My family and I recently went camping here for the 4th of July weekend. We took a bit of a gamble…read morecoming here since there just seems to be so few reviews online, but we really enjoyed our stay and wanted to share details since it seems that those are missing...And since some things have changed.
Campground Rules: Some earlier reviews had mentioned that vehicles are not allowed at the sites, and this is what is specified on the current list of campground rules. I would advise visitors to call ahead to ask, but at the time of our visit (July 2021), we were told that vehicles ARE allowed to remain at the campsites, which is extremely convenient! Due to COVID-19, however, the group sites are currently unavailable and there are some campsites that are left empty to allow for social distancing.
Sanitary Facilities: the sanitary facilities listed on the website are NOT all the same! The three in the camping area are essentially outhouses (see picture attached) and are pretty messy (they have hand sanitizer and toilet paper available, but also some spiders! But I guess that's what you expect with rustic camping...On the plus side, they also hang up some air fresheners so they did smell pretty good). However, they DO have much nicer bathrooms in the day-use/picnic area, right behind the showers. These have flush toilets, toilet paper, sinks, soap, and paper towels, and are cleaned daily.
Other Amenities: there are trash cans dispersed across the camping area, which are easily accessible but also protected against wildlife. We also did see white trucks from First Light (the company running the campground) once or twice patrolling the area, so it seems that it is pretty safe. They did not bother us or interact with us at all, but it was nice to know that they were around. Additionally, we did not use the showers but they are coin-operated so do bring coins if you plan on showering!
Checking In/Out: we visited the Campground Office and Paddlesport Center to check in and out of our campsite. The staff there were very friendly and processed us very quickly. We also rented kayaks for the morning, and they were super accommodating and it was a great experience!
Fees: this may change, but at the time of our stay, we paid $22/day for our campsite and I believe $25 for 2 hours for a tandem kayak (the price is the same for solo kayaks and also stand-up paddleboards). We got a bundle of wood at the Campground Office and Paddle Sport Center for less than $6, and it lasted a pretty long time.
Camp Sites: the campsite itself was very spacious. We had Site 27, which was pretty isolated due to all of the surrounding campsites being closed due to COVID-19 distancing. There is a gate that you have to open to get your car in and out, but it's fairly easy to open (not sure if you're allowed to just leave it open?). Pro-tip for anyone who stays at Site 27: it can be hard to find...But go into the loop for parking and you'll find a separate gate with a post nearby labeled "27". Go through there and Site 27 is on the left! We wandered around a little bit initially...We did not have tent plots on our site, which was just as well since our tent would not have fit anyway. But we did see many other sites with it, and they looked pretty nice!
Trails: the nature trail was well-marked and very pretty. Quick warning though: there are some steep areas that were hard to navigate. They have steps constructed for most areas, but do be careful with older individuals or younger children. The Dinosaur Track Quarry was unlabeled unfortunately, but should be relatively easy to find. It's toward the beginning of the trailhead at the parking area and is distinguished by a cliff face and a lot of small, thin stones (possibly shale stones?). There are also a couple of overlooks available throughout the trail, like in one of the images attached, seen at sunset. These were really nice!
Kayaking: As mentioned previously, we did rent out kayaks from the Campground Office and Paddlesport Center! There's a lot of space to paddle around (we only did 2 hours, but there was a lot more to explore) and the staff helped with bringing everything (boats, paddles, and life jackets) to and from the launching area. We surprisingly saw a lot of swans and their cygnets around (I want to say maybe 10 families???), as well as ducks and geese.
Overall Experience: We really enjoyed our stay overall at Barton Cove. Whenever we had questions, the staff over the phone were incredibly friendly and accommodating. Our stay was peaceful and quiet (with the exception of fireworks in nearby places - not in the campground itself - due to the 4th of July). Our only complaint is that we wish that the outhouses were a little bit better maintained. There were some spiderwebs in places you really don't want them to be...I also wish that the website could be updated to reflect some of the rule changes and include more information!
