Sauble Falls Provincial Park

We’re spending the spring exploring Southwestern Ontario, and we recently stayed at Sauble Falls Provincial Park for the first time.

Located a really short distance from the shores of Lake Huron - in Bruce County - it was a lovely place to spend a few days.

Because we were visiting before the busy season kicked in, we enjoyed a fairly quiet stay.

No crowds at the historic falls, no trouble getting parking at Sauble Beach, and just a generally relaxing stay with nice weather.

You know, basically our ideal vacation!

Anyway, let us tell you all about it!

The Basics:

Campground Name: Sauble Falls Provincial Park
Address: 1400 Sauble Falls Road South Bruce Peninsula, ON N0H 2T0
Website: Sauble Falls Provincial Park
Price Ontario Provincial Parks uses a pricing matrix across all their parks. See 2024 Camping Fees for more details.
Reservations: Ontario Parks Reservations

Logistics

Registration and Check In

Registration was via a window at a kiosk. Super friendly service as always.

The only issue was the layout at the park entrance. You’re supposed to pull through and park in the day use lot, and walk back to check in.

A couple issues:

1. There’s no designated parking for RVs/ people checking in. I imagine it gets pretty busy in the summer, and that lot is for basically everything in the day use area - the pavilion, sports areas, and the trail to the falls.

It’s not a big parking lot, and that also ties in to the second issue...

2. There’s no actual turnaround. In a 28' RV - towing a car, no less - we were BARELY able to make a U-Turn to get out.

... and we did need to make a U turn, as our campsite was actually in a different campground, across the main road and up a bit. (There’s no separate office for that one, though).

We checked in early on a Thursday afternoon in April, so it was empty. Summers and long weekends are probably a total mess to deal with.

We would have been pretty screwed if more than a few people were parked there - we can’t back up when flat towing.

Maps and Signage

The map is in NO WAY to scale.

Other than that, it’s a smaller park... so the one page map definitely suffices.

Signage in the park could be a bit more clear, but really - it’s kind of too small to really get lost in.

Other than that, there was some weirdness with the comfort stations in the west campground.

The map shows the comfort station near the day use area as being the full comfort station, with showers and laundry. It was a very old building that really didn’t look inviting.

When you drive halfway through the actual campground in that section, though - to the one that doesn’t have showers or laundry indicated -you’ll find THAT comfort station to be bright, new... and have showers and laundry.

Services

While the camp sites don’t have water or sewer hookups, there is a trailer sanitation station in the East Campground.

There is one dump platform to the right as you enter the area, then 2 fill platforms just beyond that.

The weird thing is that the dump platform is on the right of the lane - so if you are used to pumping out from the driver’s side, you’re going to want to enter that little loop from the left.

(There’s no signage to indicate which was is the right way, btw.)

There is also a small garbage and recycling area on that loop.

Connectivity

On Rogers, cell phone reception was decent to good throughout most of the park.

Accessibility

Both of the campgrounds have comfort stations with barrier-free showers and flush toilets.

The roads in the East Campground are narrow, domed, and in really bad condition, so getting around without a car may be kind of risky if there’s any traffic at all.

The one marked trail in the park - Sauble Trail - is not wheelchair accessible (probably not accessible for any kind of mobility aid), nor is there any parking anywhere near by it.

Pets

There don’t appear to be any pet exercise areas in the park, and the only mention we saw about pets at all was a sign saying that dogs had to be leashed at all times.

Parking

There’s not a ton of parking in the day use area of the park - plenty for the off season, but I would bet it’s a bit of a zoo in the summertime.

The camp sites all seem to have ample parking space for a second vehicle.

As mentioned, the Sauble Trail does not have any parking at the trail head.

Miscellaneous

There is not a lot of light pollution in the area, and the falls viewing platform on the day-use side of the falls is almost perfectly north facing.

Campground Amenities & Info

Here’s some basic information on Sauble Falls Provincial Park’s amenities:

Creature Comforts

There are 3 comfort stations in the park - two in the West Campground, and one in the East Campground.

All three have flush toilets, at least two have showers, and at least one has laundry facilities.

Due to the aforementioned mislabeling on the map, we’re not sure if the older comfort station - near the day use area - actually has showers or laundry.

Of note: the more modern comfort station - the far west side of the West Campground - has an EV charging station.

It's one dual-head level 2 station.

Aside from the comfort stations, there are a few vault toilets throughout both campgrounds, and one in the falls viewing area.

Visitor Centre

There is no Visitor Center at Sauble Falls Provincial Park.

Park Store

There wasn’t really a park store, but they do sell shirts and such through the kiosk window at the front gate.

Day Use Area

The day use area is centered around the main parking area in the West Campground, and it really seems to be the main attraction of the park.

It’s got several different sports areas - a horseshoe pit, a small basketball court, a volleyball court, and what looks to be a single tetherball area as well.

There’s a nice looking picnic shelter, and a children’s adventure playground right beside it.

There’s a little trail from the main day-use area, leading down to the falls area.

Not only are there 2 viewing platforms and a little boardwalk, there is an exceptional picnicking site, right on the bank of Sauble River.

Gorgeous view!

Rentals

Apparently - per the website - you can rent canoes, kayaks, and paddle boats near the day use area.

We didn’t see where this would take place - it probably wasn’t set up / open for the season yet.

Campsite Details

All of the camping at Sauble Falls PP are car-accessible campsites - no backcountry camping.

From looking at the reservation map, I’d guess maybe half the sites have electrical service. As with most (all?) Provincial Parks, each camp site seemed to have its own picnic table and fire pit.

The campsites on the west section of the site are all radio free and generator free, for those who want a more quiet zone.

Also, most of the sites along the north sides of both campground sections have some degree of “Waterfront” camping to them. This usually comes in the form of a water view, moreso than actual water access.

Our particular site was on the west side of the East Campground. We were close enough to the falls to hear them, could see the river from the back of our site(ish), and it was generally a decent site.

There’s a lot of uneven ground and weird sloping, so definitely bring leveling blocks and whatnot.

Also, neither campground looks particularly good for large rig camping.

The West Campground had better roads - and a few sites that looked like they could handle larger trailers and campers - but the East Campground... not so much.

The roads are super narrow, not at all level, and trying to back in to some of them would be very difficult with anything much bigger than our 28' RV.

The larger loop of sites in the East Campground... looked pretty scary to even attempt to bring an RV though. Tight turns, steep hills, narrow, etc.

Sauble Falls tent camping though ... looks spectacular. A lot of the sites have basically a small parking area up front, with a cool vaulted area for the tent set up.

Of note: While only a few of the sites along the north side of the smaller loop in the East Campground are listed as being pull through, most are FUNCTIONALLY pull through.

Most - if not all - back out onto a small, really crappy little road that runs along the river. While I wouldn’t be in a rush to drive an RV back there, it was clear that many of those sites had been used as pull-through, onto that road.

(Honestly, “road” is being generous. I’d initially thought it was a walking trail!)

Group Camping

In addition to the tent camping / car camping sites, Sauble Falls Provincial Park has two group camping areas, located adjacent to the trailer sanitation station / recycling area.

One can accommodate 15-20 people, and the other 30-40. There’s a vault toilet near the entrances of the two campgrounds.

Entertainment and Activity

There are a few different ways to keep yourself active and entertained while visiting Sauble Falls Provincial Park, here’s a breakdown of their offerings:

Hiking

This park is not really a hiking destination, with one short-ish hiking trail, and a short ... scenic walk, I guess?

There’s plenty of amazing hiking just a short drive from the park - up Bruce Peninsula - but if you’d like to spend some time walking outside while in the campground, here are your options:

Sauble Falls Trail

This walking trail is a quick walk from both the East Campground - literally right across the road, a 2 minute walk from our campsite - or from the end of the day use area.

It’s not so much a trail, as a couple little viewing areas on either side of the falls, connected by a walking bridge that goes across the top of the falls.

On the day use side of the falls, you go down a short but steep hill to the picnic area next to the falls, where you can walk along the river for a short distance, and view the falls from a short boardwalk and viewing platform.

Signage tells you about the history of the falls - they used to power a timber mill and generating station - as well as some info about the geography and history of the surrounding area.

On the other side of the falls, there’s a short, elevated viewing platform, and a narrow, more rustic trail that you can follow for a short distance along the river, for some interesting views.

Sauble Trail

Sauble Trail is listed as being 2.5 km long through some Red Pine plantation and ancient sand dunes, and it’s marked easy... with a recommended time of 2 hours to do it.

There’s an interpretive brochure available near the start of the trail.

There is no parking near the trail head, so be sure to factor in extra distance from your camp site, or the small parking lot near the dump station.

I took one look at the entry to the trail as we did our drive through and noped out - it looked very steep, and I was NOT having a good knee/foot day.

Porter walked the trail, and it ended up being 2.8 km total, from our campsite, and it took him 40 minutes to do so.

There’s NO WAY the trailhead is only .15 km away, so ... something is off.

Anyway, as soon as he came back, his first words were “You would NOT have liked that trail”.

He said that it was “constantly go UP a 6-10 foot hill, then back down it”. There were a lot of elevation changes and even several sets of stairs involved.

So. Not super accessible, but a great hiking trail if you’re able bodied and want to take a nice quick walk in the woods.

He got to see a variety of pretty vistas and different types of areas along the walk, it was pretty “ADHD friendly”.

Half or more of the trail was a pretty basic walk through the woods, but it was peppered with those gorgeous views or points of interest.

He recommends taking the loop clockwise, as the signage is clearly meant for people coming from that direction.

There are multiple places where the trail splits off for sections - he thinks park maintenance - but they’re only marked from one direction.

Biking

The park allows you to bike on the park roads, but really... I’d skip it. As mentioned, the roads are super narrow and in terrible condition. It’s also not very scenic.

Much better to head into nearby Sauble Beach, if you’re looking for some nicer views and better conditions.

Swimming

There isn’t any designated swimming area in the park itself, but the beach area in Sauble Beach is GORGEOUS and stretches as far as the eye can see.

More info on that, further down in this post.

Canoeing

The park mentions canoe launch facilities being located on the north side of the falls - we didn’t see them, or perhaps didn’t correctly identify them as such?

We also didn’t see the canoe rentals they mentioned as being available. Might be because it’s off season?

Anyway, the park advertises the falls as being the end of the rankin river canoe route - ideal for novice canoeists.

We didn’t see anyone canoeing or kayaking during our stay, though.

The river on either side of the falls looks really pretty, though, and the area where the Sauble River empties into Lake Huron seems to be fairly well sheltered from the waves of the lake itself.

Birding, Wildlife, and Nature

After our amazing run of bird watching at Wheatley, Rondeau, and Point Pelee a couple weeks ago, we were looking forward to seeing some new birds.

Unfortunately, our run of luck ended with Point Pelee!

While Sauble Falls is known for having Osprey in the area - and mentioned having many species of birds in the campgrounds and along the river - we mostly just saw Grackles, Bluejays, and some ducks.

We did see a Common Merganser, though (the photo just before this section).

They’re so ridiculous looking, they make me laugh. I think they look like they’re wearing a bad wig, and - until I Googled to find out what they were actually called - I thought of them as “Lady Elaine Fairchilde Ducks”.

No, they don’t actually look like that puppet... but for some reason, they remind me of it!

Anyway, as far as other wildlife goes, we saw squirrels, chipmunks, and a snake.

Fishing

While fishing is prohibited in the waterfalls area itself, the areas on either side of the falls are known to be great places to fish for Rainbow Trout and Chinook Salmon

In the spring and fall, you can watch the fish struggle their way up each level of the falls, heading upstream to their spawning areas.

Of course, we saw plenty of people fishing right next to the "no fishing signs", LOL.

There are a few little wooden floating docks along the north side of the East campground, and we often saw people fishing from them, as well.

Discovery Program

As with most / all of the Ontario Provincial Parks, Sauble Falls Provincial park runs some educational programs during July and August.

We didn’t see any information during our stay, and we’re not sure where the “Exploration Station” would be located in this park.

Niantic Games

There’s only one Pokestop / Ingress Portal in the East Campground (the trailhead for Sauble Trail), but there are several stops and gyms / portals in the West Campground.

All of the West Campground ones are dotted along the parking corridor between the front gate and the falls, rather than in the camping area itself.

So, if you’re an avid Niantic player, your best bet is to camp in the east portion of the park, as close as possible to the falls. If you’re on the west side of that camping area, you can be in range of one or two of them, across the street at the falls.

If not, it’s a really short walk to get to the falls, and a handful of stops / gyms/portals.

Nearby Attractions

If you’re not looking to stay in the park during your whole stay, there are some interesting areas you can visit nearby.

The park is situated at the base of the Bruce Peninsula, and a relatively short drive from Owen Sound. In addition to everything you can find in those areas, consider visiting:

Sauble Beach

Sauble Beach is about a 5 minute drive from the campground via Sauble Falls Parkway / Bruce Rd 13. There, you’ll find grocery stores, restaurants, and all kinds of beachy touristy shops and attractions.

Ascent Aerial Park looked like a TON of fun, but did not seem to be open during our stay.

Anyway, aside from the touristy places, there is The BEACH.

Yes, I feel like the capitalization is necessary.

This is the mother of all beaches I’ve ever seen. It’s the second longest freshwater beach in the world, coming in behind Wasaga Beach (which we haven’t been to yet!).

The soft, pale sand stretches out as far as the eye can see, lining the shallow waters of that section of Lake Huron.

I went for a stroll in the water, and had to go pretty far out before I even came close to being in knee-high water. I bet it’s absolutely *glorious* in the summer.

We were curious about the logistics, as we’d just seen the beach near the main entrance (with the iconic Sauble Beach sign)... with very little nearby parking.

So, we took a drive down Lakeshore Blvd N, which is accessible via Sauble Falls Rd - which runs next to the campground.

The entire length of Lakeshore Blvd is lined with parking spots, and little pathways through the dunes every so often.

Some were little trails, some were wide paths of sandy beach, and a few involved a bit of a boardwalk. (Most of the boardwalks were almost completely buried in sand, though).

The whole area is super cute, and looks like something out of a movie.

Having grown up in Winnipeg, it’s still wild to me that we have places like this in Canada!

We’re definitely going to have to face the Provincial Park Booking Hunger Games next year, and vie for a summer season campsite!

Wiarton

Like Sauble Beach, Wiarton is part of the town of South Bruce Peninsula, and it’s just a few minutes drive northeast of the campground.

Wiarton’s claim to fame is Wiarton Willie, a big white groundhog that people look to for long term weather forecasts.

We stopped by Wiarton in search of a cat litter scoop, after realizing that we forgot to re-pack ours after taking it out of the camper to clean after the last trip.

Anyway, you can’t go to Wiarton for the first time without taking in the Wiarton Willie attractions!

There’s a small park with all of the touristy kitsch you’d expect for such an attraction, as well as Willie himself, available for public viewing year round.

While walking the grounds near Willie’s enclosure, I asked Porter if we’d have to come back the next day, making what I *believed* to be a fairly obvious, dorky “Groundhog Day” joke.

... his response was just “why?".

I’m still disappointed in him for missing that, so I will take the opportunity to shame him here! 🙂

Final Thoughts

This one is another park that probably looks worse on paper than it is.

There’s not a lot to do in the park - really, it feels like a really decent day use kinda park with some camping tacked on, moreso than a campground with amenities added on for the campers.

Beside the falls themselves, we wouldn’t consider this a destination campground.

That said, it IS the perfect base camp for exploring the area - Sauble Beach is super close by, and it’s right on a gateway road to Bruce Peninsula, with all the amazing sites THAT area has to offer.

Being so close to the river, such a short walk from the falls, etc is also fantastic.

We’ll definitely be back, but it’ll be with more plans to explore the surrounding area.

More Provincial Park Campground Reviews

Want to read some more of what we have to say about the campgrounds we've stayed at? Here are some more reviews!

Awenda Provincial Park
Balsam Lake Provincial Park
Bass Lake Provincial Park
Bon Echo Provincial Park
Canisbay Lake, Algonquin Provincial Park
Chutes Provincial Park
Driftwood Provincial Park
Earl Rowe Provincial Park
Emily Provincial Park
Inverhuron Provincial Park
Killbear Provincial Park
Lake Superior Provincial Park
Long Point Provincial Park
MacGregor Point Provincial Park
MacLeod Provincial Park
Mara Provincial Park
McRae Point Provincial Park
Neys Provincial Park
Pinery Provincial Park
Point Farms Provincial Park
Port Burwell Provincial Park
Quetico Provincial Park
Rideau River Provincial Park
Rock Point Provincial Park
Rondeau Provincial Park
Selkirk Provincial Park
Sibbald Point Provincial Park
Sleeping Giant Provincial Park
Turkey Point Provincial Park
Wheatley Provincial Park