My wife Leslie and I recently returned from the WECCC Family Camp trip to Tobermory and had a wonderful time.
This is a trip report from our activities and perspective of the trip! We departed Amherstburg on Sunday Aug 8th and made our way to the Bruce Peninsula via Grand Bend and Sauble Beach. We arrived just before dinner to Lands End Campground just before dinner and quickly setup camp. The campground is very clean and well managed. The sites may seem a bit small but were fairly private and well shaded. We had some rain but managed to meet up with some fellow cub members. The campground was nice and quiet every night except for a few noisy racoons getting into some other campers stuff.
Day 1 – our first full day had us enjoy a paddle right from the Lands End beach launch. We explored Hay Bay and the nooks and crannies of the surrounding areas with a big group of members in attendance. After a good amount of time on the water a small group returned to the launch while some members chose to explore further. Leslie and I found ourselves in between both groups and decided to find a nice rocky area to pull over and have some lunch. Once back at the launch and loaded up we had a relaxing afternoon and evening at camp, delicious dinner and another quiet evening.
Day 2 – after a morning rain delay we finally made it to the Tobermory harbour boat launch and headed out with the group to explore Big Tub Harbour, the lighthouse and shipwrecks. We were out exploring right overtop of the wrecks when the big sight-seeing boats came in with their tourists and I have to admit I was pretty grateful to be out in a kayak so close and free to explore! We made our way back along the waterfront dotted with beautiful homes and cottages, checked out the lighthouse and finally back to the docks. After loading up we had a great dinner at the fish & chips place and then some ice cream (this will become a regular daily treat!).
Day 3 – Ready for the day’s adventure we loaded up and headed over to Cameron Lake and launched at the west end of the lake. There was a wind but it was at our backs making for an easy paddle (we’ll pay for that later!). The creek between Cameron Lake and Cyprus lake was a short but beautiful, tranquil eden for us to explore. After crossing under the “motorboat’s prohibited” foot bridge, we were again grateful to be paddling and entered Cyprus Lake which is in Bruce Peninsula National Park. While most of the group got out for a rest at the east end of the lake, Stacy and I headed around the corner to see if there was any navigable access to Horse Lake. We found a beautiful waterfall to explore. The bottom was super slippery like a skating rink but beautiful nonetheless. We would pass this waterfall another day on the hiking trail from the Gratto. Most of the group decided to leave their kayaks and hike the Gratto trail but Leslie and I decided that with my bad shoulder we would be better off getting started on the return trip knowing we would be battling the wind. And boy did we! It was definitely a slog back to the car and definitely worthy of a cold beer reward! We had quite the storm that evening just after dinner and the rain was extremely intense! It quieted down and after a nice campfire we had another restful sleep.
Day 4 – Today we took a day off from paddling and hiked to the Grotto in the National Park. It was a very nice hike but oh boy there was a lot of people at the Grotto! Way too crowded for me but it was impressive and the beautiful blue water and rock formations were spectacular. The hike back was also rewarding. We then made our way to Singing Sands park and enjoyed a walk along the water and boardwalk. What a nice place that would be especially appealing to young families with children as the beach is shallow for a very long way! A great dinner, campfire and company capped off the evening nicely.
Day 5 – Ride Day! While some members enjoyed a paddle in Dunks Bay with some challenging wind/waves, we enjoyed a motorcycle ride along with other members Vern and Caron on a route around the Bruce Peninsular called the “Lion’s Tail” which we extended further down to Sauble Beach and to Owen Sound before coming back to Tobermory via Lion’s Head. The roads were amazing! (Seriously, i’ve never seen so much brand-new tarmac in one area before!), and with lots of twists and turns and scenic views we were not disappointed. We had a wonderful lunch at Kettle’s Back Home Cookin just outside of Owen Sound and managed an ice cream stop in Lion’s Head along with exploration of a local toy store. Back at camp we enjoyed a great meal and relaxing campfire.
Day 6 – Miller Lake – we had originally planned on paddling Emmett Lake in the National Park but once we arrived at the park office we learned that the entrance fee was very high but in addition to that the parking area we were told was very small and we would not all likely be able to park. We decided to move on and made our way over to Miller Lake. This lake was outside of the park and and with a nice, free boat launch at the west end of the lake, we were in the water in no time. After exploring the shallow, grassy areas we paddled along the shoreline exploring the coastline with some beautiful homes and cottages and finally arriving up the lake at a small boat launch. After a snack and rest we hit the water again for the return paddle to the vehicles and back to camp. Many members decided to have a group dinner at the Crow’s Nest Restaurant which was very nice. It was wonderful to enjoy a nice meal out with the members who made this such a great trip. The campfire at John and Stacy’s camp was a great way to close out the evening and an amazing trip.
We made our way back home to Amherstburg and after driving the beautiful waterfront routes in South Hampton and Port Elgin, we decided to take backroads we’ve never been on most of the way home. We stopped in Paisley on the Saugeen River for some (yeah you guessed it … ice cream).
All in all it was a wonderful trip with great people. The weather was pretty good overall and the location was perfect. Leslie and I would like to thank all of the members who came along on this trip.
Check out our YouTube video highlights of the trip here: https://youtu.be/I5LBTLRqW3Q