Canada,Trip Guides

Selkirk Provincial Park

posted on : August 13, 2020 posted by : Melina 0 Comment

Cagtegory: Provincial Park

Location: Selkirk, Ontario

Size: 72.64 ha

Year Established: 1967

Address: 151 Wheeler’s Sideroad, R.R. 1, Selkirk ON N0A 1P0

Seasonal Opening Dates:

May to Labour Day for Day Use
June to Labour Day for Campground
*check site for exact opening dates.

How to Book: reservations.ontarioparks.com

*reservation window opens 5 months to the day prior to your trip*

Total Campground sites: 151 + 2 group sites

Nightly Site Rates (not including HST) *regular rates* – please see ontarioparks.com for Ontario Seniors and persons with disabilities rates:

*PLEASE NOTE* Ontario Provincial parks have three rate categories which are dependant on popularity of a campsite and availability of amenities and programs

HIGH

Electric: $47.50

Non-electric: $42.00

MIDDLE

Electric: $43.75

Non-electric: $31.00

LOW

Electric: $37.75

Non-electric: $34.25

Campground Description:

Located on the shores of Lake Erie, Selkirk Provincial park is a small, family-friendly campground with a small loop trail and large, lake-view picnic area. Sites are mainly grassy with moderate to little privacy, though some are quite roomy. Most sites offer electricity and freshwater.

A small group camping area (closed as of time of writing, due to COVID-19) and radio-free camping is available along with numerous vault toilets and one Comfort station with laundry, located in Area 2, which is no more than a five-minute walk from all other campsites in the park. The small park store has a small selection of camping supplies, souvenirs, and snacks. Ice and firewood are available for purchase.

RV Canucks Campground Review

SITES

Unusually for a Provincial Park, the majority of sites offer a freshwater connection which eliminated the need to fill our freshwater tank and refill during the week. We stayed in Area 2, fairly close to the only comfort station in the park which made for busy car traffic throughout the day.

It seemed to us, given the layout of the loop, that at some point the loop traffic was reversed, as the water and electrical connection ended up on the opposite side of the site from where a trailer would naturally backup into position. This required some strategy to navigate the site and avoid having to approach the one-way loop from the wrong direction.

Location of the firepits generally seemed to be quite close to the centre of the sites, which, with a larger rig would end up being close to the awning. In our site, the firepit was so close, our fire alarm went off multiple times when the door was opened, allowing smoke to enter the sensor, for example.

ACTIVITIES

The park encompasses a large set of play structures, great for little ones, and a very large and open picnic area overlooking Lake Erie. The park contains only one walking trail, Wheeler’s Walk, which is a fairly level, 1.5 km loop trail running through woodland and marsh area with a boardwalk.

The swimming area was small, and there is no lifeguard on duty. The tween and teen both rated the evening swimming extremely high, and although it is pebbly at first entry, the rocks do give way to sand as you proceed further into the lake. The lake entry is quite shallow with little drop-off, making it a good choice for families with little ones.

AMENITIES

As there is only one comfort station with laundry (laundry and showers closed for the 2020 season) we can see how this area could become congested and lead to long wait times during the high-season.

There is one sanitation station available for dumping and one freshwater filling station. Given the size of the park we would anticipate a long wait time to dump at the end of a long weekend. (all the more reason to invest in a portable dump tank, and complete the task at your own leisure!) During our 6 day trip we required several dumps of our grey-water due to shower facilities being closed, and using the trailer—the “honey wagon” was a lifesaver for us.

The park store is among the smallest we have seen, but was stocked with important basics like matches, bug spray, first-aid items and ice cream (yes, ice cream is a basic for us!) Selkirk Village, which boasts a small grocery store/LCBO outlet (the “liquor store” for all non-Ontarians) is 2.4km away and easily accessible by car or bicycle.

For more advanced needs, Port Dover, a quaint little beach town is 25km to the west and is a fantastic day trip. For a larger, and more typical beach, the Provincial Park beach at Turkey Point is located 49km west and offers much shoreline for social distancing and catching rays.

KID RATINGS

Teen: 2.5/5 Smores

Pros – easy to bike around, good night swimming

Cons – not very private, but would be good with friends

Tween 3/5 Smores

Pros – Best rocks for “rock skipping”

Cons – Park is small