Hi Everyone!
My name is Rob, and back in August, I took my first radio and electricity-free camping trip to Bonnechere Provincial Park with my girlfriend Devon. As a young couple who loves exploring Ontario campsites and taking photos in the outdoors, we thought this would be a great trip to document our experiences with the help from Sicard RV. Experiences will vary between campers, but the following blog is the complete breakdown of my trip.
The Drive
Before you take off for your trip, be sure to call the park and find out what type of site you have and if the site itself can accommodate your RV. They will have two types of camping spots; radio free and electrical. Both are great but the radio free is where we stayed. It was extremely quiet and because of the lack of electricity, the campsite was pitch-black as soon as the sun went down - which meant our only light was from the blanket of stars above us...Devon and I loved that part about it!
We started our trip by loading up our kayaks in a used 2015 JAYCO JAY FLIGHT SLX 165RB hybrid travel trailer. We were shocked that almost everything we were bringing fit into this RV.
If you enjoy landscape views or taking photos as much as we do. Then we highly recommend packing little lunches before you jump on the highway. It is about a 450kms/6-hour drive from Hamilton but is definitely worth the extra miles and the views along the way.
Our Spot
Bonnechere Provincial Park surrounds you with beautiful, tall pines. All campsites are confined by shrubs, branches, and trees and I recommend pulling over before entering the spot to figure out a plan of action with your spotter. There are many ways to damage your RV if you are not careful; mother nature could scratch you the wrong way.
Devon, who willingly took on the role of spotter (I think because if a branch scratched the trailer it would be on me!) got an idea of our surroundings and we decided where we wanted to set up, making sure branches and trees weren't hanging in the way, and parking could be a seamless easy process. Overall, we were beyond happy with the amount of space our spot offered and how clean it was when we arrived.
The washrooms were close to our spot and were cleaned to the 'Devon Standard' (8/10), the only downfall was that our washrooms didn't have lights and could be due to being in a radio and electricity free zone - but I can't say this was very appealing. This did cause us to go to the main washroom that did have electricity multiple times throughout the night - with warm showers to boot...every campers dream!
The Campsite
Our site was the furthest from the main beach, kayak access, and park store but it was only a 3-minute bike ride and 10-minute walk! You have the option of either the walk or bike trails, but we had the most fun getting lost in the forest and exploring the trails.
Activities
Bonnechere Provincial Park has many great family activities to keep you busy during your trip. They have activities during the week for all ages so you never get bored including; scavenger hunts, concerts, storytelling, frisbee contests and much more!
We highly recommend taking advantage of their connecting rivers and water streams. You can rent kayaks, canoes and if you're feeling adventurous (I did not) you can also rent paddle boards.
We didn't want to keep moving them every day...well, I didn't...so it was really great that we weren't worried to leave our kayaks in the open or near a tree for the day.
Food
Devon and I spent just under $200 for 3 days of camping and it was the perfect amount, we managed to eat almost everything we bought and only had a few leftovers. My favourite foods for over the grill are bacon and chicken skewers, but you can't go wrong with some grilled cheese in a Panini press over the fire. During the day while we were out either on the lake or on a hike we always packed sandwiches, granola bars, apples and lots and lots of water!
Gas
Lucky for us we managed to go camping before the hike in the gas prices.. we were filling up at just under a dollar but because we were towing a trailer our expenses still reached just under $300.
Conclusion
Bonnechere can be explored in one weekend, the scenery is picture perfect. This campground would be recommended to campers looking for a quiet and relaxing getaway. Overall we are very pleased with our camping experience and I would like to thank Sicard RV for providing us with a trailer for our adventure (please note, Sicard RV does not do rentals, this was a special business agreement).
Thank you Bonnechere for having us!!
Rob
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