Given its proximity to the Greater Toronto Area, Valens Lake Conservation Area is a great way to try Winter Camping. Here's what you need to know!
Before you click away, hear me out - Valens Lake Conservation Area is one of the first places we ever camped at, as it’s a only a short drive from our home.
We’ve also been there many times in the winter - I think we’re at 3 or 4 for this season, already - so we’re well-versed in the winter situation there.
That said, every time we’ve planned to actually bring the camper there this winter, we’ve been thwarted by either weather or outside circumstances.
So, we’re giving up for this year... but decided to share the information anyway, as maybe some of those reading will have better luck with timing!
We’ve camped at Fifty Point Conservation Area before, love the hike up to Devil’s Punchbowl, and there are at least a few waterfalls under their authority. Great stuff!
Valens Lake is about half an hour north of Hamilton proper, up Highway 6 towards Cambridge - an easy, straightforward drive.
Its location makes it a good choice for first-time winter campers - you’re close enough to stores and such if you find yourself missing something essential, even if your campsite FEELS very rural.
It’s a fairly sprawling property that feels far more like Northern Ontario than you’d expect for somewhere in the GTHA!
Anyway, let’s go over everything you might want to know about winter camping at Valens Lake Conservation Area.
The Basics:
Campground Name: Valens Lake Conservation Area
Address: 1691 Regional Rd 97, Hamilton, ON N1R 5S7
Website: https://conservationhamilton.ca/conservation-areas/valens-lake/
Price: Hamilton Conservarion Authority has a pricing matrix across all their parks. See 2025 HCA Admission & Fees for more details.
Reservations: Winter camping sites are first-come, first serve. No reservations.
Winter Camping Season: November 1 to March 31 (Open year-round)
Logistics
Having done all of our winter camping at Ontario Provincial Parks campgrounds, staying at Valens Lake during the winter was a very different experience, logistically speaking.
Here’s what you’ll need to know about camping at Valens Lake Conservation Area during the winter months:
Registration and Check In
From November 1 to March 31, reservations aren’t accepted for any of the campsites, and everything goes first-come, first-served.
Basically, you show up whenever - they say they’re not really concerned about check in times during the winter. They’ll either assign you a spot, or give you a map of available spots.
If you take the map, you go and pick a site, then go back to the office and actually register for it.
All of this happens via window service at the park gate kiosk.
Maps and Signage
Some basic info about getting around at Valens Lake Conservation Area:
Park Map
There isn’t a specific park map for the winter season, and the one that’s available year-round doesn’t have any winter information on it at all.
It comes as a brochure-folded 11 x 17 sheet with general information on one side, and 2 small maps on the other. One map is the campground map, with numbered sites listed, the other is an overview of the whole park, including trails.
Just... temper your expectations when it comes to accuracy, scale, etc. You can get a PDF version here: Valens Lake Conservation Area Map
Also, as a head’s up - there is some weirdness in the winter information that IS out there - the website.
The website has a seasonal warning that “The only washroom that is open is Hilltop.” The word “Hilltop” doesn’t appear even once on the map, though - the washroom they’re talking about is the one in the Pines camp area, next to the Dogwood camp area.
In our experience, they don’t tend to offer a map when you check in at the park office, you have to ask for it specifically.
I think we saw only one park map sign, but we weren’t specifically looking for them. It was over by the park store.
Signage
The signage at Valens Lake is... OK.
It’s best closest to the front gate, but not super high contrast, and tends to be placed really close / on top of the turn off points. On at least one trip, some of the signage was pretty obscured by snow piles that had been plowed up against it.
If it’s your first time - and even if not, for that matter - we definitely recommend asking for a map when you sign in.
Even having stayed there several times, it can be a bit confusing navigating the campground areas without a map to reference.
Water & Waste Services
While there are a lot of sites with water hookup at Valens Lake Conservation area, they’re all shut off from approximately mid-October to mid-May.
This doesn’t apply to the cabins, which do have running water all year.
Anyway, unlike several of the Ontario Provincial Parks, the dump platform at Valens Lake IS open in the winter, with a few caveats.
1. The water is turned off, so there is no rinsing hose available.
2. As we’ve noticed, the ACCESS to the dump platform can be ... uh, variable.
We’ve gone in and had a perfectly cleared path along the poop loop, and we’ve been in when it wasn’t really plowed well, and we had to kind of drag our car through a few inches of snow.
This was the case last time we went for the dump platform - a camper van wouldn’t have made it though, and - indeed - one kind of pulled to the side to let us clear the path for them.
Try to have a shovel on hand, as you may need to shovel off the access port.
So you could go to the first platform and dump, but you’d have to back out from there. There was no signage to that effect, mind you - so it’s entirely possible you’d get blocked in by someone coming from behind, expecting the normal loop situation.
Anyway, there’s a sizeable garbage and recycling section in the same area as the dump platform.
In terms of filling, it’s a good idea to bring your own water.
Your only real option is to bring a 100 foot hose to use the laundry room water tap - definitely less than convenient, especially given the parking situation at that shower building!
Snow Removal, Etc
The snow removal situation at Valens Lake Conservation Area is ... confusing.
When we were there early in the winter - with maybe an inch or two of snow - it felt like we were seeing a snow plow every 5 minutes. It was immaculate!
A little later, during one of our “dump and day use” visits, the main roads were great, the smaller parking lots were not great, and the dump station was only passable because we were in an RV.
Our most recent trip saw the main roads in good shape, the campsites mostly plowed at least decently, the parking lot by the store / trail entrance completely blocked off, the dump platform area all but un-useable, and the main parking lot at the beach only maybe half open.
Connectivity
We’ve had really great connectivity - on Rogers Wireless - every time we’ve visited, and haven’t noticed any issues anywhere in the park.
Accessibility
The accessibility at Valens Lake Conservation Area leaves a lot to be desired.
If you’re a wheelchair user, you’re not going to want to camp here in the winter. If you have mobility issues in general ... you’ll probably be able to get around, but there’s not going to be a lot for you to do.
All of the entrances to the main trail are a fair distance from the camping area, and most don’t have any parking near them. (There’s parking at the boat launch, but that’s not shown on the map.)
The trails aren’t groomed in any way, even if you can get to them.
While there are a couple accessible parking spots at the beach parking lot, they were completely plowed in on our last visit. Not that it really mattered, I guess - there were no accessible paths cleared out from that lot.
Overall, pretty abysmal on the accessibility front.
Pets
Dogs are allowed, but must be leashed, attended, and under control at all times. Also, they must be picked up after, and the poop bags PROPERLY disposed of.
Parking
There’s not really a ton of parking available at Valens Lake Conservation Area in general, and that goes double in the winter.
Earlier in the winter, the small lot by the Park Store was open, allowing access to the trail over there. That was not the case later in the winter.
Also, the main parking lot at the beach can get VERY full on weekends during ice fishing season. There’s some parking by the boat launch, but that’s about it.
That whole area is a fair distance from the campground. Probably technically walkable, but we’re talking something like 3 km - one way - from the one open washroom building, to that main parking lot at the beach.
Not a pleasant walk during cold temperatures - especially if you’re hauling skating or fishing gear!
Miscellaneous
If your winter camping trip to Valens Lake Conservation area happens in December, prepare to be festive!
During our December visit, we saw a lot of Christmas decorations. People REALLY get into the season, decorating their sites and their campsite number posts.
The outhouses were also adorned with holiday string lights!
Campground Amenities & Info
Winter camping is definitely *off season*, so many of the regular campground amenities were closed for the season.
Here’s some basic information, though:
Creature Comforts
Most of the comfort stations close between mid-October to mid-May, with the sole exception being the furthest one, between the Pines and Dogwood camping areas.
(Next to site 135, if you’re looking at the map).
This heated comfort station has flush toilets, potable water, and - apparently - laundry facilities.
We haven’t seen or used them, there’s no mention of them on the map sheet, etc. That said, the winter notice on the website references a “laundry room hookup” for water.
Aside from the washroom facilities there, there’s also a porta potty in the parking lot at the beach, as well as two *heated* porta potties in the campground areas.
One is at site 59 in the Ironwood campground (the washroom is NOT indicated on the map), and the other is in front of the shower building in the Cedar Campground.
Below: The Porta Potty outside the Cedar Campground shower building.
Not only was it heated, there was a sink (foot pump style), and the portapotty was just pristine. There was also seasonal lighting on the outside, and a photo of a fire pit on the door, to look at when you're sitting on the toilet.
It made us smile!
Park Store
The campground store is closed during the winter camping season, and there is no visitor centre at Valens Lake Conservation Area.
Day Use Area
The pavilion and picnic areas are generally not used during the winter season, with pretty much all of the “day use” activity access being right at the main beach area.
There’s a smallish parking lot there, with rough paths through the snow to get to Valens Lake. There, there’s a small skating rink (sometimes) cleared, and ice fishing.
Campsite Details
While Valens Lake Conservation Area has 225 campsites overall, the Spruce Hollow (non-electrical sites) and Tamarack (electrical) Campgrounds appear to close entirely for the winter camping season.
We also couldn’t see how to even get to the Dogwood campground area on our last visit - not sure if the entrance was obscured by snow, or if reality just didn’t line up with the map?
Anyway, there are a fair number of sites that seem to be seasonal, as we noticed the same long-term setups across several trips - and several months - this year.
Each time, most appeared to be completely unused, aside from having a trailer parked there. I wonder if seasonal “camping” is more affordable than traditional trailer storage?
Anyway, in terms of car camping, we mostly see RVs and (Usually seasonal) trailers in the winter season.
I think I’ve seen maybe 2-3 hot tents over the course of our winter visits, so winter tent camping might not be super popular there.
The sites have picnic tables and a fire pit, but those tend to be buried under any snow present.
Each has electric heat (baseboard), a little kitchenette with sink, mini fridge, and dining table (some cabins have a full size fridge), a flush toilet washroom, and a propane BBQ/picnic table/firepit for outdoor cooking and dining.
There are 3 types of camp cabins available:
Double - Swan & Mallard.
These are studio style cabins that sleep up to 2 people.
Deluxe - Canada Goose & Loon
These have 2 bedrooms - one with a queen bed & bunk over it, and the other with 2 sets of single bunk beds. They also have a living room area, and an accessible washroom.
Family - Heron, Osprey, Eagle, and Owl
Studio style cabins that are listed as sleeping 5 people, but for some reason have an indoor dining space for only 4 people.
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Entertainment and Activity
There are a few different winter activities that outdoor enthusiasts can take part in at Valens Lake Conservation Area, depending on weather and winter conditions.
Hiking
There are 10 km of trails at Valens Lake, though they’re not maintained during the winter. The main loop around the lake is generally fairly flat, though, with some mild inclines and declines.
The observation tower that we enjoyed on our earlier camping trip has been under reconstruction for a WHILE now - all winter, I think - but they’re aiming to be done by spring.
Given the lack of parking in the area, we just avoided that area altogether, this winter.
Anyway, the easiest access to the trail system in the winter is via the parking at the boat launch area. See Valens Lake Conservation Area Trail Map for trail layout.
Birding, Wildlife, and Nature
Most of our winter trips to Valens Lake Conservation Area haven’t shown it to be a great place for winter bird watching. The data on the Audubon app seems to back up this observation - reports are few, far between, and tend not to have anything interesting.
We’ve seen a few Canada Geese and Chickadees, but that’s about it. We heard some nuthatches on our most recent trip, and saw something fly by that MIGHT have been a Merlin... but that’s the sum total of birds we’ve seen at Valens in the winter.
In terms of other wildlife, we’ve seen some squirrels.
Cross Country Skiing
There aren’t any specific cross-country ski trails in the park - or any warm-up shelters - but cross-country skiers can set their own trails on the park’s 10 km trail system.
ON being the key word - they definitely want you to stay on the designated trails.
Snow Shoeing
As with cross-country skiing, there aren’t any trails designated or groomed specifically for show shoeing trails.
Campers are invited to use any of the walking trails as snowshoe trails, but are asked to stay ON the trails.
Ice Skating
It seems that Valens Lake Conservation Area used to offer a skating loop, but doesn’t do that anymore.
Can’t say I blame them - while THIS season has been cold enough for it, we’d already given up trying to start an ice rink in our back yard. It’s just too warm in this area for building an ice surface on anything other than a still waterway.
Anyway, that said - conditions permitting - Valens Lake DOES clear a small skating rink on Valens Lake, next to the beach parking area.
We’ve only seen it open once, across many winter trips. Our advice is... one you see that the rink is open, go take advantage of that, as it might be a very fleeting opportunity!
Ice Fishing
Ice fishing seems to be the BIG draw to Valens Lake Conservation Area in the winter. On our most recent visit, we saw probably a dozen fishing tents out on the lake!
The site has a red/green symbol system for letting you know when ice fishing is available, but that’s basically the entirety of information on it.
Niantic Games
There are a bunch of portals / Pokestops / Pokegyms in the day use area, particularly around the beach and beach parking lot. There are also a good few along the trails.
Nothing in the actual camping area, though.
The good news is that you shouldn’t have a difficult time getting cellular reception to play!
Final Thoughts
So... for now at least, I think this is more of a “camp in the regular season, day use and/or maybe dump in the winter season” kind of park for us.
It’s a cute enough park, and we like that it’s close to us. It’s enjoyable enough to camp in, during the regular season, if nothing to really write home about.
(To be fair, we’ve been spoiled by places like Quetico Provincial Park, Lake Superior Provincial Park, etc!)
If we were into ice fishing, I could see Valens Lake being more of our thing, in terms of winter camping. As birders, hikers where one of us have limited mobility, and very beginners when it comes to cross country skiing, though?
There’s not much there for us.
I think when we’re more experienced and can set our own trails / use rougher trails, it’ll be more of a draw. Right now, though? It pales in comparison to, say, Arrowhead Provincial Park Winter Camping.
Beyond the trails and such:
As a disabled person, winter camping at Valens Lake Conservation Area definitely not a great choice for me. It lays somewhere between “unwelcoming” to “outwardly hostile” in terms of accessibility accommodations there.
As logistics people - and I hate that we have to obsess on this so much - the wild variability in access to the dump platform is a huge potential issue. You never know what you’re going to run into there. Where there are so few options for dumping at other parks, it can really hamper winter camping.
Also, the “first come, first served” approach may work for things like day use parking lots, but getting an RV packed with cats and provisions only to gamble on maybe getting a spot just ... doesn’t sit well with us.
Anyway, we’ve tried several times to make a winter camping trip work for us, and really... I think we’ll be sticking to Provincial Parks, for the time being.
More Winter Camping Posts
Want to try winter camping in Ontario? Here are our reviews on a few of the parks that offer winter camping, as well as some of the more winter-specific recipes we make, etc!:
Winter Camping in Ontario:
Algonquin Provincial Park Winter Camping [Mew Lake Campground]
Arrowhead Provincial Park Winter Camping
Killbear Provincial Park Winter Camping
MacGregor Point Provincial Park Winter Camping
Pinery Provincial Park Winter Camping
Silent Lake Provincial Park Winter Camping
Winter Camping Recipes and Activities:
Campfire Roasted Spiced Nuts
Gingerbread Pancake Mix
How to Make Maple Taffy over a Campfire
How to Roast Chestnuts on an Open Fire
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