Niagara Falls

[Steve & Susan]

Hello! Can anyone out there recommend a really nice campground in the Niagara Falls area? USA or CANADA, doesn't matter. Thanks!

[tkowalyk]

Originally Posted by Steve & Susan

Hello! Can anyone out there recommend a really nice campground in the Niagara Falls area? USA or CANADA, doesn't matter. Thanks!

We stayed at the KOA on the Canada side. The sites were close together, as in the case with most KOAs, but the campground is really nice.

It is clean, the pool is good, and it is a great location only 10 minutes (or less) from Niagara. It is more convenient to be on the Canadian side.

Not sure if you are interested, but there is a dinner show right next to the Campground called Canada Eh - it was funny and our kids also enjoyed the show.

Have fun!

[polarlyse]

We stayed at a nice campground in the village of Niagra-on the - Lake. Only a few minutes from the falls and on the Canadian side. Had a nice pool if you have kids with you.

Don't forget your passports, eh.

[PA BAMBI II]

We stayed here...

Campark Resorts Niagara Falls Camping

WONDERFUL campground with a shuttle to take you into town/Falls. No worries about parking.

When we were there, we were van camping in our '62 Corvair van, and it was nice to be able to leave it set up and utilize the shuttle service. I think it was included in the campground fees.

We would highly recommend the park.

Ben and Lynn

[MrUKToad]

Originally Posted by tkowalyk

We stayed at the KOA on the Canada side. The sites were close together, as in the case with most KOAs, but the campground is really nice.

It is clean, the pool is good, and it is a great location only 10 minutes (or less) from Niagara. It is more convenient to be on the Canadian side.

Not sure if you are interested, but there is a dinner show right next to the Campground called Canada Eh - it was funny and our kids also enjoyed the show.

Have fun!

We stayed there in late 2011 and the place was, as you say, clean and tidy and quite well located for the falls and Clifton Hill.

It's expensive, but that reflects the demand and is probably competitive for the area. We did have a bit of an issue when my relatives from the UK wanted to visit us for a few minutes and the robbers on the gate wanted to charge them an extortionate fee, but that's a KOA thing rather than something specific to the area. I'd also heard some complaints about train noise from the line at the back of the campground but, as the trailer sites are all at the front, it wasn't an issue for us.

The Parks Canada passes for the shuttle and the attractions are excellent value, by the way.

[ROBERT CROSS]

We live in WNY....

Going to C-eh-n-eh-d-eh can be not so fun now a daze. Not getting in, but getting back.
Have a passport or ALL your paperwork proving you are a living American Citizen. Plus spend all your Loonies while there, it's not easy exchanging them once back in the good old USA.

Must do....Maid-of-The-Mist boat ride.

Wann'a feel like Walenda....

Or just a relaxing boat ride...

Theres a convenient KOA on Grand Island NY.

Bob

[MrUKToad]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

We live in WNY....

Going to C-eh-n-eh-d-eh can be not so fun now a daze. Not getting in, but getting back.
Have a passport or ALL your paperwork proving you are a living American Citizen. Plus spend all your Loonies while there, it's not easy exchanging them once back in the good old USA.

Must do....Maid-of-The-Mist boat ride.

Wann'a feel like Walenda....

Or just a relaxing boat ride...

Theres a convenient KOA on Grand Island NY.

Bob

Thanks, Bob, next time we go to Niagara I'd like to try the Grand Island KOA and look at things from the other side of the "frontier"; I wonder if it's any cheaper than the one north of the border?

Having a UK passport it can be even trickier getting in and out of the US; not arriving at an airport can throw the border people into a bit of confusion

[MaxAB]

We also tried the KOA on the Canada side - very nice and clean, recommend it for sure. Don't forget your raincoat when you do the "must see" Maid-of-the-Mist" boat ride!

[Road Ruler]

If you want to be 15 min from the Falls but camp away from the busy Falls area consider Big Valley campsite. It is in a very quiet country setting. Clean neat and tidy. Salt water pool is real nice.

Big Valley Campground Resort

[pmclemore]

We stayed at the Grand Island KOA a couple of years ago and enjoyed it. The people were first-rate and we caught the tour buses at the campground (we took both the American-side and Canada-side tours; one in the evening and the other in the morning.) As it was our first time, we are glad we took the tours.

Pat

[normandgrace]

My wife and stayed at 4 mile state park in new york. Huge sites, many overlooking lake ontario. Very inexpensive. Then had free o arkingvat the falls with our toad. I liked the campground. It was about a 10 mile drive to the falls. We did the whirlpool jet boat ride in addition to all traditional things. It was a blast, but not for the faint of heart. I also liked the one where you go on the boardwalk under the falls. We got soaked and it was wild! Overall. The trip was great and I hope you have a great time. The view is prettier grom the canada side and buffalo has seen its better day. Lots to see all around!

[CanoeStream]

Originally Posted by polarlyse

We stayed at a nice campground in the village of Niagra-on the - Lake. Only a few minutes from the falls and on the Canadian side. Had a nice pool if you have kids with you.

Don't forget your passports, eh.

We spent two nights at the campground polaryse mentions exactly one week ago -- Vine Ridge RV Resort (previously Shalimar Lake as the website URL indicates). Yes, the pool was both popular and large enough for many, many people -- rather unique I'd say -- but not deep. We loved Niagara-on-the-Lake. It's a very nice weekender destination town and that sustains a most vibrant, lively small downtown about 3 blocks long. The Queenston/Lewiston bridge is very close to the campground, though any crossing is easy enough to steer toward the campground on Niagara Parkway. There are a lot of seasonals but many sites for transient campers -- whether water/electric or water/sewer/electric. There is a lot of shade to keep trailers cooler but that also lends toward thinner grass and some not-too-bad mud. The shower situation resembles a high school gym more than the privacy some are accustomed to (2 loonies per 5 minutes).

Which brings me back to Niagara Parkway and the great running/walking path south of Niagara-on-the-Lake and the many local wineries accessible to easy biking from the campground. The falls are 15 minutes away at leisurely speeds but don't drive. We didn't know and paid $20 to park near Horseshoe Falls. Ask about the WeGo shuttle system at the campground. There is free parking at a lot of WeGo stops and the frequent buses work about like the buses in Zion National Park. You should be able to get off at the botanical gardens between the campground and falls -- a superb feature being their Butterfly Conservatory - amazing and worth the ~ $14 admission per person (no discounts).

American side vs. the Canadian to view the Falls? The Canadian side absolutely wins in my opinion. The American Falls would be superb anywhere else and does have good viewing areas from the side from New York -- and NY is the only choice to board Maid o' the Mist. The American Falls directly face the Canadian side but the river is fairly wide right there. Both Horseshoe Falls and the Canadian perspective are more than triple the magnificence of what one can see from the NY bank. It's unique either way. The power of the river as it nears the Horseshoe brink and the falls from many perspectives are incredible from the Canadian side. Photography can get very wet when real close to either falls -- and most definitely from the Maid o' the Mist.

Crossing US to Canada and back are simple enough. No guns or personal protection/bear sprays. Maximum of 2 fifths (750 ml) bottles of any alcohol per adult (whether beer, wine or liquor). No plants, fruits or vegetables when re-entering the US. Vaccine certification from vets back home if you have pets. Advance preparation for any driver or passenger entering Canada with a history of DUI. And passports.

[Rollster]

We also stayed at Four Mile State Park; our site was right on Lake Ontario, and the drive to Niagara Falls was easy and pretty quick.