Sun Outdoors Association Island — Hotel in Town of Henderson

To whom it may concern, I work in facilities management for a living, so I will review your facility and make suggestions so unsuspecting customers will never suffer the same conditions I experienced.

I stayed a night on your Association Island facility July 4th. It was an interesting experience. Around 7 pm our friend's campsite lost power as well as the entire H section in the rear of the campground. We went down to the main office and was told that it was a grid problem and that they would be contacting the power company, National Grid, to fix the problem. I questioned this response because it was only one section that was out of power and a problem with the grid would mean the entire island would be out. Power was never restored to the H section that evening, and when everyone on the island awoke we were shocked to find not only was the entire island out of power, but there was now a bigger problem, no water. I began to believe the grid issue until I went to the main office at 7 am (H section is now 12 hours out of power) there was a sign on the door that said: "be back at 8:30." Not one KOA employee to be found. Conveniently the power company was on site near the main office, and due to my background and general curiosity, I decided to investigate the issue. The electrical workers were waiting for fuses and a little upset that management was telling campers it was a grid issue because, in reality, it was an issue with the switch-gear owned by the island. To further add to frustrations, the electricians said the call for service was not made until the next morning, not the evening before as the staff had indicated. At this point, the island is without water, and the facility toilets are overflowing with feces. I had to drive into town to find the nearest bathroom and found a nice gas station in town. The attendant told me that association island had been having power issues the week before when there were not nearly as many campers as on the 4th. I had enough information at this point.

Now, here is my genuine assessment. You were having power issues the week before the 4th, I hope you had the problem inspected by a licensed electrician, but I was not there so I cannot comment. At the moment the power failed in the H section, you should have called an electrical service provider. Instead, management dodged emergency off- hour, holiday costs and did not call until the morning of the 5th when normal hours resumed. You should not be shifting blame to the power company; when you lie to your customers, it insults their intelligence. If you are continually changing fuses in the switch-gear, then you have an issue. Knowing the 4th of July is usually hot, and the island is guaranteed to be busy, at the very least you should have had ample fuses ordered and on hand for the weekend. You did not, that is your failure, not National Grids. If you need pumps to supply water to your facilities, the system should be on a back-up generator or solar panels. Losing power is one thing, but people need access to clean water and toilet facilities if they are staying on your property, you are supposed to be providing a service. I left your facility at 11:30 am because the power had not been restored. How this situation was handled is unacceptable; some people need the A/C for their asthma and other health issues, it is dangerous for them to lose power in 90-degree heat for over 16 hours, not to mention their children and pets, what your team did put the health and safety of the island at risk. The office staff was rude and unapologetic when approached by angry and ornery customers, who I do not blame because they went without power all night long on a campground where they are paying double per night what a state park costs. We were told by management that if we wanted a full refund, we had to pack up our things and leave, so we did. I will not be returning to your facility; your staff used deceitful methods in a time of crisis and lacked the proper tact and resources needed to handle a common problem in...

We spent a week vacationing here in the middle of August. I am thankful we went with 2 other camping families because if not for the company we would have left early.

The quick version:

Pros: Beautiful views of Lake Ontario and the sunrise/ sunset. Staff is very helpful and friendly.

Cons: Overpriced for what it is and the lack of amenities. Not sure why they even charge a daily resort fee. Sites have odd setups, our neighbors pulled in and faced us for days. No activities during the week. Store closes early, by 6pm during the week. Snackbar & ice cream were closed during the week. Pool temperature is freezing. It was August and people were swimming in the lake over the pool because the lake was warmer. The bugs are out of control at night. You have to keep all lights off or it attracts them and fills the ceiling of your camper. There is only 1 bathroom that is located in the front of the campground. It was often dirty despite the lack of campers during the week. You cannot see the sunrise or sunset from most of the sites. Have to book the ideal spots.

The best part about this campground is the views of Lake Ontario. I booked this trip back in February 2025 for a week in August because I got an email with a 30% discount. I booked site L1. This spot was not very desirable and had our neighbor's sewer site only 10 feet from our outdoor kitchen. I looked online for open spots to move to but could not move until the next day. The cost to move because of the upcharge of the new site should have been about $106. I made the change at the office and somehow my cost to move was $172. I was not aware of the cost breakdown until I received the confirmation emails. My original rate for the night was canceled and rebooked at a higher rate and I was charged the $40 fee to lock in the site. The woman helping at the desk said she couldn't change anything when I questioned the very high cost.

We were limited in where we could move to and picked H03. It was a decent site overall. The site was much larger and allowed us to access the water. It is the sunrise side of the island. The site hookups are set up so oddly that many of the sewer hook ups are in the middle of your site, but thankfully no one was using the sewer hook up that fell 5 feet from our front door. After 3 days, an RV pulled in next to us. We had backed in, as we had a travel trailer. So the rest of the entire trip we basically had a buddy site with strangers. It was awkward because they didn't even look our way to say hello. I think they were feeling uncomfortable about the setup too. I am not sure why it is an option when booking to have to face strangers.

We arrived on a Saturday and stayed the week. By Sunday at noon, the campground was deserted. There were no planned activities and the snack bar closed and didn't open again until Thursday. Each night the store closed by 6pm so if you needed more ice last minute or perhaps some hotdog buns, you were out of luck. There is only 1 bathroom located in the front of the property. It was often out of toilet paper, soap, or the showers had not been cleaned. My sister's family was relying on using the bath house as they had an issue with their camper shower.

We paid over $700 for a 6 night stay and just had to make the best of it. It was a disappointing way to end our summer. If you like very quiet and nothing to do, then this is the place for you. It may be fine for a quick trip but it is certainly not worth the cost we paid.

Tips: The Sunset side of the island is much better (less wind, beautiful sunset view). My sister stayed at G05 and it was the best site! Perfect view and lots of space. Sites L1 and nearby have no view of any sunset or sunrise. You can see the lake but have no access to the water.

The weather forecast is a little deceiving. It may look ideal the day you leave, but prepare for chilly winds and overcast throughout the day. It was too windy on the sunrise side to even open the awning. Having a fire was also too...

An island campground dotted with sad reminders of former glory.

After several very positive experiences at other KOA campsites throughout the United States in summers past, we had high expectations coming into this campsite at such a promising location. Unfortunately, as a family of four traveling in a 30’ RV, our experience during our weekend stay (Sat – Mon) was a mixed bag.

And just to be clear - the necessary and not unexpected limitations imposed by COVID-19, including closure of most recreational facilities such as pool, bath house and playgrounds, were not the problem.

First, the positives:

This KOA campground is set in a stunning location. First and second row campsites have a gorgeous view over Lake Ontario. A refreshing and at times gusty breeze keeps summer temperatures and insects at least partially in check.

The camp ground offers RV sites and cabins for rent. All sites have full hook up, including 30 amp electric (which went on and off during our stay), city water, and sewer. Newer picnic tables and fire pits are located on each campsite. The campground features a small harbor which  doesn't seem to be in use, as well as a marina that features dock space for rent.

Kayaks, golf carts, and kid’s go-carts can be rented through a dedicated smart phone app. The app can also be used to order prepared food, groceries, and ice-cream. Groceries and take-out (from the KOA restaurants and store) can be delivered to the campsites.

The people at the office and restaurant were friendly and accommodating.

Now to the opportunities for improvement:

In general, the camping grounds could benefit from some basic housekeeping, maintenance and sprucing up of existing infrastructure.

Several piles of refuse with old tables, boards, and seat cushions (?) could be found along the nature trail and other less visible locations around the island.

The dumpsters were overflowing – either too small for the number of guests on the weekend, or not regularly emptied.

The stony beach areas could use some serious cleanup and landscaping. With some TLC, as well as some seats and tables, the bay beach could be a lovely location for an afternoon swim.

The concrete sea wall protecting the entry to the harbor had several long pieces of rebar jutting out approximately level with the lake’s surface. Fortunately, we noticed these before potentially running into them with the kayaks we had rented (basic recreational kayaks, not “sea kayaks” as advertised). Other kayakers might not be so lucky.

Finally, there was a motel-like structure on the island that, according to the posted signage, was closed in 2019 by order of the Department of Health (electric, plumbing, and fire safety are listed as reasons). Not something that gives one a warm and fuzzy feeling.

Overall, one is left with the impression of slow decay of a once glorious (and probably exclusive) island resort. Hopefully, there are plans to restore the site. Anything else would be an unfortunate waste of a...