Point Farms Provincial Park — Attraction in Ashfield–Colborne–Wawanosh

• I am making an amendment to my previous review based on my group camping experience from this summer... same group, same site, VERY different experience

First trip: Booked a Group site for 35+ people for a family reunion. The site was large, open and flat without many overhanging trees for shade. The comfort station had flush toilets, sinks and hand dryers and was kept fairly clean by staff. There are a LOT of skunks so be sure to make your presence known when walking to the bathroom at night. You get treated to wild turkey walking through your site in the early mornings. Not too buggy but had problems with male cardinals attacking their reflections in our sideview mirrors... left a few dings! The beach was narrower due to water levels being high and it is a naturalized beach so lots of pebbles and driftwood but it just meant more to explore for the kiddies (ranged from 2-16 yrs old). There are copious stairs down to the beach area from the group site (130+) with 2 rest areas on your way up. We basically packed a lunch and water and drinks and brought them down after breakfast to avoid multiple trips. Overall a great experience Second trip:

This year, a non-profit kids camp booked the 2 sites beside us and used the vacant site across from us as a site for their sports and games. It was a nightmare and not even a little bit relaxing due to the volume of people (like 70+ kids under the age of 13, a dozen teenaged councillors and a half dozen adult directors) using the washroom facilities, the surrounding wooded area and the beach. This was a full blown camp operation with huge commercial tents, 3 full sized trampolines, a storage area for their sports and game equipment soccer and basketball nets. They had scheduled and loud activities throughout the day and lots of cheering (with microphones and a full dance party right up until curfew and even a little after). After dinner each night, the campers seemed to have free time (read: unsupervised within an area) which they used to blissfully chase each other around and scream like banshees. The septic tank did not seem to be holding up too well as there was a very stong poopy odour around the septic grounds which happened to abutt part of our site. The beach was similarly overrun by this camp operation with their equipment we're talking kayaks, paddleboats, volleyball nets and what looked like a waterslide. When these were not on the water, the camp would store all of this on some of the dunes that they had chained off and put up signage saying "no trespassing". Given how narrow the beach has become due to higher water levels, I am pretty sure that protecting the integrity of the few sanddunes that remain is pretty darn important. Either park management is unaware that this is happening or have turned a blind eye to this establishment. Having spoken to some of the local businesses, this camp has been setting up here each summer for years. We just had the misfortune of booking our camping trip on that same week.

In all fairness, the kids at that camp were having a lot of fun and if I were a camper there, I would have loved it. Now, my main issue is with park management. This kind of information should be posted and made known to those booking a group site especially since this is an established business relationship at KNOWN times. What this non-profit camp does for these city kids is amazing. But i don't want to be beside it on my summer vacation. Had I known of this situation, we would not have booked a site at this park at that time (Second weekend of August). Be fair to all your guests Point Farms...

Not a totally "natural" experience, but a very relaxing one for car camping. You can see the salt mine from the beach and see cargo ships in and out, so you're not in the wilderness. But you're just a stone's throw from town if you need anything. The beach goes from stoney to sandy marsh to soft sand. There's a dog beach close to the marsh. A few sand dunes and a couple creeks can be found on the beach. Water is clear, there's sand bars that shift around not far from the beach so you can go out pretty far. I've never seen the water truly "rough". Water is cool, warmer between the beach and the sand bars. *2017 water levels are very high and the beach is much more narrow than in other years. You'll probably have to walk a ways up or down the beach to find a spot, but it's not usually crowded. Not much room for tossing a ball on the beach though.

The beach is down a very steep incline from the campsites, you'll need a swim after walking/biking back up after the beach. In the Huron camp ground there's wood stairs that go down to the beach. There's foot paths from the group sites down to the beach too. No amenities on the beach except an outdoor shower and primitive but flushable toilets on one end of the parking lot and vault toilets on the other.

The comfort stations were upgraded a few years ago. Outside access showers, basic bathrooms. There's a few vault toilets still around if you can't make it to the station. Sites are either full sun or part shade. Lots of electric/drive in sites, a few less non electric. Sites have the usual table and fire pit. Many have at least some gravel. Most are more or less level. Electric and non electric sites are more or less grouped together, only a little overlap. Sites on the perimeter of the camps are far more private. Any sites with a lake view will get a lot of foot traffic passing by. Sound travels well.

Some hiking trails, but we've never used them. They're supposed to be family friendly. It's a bit of a hike from the tail heads and the different camp grounds to one another. and from the gate to the camp sites. Huron sites are pretty far from the sandy beach by foot, about a km walking the beach and be prepared to get wet walking the marsh area, trails are often flooded, but the water is warm!

Think the gate house sells ice, they also sell wood. There's a country market just north of the park entrance and a couple greasy spoons a short drive South, on the way towards Goderich.

There's always signs saying the tap water is extra salty though well within potable levels. bring bottled water if you're on a sodium restricted diet. But you won't notice it...

Great place for swimming, and camping. Its dog friendly! One beach for dog owners, and one for people without dogs. Small sign at the exhibit post with old photos of the original Point farms Hotel. It must have been amazing. Beautiful views with long sand bars. A bit of scattered rocks when first walking in so bring the water shoes for the kids. Great little mini putt and corn maze just outside the park, and if theres anything you forgot when you left home the small town of Godrich is 15/20 minutes away. Population 8000, but it has all the things you need, Canadian Tire, Walmart, grocery stores, dollar stores , Beer store/LCBO, and fast food. Also, there's many tourists things in Godrich as well, there's a jail that is over a hundred years old! When the land was a very rugged place to live! But back to the park at Point Farms! The Lookouts are a must to watch the Sunset! OMG they are EPIC over Lake Huron! You will love the 30 minutes of relaxation with a blanket, and your loved ones. Tip try to go during the week so you can get the best spot at the lookouts, or just walk the beaches qnd enjoy! Also, if it's a hot day, and you're going from one side of the beach to the washroom, take the trail in the woods!!! Its beautiful, and its a nice time to cool down, and enjoy the woods before returning back to the beach. So quiet in the woods, and so much faster to go from dog beach to women's, and mens real toilets. There are outhouses that are closer, but if you need a real toilet, and don't want a hole, enjoy the wooded trails. I could go on and on about our trip, enjoying the trails, and beach, with surroundings, but you must see it for yourselves. Also, you can get wooded camp sites, and open sunny camp sites, also electric sites for the wimps. ;) The staff is friendly, and the showers, laundry, and the bathrooms are very well maintained! So are the trails, and lookouts! USE THE GARBAGE CANS! PLEASE DON'T WRECK THIS BEAUTIFUL PLACE BECAUSE YOU'RE TOO LAZY TO HOLS SOMETHING FOR A COUPLE MORE MINUTES, OR...