Hello to my fellow campers in Eastern Canada.

[caper]

Thanks Prairie Camper for opening this thread. We are headed from SW Ontario to the Maritimes starting the beginning of July. While we won't likely make it to Newfoundland ..... New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and PEI are on our list. Does anybody have any experience on the Cabot Trail with a trailer? From what I can gather, the hills are pretty steep? Exploring Kingston, Ottawa (for Canada Day) and Quebec City on in our plans for the trip out. Anybody have any advice for must see's / where to camp in PEI? Thanks everyone for the posts so far

I would not take a trailer around the Cabot Trail. There are several CG near Baddeck that would make a great choice as a base camp to explore Cape Breton Island. Adventure East is a nice CG with treed sites that is about 15 min west of Baddeck. The KOA is also a nice place to stay. The sites are terraced so you have a view of the water. The draw back is the sound to the tires going across the Seal Island bridge. Plus the traffic noise is also at Adventure East CG. If staying at the KOA there are two restaurants just across the bridge that serve great sea food. I forget the name but the restaurant with the bakery is the better of the two. If you are in CB check out the miners museum in Glace Bay. The Men of the Deeps practice at the museum and the admission charges are not that high. Plus you can tape the whole show. If you are staying at Baddeck and want to take a longer day trip Mabou and visit the Red Shoe Pub (owned and operated by the Rankin family). I found that the best way to enjoy the Cabot Trail was to Go counter clock wise from Baddeck to Cheticamp then return back to Baddeck. Fortress Louisburg is about 1 hour drive from Baddeck. While in Baddeck go to the Baddeck Lobster supper. All the chowder, mussels and dessert you can eat plus a lobster.

[itat]

jmencel, on PEI, our must sees were the Confederation Bridge, Avonlea Village (Anne of Green Gables) and Province House (the PEI Legislature) where the British North American Act was signed in 1867. We stayed at the Cavendish KOA. Really liked it. Very friendly people! If you have kids, there is an amusement park almost beside the KOA but not close enough to be noisy or create traffic.

As for pulling a trailer around the Cabot Trail, it depends on what you're towing and how experienced/comfortable you are towing. I'd have no problem pulling a popup but I wouldn't want to tow my 32' TT - at least not around the north end. If you're a very experienced driver you could tow a 5er. There are many tractor trailers delivering goods to communities along the Cabot Trail but I wouldn't personally want to do it.

[prairiecamper]

Originally Posted by Anders

Hi Prairiecamper,

Great trip ahead of you. We did a cross Canada trip in 2011. Victoria to Newfoundland & Labrador and back again. We did 33,000 plus km.

We have a blog (65 posts) from the trip. We drove fairly fast out east (to meet up with friends from Europe) and then did more of Ontario on the way back. Part one is from Victoria, part four is where we arrived in Ontario.

Good luck and have fun.

WOW! A quick look at your blog, 4 months/12 days is that correct? We are thinking maybe six weeks, if we need more time we can extend! Will definitely read more of your blog this evening! Thanks for posting!

[robert2101a]

Eastern Ontario is fantastic and especially the greater Kingston Area including Gananoque and the Thousand Islands. The provincial parks are good but have limited transient spaces (e.g. Charleston Lake or Sandbanks in Prince Edward County). Parks Canada also has camping at Mallorytown. Reserve sooner rather than later for all if you have an itinerary. Indeed lots of scenic and historic places to go in my home area. Further east I am certainly a fan of Prince Edward Island and driving through Montreal is always entertaining. The only low bridge in this area is just north of Gananoque on County Road 32 running between Gan and Seeley's Bay. Enjoy.

[Anders]

Originally Posted by prairiecamper

WOW! A quick look at your blog, 4 months/12 days is that correct? We are thinking maybe six weeks, if we need more time we can extend! Will definitely read more of your blog this evening! Thanks for posting!

Yes, 4 plus months is correct. It was a fantastic trip and we did not see it all. We will do another trip to see all the things we missed.

My favorite part of the trip was driving down through New Brunswick arriving in a little town called Alma on the Bay of Fundy..... just spectacular. Bay of Fundy has to be one of the most spectacular places in Canada.

You will no doubt have an incredible trip, I'm jealous just thinking of it.

[caper]

In NB if you go to Hopewell rocks(flower pots) a great CG to stay at is Ponderosa Pines. If you are coming from Fundy Park the CG is before you get to Hopewell and if coming from Moncton the CG is about 3/4 miles past the entrance to Hopewell Rocks. Plan to be in this area for a day or two. You will want to see the "flower pots" at both high and low tides.

[B and B]

Ottawa Camping- Ottawa Municipal Park. Right in the City just west of downtown on the edge of the green belt. Nice sites up top, treed and have water and electric.
As far as parks on the way lots of provincial parks along Lake Superior, they have online registration system for them as well.

[reinreb]

Prairie Camper, if you do the Gaspe Peninsula clockwise, you'll come into Campbellton NB exiting over the bridge from QC. We spend many weekends camping in Gaspe and it is a beautiful. Don't pass by Pierce without stopping and enjoying the scenery and food. Further down the road heading for NB you will see Carlton sur Mer CG. This is our favorite as it is right on the Ocean. Highly recommended.
You'll pass by my place as you head south. I'm in Bathurst. There is a wonderful Acadian Village not far from Bathurst that one could easily cover in a full day.
Other sights to see in NB are the Rocks on the Bay of Fundy. Here you will be able to see the tidal changes. The best way to see this is visit in the morning and then revisit 6-8 hours later and witness the amazing changes in tidal levels.
If you have the time, you should see Grand Manan Island, also on the Bay of Fundy. You need to take a 1.5 hour Ferry leaving Blacks Harbour. The smell in the air and the freshness is like no where else.
Another spot I highly recommend in Nova Scotia is Lunenburg. There is a fantastic Maritime Museum there and it is also home to The Bluenose on our dime. Cape Breton is also wonderful especially the Cabot trail, I recommend the clockwise route around and it is possible to do this in a day. Like someone already mentioned , it probably would be better to leave the trailer somewhere while you did that tour. Louisbourg is another wonderful place not far from Sidney where the kids would enjoy the historical village and fort and participate in life as it was hundreds of years ago there.
For more detailed info, please feel free to contact me off line. Have fun.

[Jim in Halifax]

Originally Posted by Jim in Halifax

Juneau private camp ground is only20 mins from "Old Quebec City"" WE always stay there..EXCELLENT!!!! Route 40....North side of river

Leave RV--TT in Baddeck and do the trail in a "Clock Wise Direction" Much better view and you can pull over to view sights in rest areas...We do the trail every fall to see the trees,,,,,,J

[derek6669]

Originally Posted by jmencel

Thanks Prairie Camper for opening this thread. We are headed from SW Ontario to the Maritimes starting the beginning of July. While we won't likely make it to Newfoundland ..... New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and PEI are on our list. Does anybody have any experience on the Cabot Trail with a trailer? From what I can gather, the hills are pretty steep? Exploring Kingston, Ottawa (for Canada Day) and Quebec City on in our plans for the trip out. Anybody have any advice for must see's / where to camp in PEI? Thanks everyone for the posts so far !

Great idea to hit Ottawa on Canada, lots of entertainment on Capital Hill , Byward market and Major Hill Park. In Kingston, try and time your visit to go to Fort Henry for a Sunset Retreat. About the Fort - Fort Henry As for PEI, Twin Shore Camp Ground is an excellent place to go. Welcome To Twin Shores Camping Area :: Darnley, Prince Edward Island, Canada. Centrally located and very nice beach.

[ontario_camper]

Originally Posted by jmencel

Thanks Prairie Camper for opening this thread. We are headed from SW Ontario to the Maritimes starting the beginning of July. While we won't likely make it to Newfoundland ..... New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and PEI are on our list. Does anybody have any experience on the Cabot Trail with a trailer? From what I can gather, the hills are pretty steep? Exploring Kingston, Ottawa (for Canada Day) and Quebec City on in our plans for the trip out. Anybody have any advice for must see's / where to camp in PEI? Thanks everyone for the posts so far !

We stayed at both the Cavendish and Charlottetown KOA's last year and enjoyed both. In NB we stayed at Ponderosa Pines (ok) and at Oceanfront Kiwanis in St Andrews. We are going to N.S. this summer and will again stay in St Andrews, as we didn't have enough time to really explore the nice little town. We went whale watching last year and it was great.
In PEI try to visit Basin Head beach. Residents say it's the best beach in PEI and we can see why.

[tenttotrailer]

Rivers Bend in Edmonston, NB is a good stop over going east. Ivy Lea KOA outside Brockville is a grat area to explore. Kingston is my hometown so can't say enough about that as a stop over. Hilltop CG outside Truro, NS was an excellent stop for a refresher.

Kevin

[prairiecamper]

Another question for campers familiar with New Brunswick. The tourist book doesn't mention anything about the height/clearance of the covered bridges in NB. Are they on major routes, can they be bypassed or can a trailer pass through? I.E. 4.15 meters (13 ft 6 inches). Thanks

[derek6669]

There are no Covered Bridges on the TransCanada Hwy in New Brunswick

[prairiecamper]

derek - I guess I should have been more clear. When I wrote major routes I was meaning more secondary routes, like to a tourist site of some sort or to actually see the covered bridge! In any event can a trailer pass underneath them?

[itat]

prairiecamper, I doubt that any covered bridge will accommodate your 5er. Better plan to park the camper and visit the covered bridges with just the truck.

[toslow]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

Highly recommend seeing the Bay of Fundy that has the worlds highest tide of somewhere around 61 ft. When we were there it only raised 31'. We watched in come in, go out and a few hours later it repeated it.

i grew up 5mins from the worlds highest tides. off the burncoat heads.

if you get a chance the tidal bore is always a site to be seen with the rapid runners jet boats.

one thing to watch for and you'll find out in a hurry, is the secondary roads in the east coast are usually pretty rough

[Jim in Halifax]

Originally Posted by toslow

i grew up 5mins from the worlds highest tides. off the burncoat heads.

if you get a chance the tidal bore is always a site to be seen with the rapid runners jet boats.

one thing to watch for and you'll find out in a hurry, is the secondary roads in the east coast are usually pretty rough

Depends what you class as secondary.....Way out in country but most roads running // to TCH are ok...Visit the Longest Covered bridge in Hartland, NB......You can cross this bridge.....Transports go across............From a Maritimer.......