Greater Scaup, Greater Yellowlegs, Hermit Thrush, Herring Gull, House Finch, House Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, Mallard Duck, Northern Cardinal, Northern Harrier, Northern Shoveler, Orange-Crowned Warbler, Red-Bellied Woodpecker, Red-Tailed Hawk, Ring-Billed Gull, Sandhill Crane, Song Sparrow, Red-Winged Blackbird, Tundra Swan, Turkey Vulture, White-Throated Sparrow, Yellow-Rumped Warbler.
Row 2: Carolina Wren, Cooper's Hawk, Dark-Eyed Junco, Gadwall Duck
Row 3: Great Blue Heron, Greater Scaup, Mallard Ducks, Northern Cardinal
Row 4: Northern Harrier, Northern Shoveler, Orange-Crowned Warbler, Red-Bellied Woodpecker
Row 5: Ring-Billed Gull, Sandhill Crane, Tundra Swans, Yellow-Rumped Warbler
Boating
There’s a boat launch area near the front of the park, with TONS of trailer parking - both at the boat launch itself, and across the road from it.
The boat launch facilities open out onto Sturgeon Bay, and - from there - Long Point Bay. We didn’t see anyone launching when we visited, but the park says they’re able to accommodate most pleasure craft at the launch.
The boat launch is split into two sections, with a dock in between them.
The main boat launch is paved and in good condition, but steep. I think the water level was probably low at the time of our 2025 visit.
Anyway, the other side of the boat launch looked to be a good area for launching a canoe or kayak.
I like that the use of the launch is included with your park entry, whether as camper or with a day use permit.
Fishing
The area is known for its excellent fishing opportunities, particularly for yellow perch and bass fishing.
The launch area includes a fish cleaning station, which I thought was a nice touch. Maybe I’m not super observant, but I haven’t seen one at a campground before!
Anyway, as always, keep water safety in mind - life jackets are loaned out from the park. (Refundable deposit involved).
Hunting
The park serves as the home base for the Long Point Waterfowl Management Unit, which oversees a controlled waterfowl hunt.
Hunting takes place 4 days a week during the hunting season (September-December), but apparently doesn’t actually take plan IN the park.
The park’s website states that hunting isn’t permitted in the park at all, I’m kind of side-eyeing that and assuming it’s a technical truth.
We heard gunshots often, and they sounded relatively close. All along the road across from the Firefly Campground are a bunch of access points for hunting trails - I assumed that wetland area was part of the park, but who knows?
Anyway, at one point we saw a guy walking down the road with a bunch of ducks, and there were a ton of hunters camping in the day use area parking lot, for some reason.
The actual campground was mostly empty!
Discovery Program
Discovery programs are available through the “exploration station” during the summer months, and the park hosts weekly events in July and August.
As with Port Burwell Provincial Park, the park offers a Discovery Activity Book for kids to learn about nature.
Niantic Games
There are decent number of Pokestops / Gyms / Ingress Portals around the park, pretty spaced out. Unlike a lot of parks, there isn’t one particular area where game stops are concentrated.
So, you’ll have reception to play, but you’ll have to walk a fair distance to get much done!
Nearby Attractions
Because of our short stay here - the first time around - we really didn’t leave the park.
That said, we did pass a few cute restaurants on the drive up the sand bar, and may have to check them out someday.
Udderlee Kool is pictured below - a restaurant and grocery shop that definitely caught my eye on the way in!
Big Creek National Wildlife Area
This was right on the side of the road, on the way into the park. You can see the observation platform from the road, but there are also some trails.
It was WAY too cold and windy during our trip to see much of them, though!
Long Point Bird Observatory
This was about a km and a half from our campsite, and a fun place to visit!
We watched them do some banding, including on a female Northern Cardinal that had OPINIONS about it. Then we walked the little trails, and checked out a little lookout platform over a marshy area.
Then we snooped their livestream on Youtube later that night, to squeal over how cute the Saw-Whet Owls they were banding were!
Final Thoughts
This campground had an entirely different vibe than we were expecting, and we loved it - both times!
In the summer, I was shocked that it could be so packed, and still so quiet and respectful - I’d read that it had a big rep as a party campground!
That said, we did visit on a Wednesday / Thursday, so I’d be curious to see what a longer stay / weekend stay would be like.
The beach wass fantastic, the fact that you can easily walk to it from any camp site is a huge plus, so all around a great experience!
We said that we’d definitely be back, and we followed through on that. Glad we did!
I loved this as a fall park, and wish it was open further into the winter. The vibe was entirely different - even more peaceful - and I wish we had more time to explore!
Once again... we’ll definitely be back. This time, though, I think we’re going to make a point of timing around the migration periods, and planning longer stays!
More Southwest & Central Ontario Provincial Parks & Places to See
Want to read some more about the parks we've camped and at places we've seen in Southwestern & Central Ontario? Here are some more posts!
Southwest/Central Ontario Campground Reviews:
Awenda Provincial Park
Balsam Lake Provincial Park
Bass Lake Provincial Park
Bronte Creek Provincial Park
Bruce Peninsula National Park
Conestogo Lake Conservation Area
Craigleith Provincial Park
Darlington Provincial Park
Earl Rowe Provincial Park
Elora Gorge Conservation Area
Emily Provincial Park
Falls Reserve Conservation Area
Fifty Point Conservation Area
Inverhuron Provincial Park
MacGregor Point Provincial Park
Mara Provincial Park
McRae Point Provincial Park
Meaford Memorial Park
Pinery Provincial Park
Point Farms Provincial Park
Port Burwell Provincial Park
Rock Point Provincial Park
Rondeau Provincial Park
Sauble Falls Provincial Park
Selkirk Provincial Park
Sibbald Point Provincial Park
Turkey Point Provincial Park
Valens Lake Conservation Area
Warsaw Caves Conservation Area
Wheatley Provincial Park
Southwest/Central Ontario Places to See:
Big Bay, Ontario
Canada's Dinosaur Park
Cheltenham Badlands
Devil's Monument
Doubes Trestle Bridge
Eugenia Falls Conservation Area
Flowerpot Island
Hogg's Falls
Inglis Falls Conservation Area
Indian Falls Conservation Area
Jones Falls
Keith McLean Conservation Lands
Menesetung Bridge
Mono Cliffs Provincial Park
Petroglyphs Provincial Park
Point Pelee National Park
Rattlesnake Point Conservation Area
Scenic Caves Nature Adventures
Spirit Rock Conservation Area
Springwater Provincial Park
St Thomas Elevated Park
Wasaga Beach Provincial Park
Want to explore beyond Southwest and Central 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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