Association Island — Local services in Town of Henderson

Summary: The current "overall" rating of 3.8 is pretty much where I would put it, but with some work hopefully being put in by the new owners it could definitely be five stars. Highlights are customer service and scenery, lowlights are bugs and missing/under construction amenities.

We stayed at Association Island for just under a week with our 5th wheel. Our site was on the "sunset" side of the island so the scenery was beautiful. Be careful selecting your site because some have no shade whatsoever and the August sun gets hot even in northern NY.

The location is easy to find but beware as you get off Rt. 81 your GPS might cut out for a few minutes as cell service is unreliable (but ok once you get to the island).

Our check-in was smooth despite the location of the check in being changed while the "front" building of the island is under construction. Reservation process was good and the employees worked well with some last-minute flexibility my family needed due to a health condition.

The person "in charge" of our area of sites, Frank, was TERRIFIC. He was pleasant and resourceful and helped us work out a few minor issues which were really not his "problem" at all, he could have just as easily walked away. He was also friendly on off-hours and really made sure to contribute anything he could to make our stay better. He was the definition of "quiet enjoyment," somehow knowing when we needed help versus when he should step back and just let us enjoy our vacation. Frank changed my review from 3 stars to 4 stars with his efforts. Outstanding service.

Bring extra cord and sewer hose for your RV. The hookups are in unusual locations on many sites (probably because so many sites back up to water) and check carefully if your site is back-in or pull-in because it makes a big difference in hook ups and shade. Other site amenities were good. Campground wi-fi was steady but (like all places) relatively slow. You can get internet for research and work, but if you get a rainy day bring your own movies because you won't be streaming Netflix.

The island changed ownership in 2021 so some "KOA" staples like the jump pillow were removed. The playgrounds were lackluster. Hopefully both of those things will be addressed by new owners. Other amenities were decent but not great - cart and kayak rentals need some more inventory, there were only 2 pedal carts and 5 kayaks available. Kayak rental helpers were, like all the other staff, very friendly.

I think a huge improvement that could be made would be the addition of a sandy beach for swimming. There is a pool, but when you're surrounded by the natural beauty of Lake Ontario it's tough to not have a good place to swim in it. Be aware if you're considering going here that is the situation. There is really no good place to swim in the lake here.

Camp store prices were "campground reasonable" as were the prices in the café, where the food was good.

The bugs (tiny lake flies) were HORRIBLE in the evening, literally pelting our awning like it was pouring rain, but this is a very seasonal issue. They don't bite, they're just annoying. They vanish from sunrise until after dinner time.

We will keep an eye on Association Island and see what improvements are made over the next year or two. If the new ownership adds back in some of the KOA-type stuff that was removed (jump pillow!) and adds a few new things (playgrounds, beach) without a crazy price increase, we would...

We have been repeat customers for at least 6 years. My husband and I were taking our three little dogs for a nice walk yesterday evening when this person asked us what lot we were in. He approached us at our campsite stating we have more than the two dog limit so would be fined $20 a day or be asked to leave. He never identified himself. My husband asked for a refund and he continued to say in a robot voice. “Pay the fine or you will be asked to leave and there are no refunds”. We were very upset by his demeanor with his hands in his hips in a very aggressive posture but he claimed we were being “confrontational “ We were mostly upset in that we couldn’t have a reasonable conversation with him. He then told us he was calling the police. It was just a scare tactic as the police never showed up. I started to take down camp and he returned now videotaping us. This is when I started to cry because I had never felt so bullied in my life. We left our campsite that evening because when you witness someone act like him the last place you want to be is at Association Island. By the way we learned his name from all the 1 Star ratings we read. Everyone of them was about Jeff. Jeff this is obviously nothing new for you and all I can do is pray for you and especially all the campers that encounter you in the middle of their relaxing vacations. Also our campsite was a hay field when we arrived and my husband had to rake all the dead grass. It sat at the end of our lot for 3 days so it’s most likely still there. Staff is more interested in finding people to fine or evict rather than the upkeep...

What a mess. I will never go back there again. They charge an arm and a leg for every little thing but cannot provide water and electricity? And then they lie to the campers and tell them that they called the national grid, but little did we know they waited until the next day to call. Meanwhile, our food is thawing, there are no bathrooms to use and obviously no air conditioning. This is 4th of July weekend. A weekend that they knew was going to be busy but didnt bothet to plan ahead and fix the obvious electrical issues they had been having. The workers are rude, especially Angie in the office who would rather ignore the problem than address it. Roger who was EXTREMELY rude to a friend of ours who is a Vietnam vet and was treated like a common criminal just because he waved a canadian flag on his boat. And the rest of the staff who made it a point to tell us that none of this was their fault but couldn't provide us with any other information. I get it, stuff happens, but as a business it was handled in all the wrong ways. Their customer service sucks and so does their island. Before they come back with a snarky comment about finding a better site with a view and blah blah blah, I already have and will enjoy spending my money somewhere else. It's only fair to warn unsuspecting guests what...