Nice location, great hosts. We camped in a 25' airstream at site RV1 for 3 nights. Peaceful nights,…read moreheard loons multiple times. We spent the first full day relaxing at the campsite then did day trips away from the campground the following two days. Lots of people kayaking from the easy access boat launch at the campground. Our dog greatly appreciated the no leash policy for dogs. Thanks for a nice addition to our vacation from New Hampshire.

Great location and views, very quiet, clean bathrooms, hiking trails and some restaurants nearby,…read moretent sites were great! :) Would recommend!

Porter's Lake Provincial Park is less than 30 minutes from Halifax. This makes it a great spot to…read moreget away for the weekend, or for visitors to the area. We have camped at Porter's Lake several times, both in the RV sites and in the unserviced sites. The campground is located on a peninsula and an island, which is accessed by a bridge. This is a family campground, meaning there has never been any rowdy behaviour during our stays. There is a playground as well as a small beach. The park also has day-use picnic areas and a boat launch. There are water taps throughout the campground, and a comfort station with free showers, sinks, and flush toilets. The campground does not have wifi, but you can use the park's wifi at the ranger station. Each site has a picnic table and a campfire box. The 10 RV sites are set in two rows in an open area next to the lake. They are angled so each one has a view of the lake. Each site is about 50x50', grassy with level gravel pads, and has 2-way hook ups. There are some shrubs and small trees here and there, but not close enough to the pads or roads in the RV area to hit your vehicle. There is a dump station at the campground entry point. The unserviced sites are in two areas. One on a small hill on the peninsula, and the other on the island. A lot of the sites on the peninsula are good for RVs as well as tents. There are 38 sites here. Most are large. The sites are pretty open, so some have nice views, but there are a lot of small trees surrounding the sites, and, since many are staggered up the hillside, you still have a sense of privacy. There are also a few walk-in sites. The comfort station is at the top of the hill. The island's 32 sites are smaller, so more suited to tents. There are also some walk-in sites that are very private and border directly on the lake. Pretty nice to wake up to the sound of waves lapping on the water's edge. The online reservation system has pictures of each site, to help you pick one best suited to you.

I used to spend a lot of time at this park when I was a kidlet. I lived in Porters Lake and loved…read morebeing able to take trips to this great space to bike and camp. The park is a great size, with lots of places to set up camp, not to mention loads of areas to slip off of the shore and into the water. You can bring canoes and kayaks and enjoy some paddling, or else participate in land fun with bikes and balls, nets and rackets. The park changed quite a bit during hurricane Juan and now boasts more spacious sites, with new areas for RV access. There are no electrical hookups around the regular pitch areas, but if you have an RV you can get on the grid. There are toilets and showers available, as well as outhouses and taps sprinkled throughout the park. This is a great location for a city getaway. It only takes about 20/25 minutes to drive to the park from Halifax, but once you're there you'll feel miles away from town with the natural world warmly surrounding you. Make a reservation and head there in the summer - this is a lovely park that all should take advantage of!

We have returned to Wild Nature Campground for our second visit. They are continually improving the…read morecampground and the grounds are better than ever. The access road is uphill from the entrance moving you away from highway traffic noises. Internal roads are hard packed gravel with no bumps or puddles. Our site is wooded and well separated from our neighbors.

I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived at Wild Nature Campground. A very casual experience and…read morethe owner operator went out of his way to make our stay one of the most pleasant experiences we have ever had at a private campground. Although this campground does not have much in the way of amenities for children it is a nice quiet retreat for the older camper who wants to beat the busy city life. I will be going back another time.

Beautiful park located on a peninsula in a river. The sites are all grassy. Some are more private…read morein the trees (four are walk-in tent sites), others are open with views of the river on two sides. None of the sites have hookups. There is an event dump station. The Comfort Station has clean washrooms and free, hot showers. There is a boat ramp right in the campground. There is also a day-use park, separate from the campground. The surrounding forest is a good mix of hardwoods and evergreens; probably very pretty in the fall when the leaves begin to change. This park is quite far from everything. Be sure to bring everything you will need, including food, with you. The staff are happy to help you in any way they can, and told us that the park gets very busy during the peak season, so be sure to reserve a site online or you may be out of luck. If you take your chances and arrive without a reservation, you need to use a self-check in kiosk. (Government cut backs!) We were here in mid-June. During the week we were the only campers :)

Cottage is great BIT the bed needs a update and is worn out so it's not comfortable at all . The…read morecottage and location however are fun and we hav been there for the past 5 years to rent the full service air conditioned cottage . Owners please invest in a new bed and you will be hitting it out of the park. Bring water shoes for the water because the water is awesome .

Stayed in cabin #2 after a long stretch of tent camping and it was a wonderful retreat. Loved the…read morequirky decor and the bed was super comfortable. The mini fridge, DVD/TV combo, and BBQ grill were big bonuses. Left my favorite headlamp and they shipped it home to me! Great people and a great location!

This little provincial park is a beautiful little island just a short water taxi ride away. And oh…read moreboy is it worth having to call the water taxi! The island is stuffed full of history, and it's a beautiful spot to spend a day or a weekend hiking. There are two retired British forts on the island - Fort McNab and Fort Ives. There's also a lighthouse, plenty of beaches and boarded up homes that used to belong to the McNabs family (I think?). But better than the history is how serene it is. The Friends of McNabs Island do tours if you want the official low-down on the history and all that, but it's such a nice spot to escape to for a day. You can camp there as well, though I haven't. It's absolutely beautiful, ad I can't wait to spend some more time there this summer.

McNabs Island is a gem of a place to visit. It's less than a 5 minute boat trip from Fishermen's…read moreCove and is a great day activity when the weather is nice. You can visit two old British forts - Fort Ives and Fort McNab. There is also Hangman's Beach which the British apparently used to hang deserters. If cemeteries are your thing, there is a cemetery of the McNab family and there is another one of some cholera victims. Mostly though, the island is a quiet place to hike and enjoy the scenery and have a picnic. I wasn't sure what the lighthouse was that I saw from Point Pleasant Park but it's Mauger's Beach Lighthouse. Hurricane Juan split the beach in two so you would have to wade through some water to get to the lighthouse now. There are a few summer houses on the island that are private property but it's mostly open space on the island. There are a few campsites you can reserve through the park website if you are so inclined.

Bathrooms are nasty. No windows just cinderblock holes to let bugs in to bite you. Of 3 shower…read morestalls only 1 had hooks, none had shelf for toiletries. Rust and spiderwebs everywhere. Camp site picnic table was partially rotten.

Had a great time with the family. Sites were well kept and washrooms / showers were well…read moremaintained.

Beautiful park with lots of history, every time we go we find trails we haven't seen before!read more

This park really has something for everyone on your list, including your dog if you have one. There…read moreare a few ways to get into this large park set along the Shubie Canal system. You can bike there from Downtown Dartmouth in about 15 minutes either going down Waverly Road or entering just past Mic Mac Mall. This is my usual route, but it is also very accessible by car with lots of parking at both main entrances. When you get there you are greeted by well-maintained trails, lovely lakes and paths that take you off into the woods and along the old Shubie Canal system. There are lots of animals in the park and they are very tame and well fed. They might just follow you around a bit which can be a bit strange but just go with it. There is also a great off-lease dog park that is very popular, maybe a bit too popular at times but if you have a dog that likes to go off lease you will enjoy it. The best part of this park is that it is big enough that even though it can get busy it is very easy to vanish into the wood and explore.

Dollar Lake is a great spot to head for one of those planned and packed sort of camp trips. A fair…read moredistance out of the city, its a pretty, clean spot to get out of the city and have a little adventure without traveling too far. Its geared towards families and friendly folks who are looking to embrace the wilderness and have a good time. Because its a provincial park, there is a low tolerance for shananigans, so night hawks on the booze train may want to pitch tents elsewhere. Located right on the lake, its the full experience, and there is a nice flow to the campground's layout. Washrooms and showers seem decent, and it seems like the rest is up to you to bring. Its a safe bet for families and chill folk wanting some time in the woods.

Dollar Lake is located about 20 klms past the Halifax Airport, so if going from Halifax about 1 hr…read moreoutside. Take the the 102 and branch off to the 212. We have gone here a few times through the summer, it is close and you can camp here as it is one of the Provincial Parks. I like that because they have lifeguards and sections for families. There accommodations are nice and the lake is beautiful. You can grab a campground site and make it a fun weekend. They have showers and washrooms. Because this is a Provincial Park, there is no alcohol allowed, so it would not be for the spirited individuals. All Provincial campgrounds are Alcohol Free. If you are looking for that you need to go to a private campground. We always have fun here!