Niagara Shores Campground and Conference Center

Peter Guerlain

2024-04

This place exceeded expectations. Stayed three nights for the 2024 eclipse in the “hotel” at this campground and it was absolutely spotless, squeaky clean, rooms and bathrooms alike, down to soft, freshly laundered mats for the showers, warm shelter, glorious memory foam king beds and plenty of hot water. The place was fully booked except for some of these rooms and tent sites and I totally lucked out finding this place at a tenth of the cost of actual hotels in the area. The owner, Dave? spent entirely too much time chatting and making sure everything was beyond satisfactory. The “hotel” was comparable to any other hotel with the exception that bathrooms are across the hall on each level, substandard for a hotel but glamping for a campground. One of the rooms appeared to have three bunkbeds in it, which is great if you’re bringing a bunch of kids and staying in the hotel. They had an “eclipse menu” and the quality of the food was way better than expected, possibly because the owner’s previous venture was in the food industry.The owner bought this campground as-is in very distressed condition not long before Covid and is performing major renovations throughout as cash flow allows. Therefore some of the facilities are in great condition, some are being refurbished and some are awaiting attention and out of service due to plumbing, electrical and/or structural issues. The tent and RV sites, most of the cabins, the hotel, dining room and the venue used for weddings and the like look appear great so far as I could tell. The center of the campground contains “Mini-Ville”, an assortment of play buildings such as chapel, post office, store, guard-house, etc. the concept of which is great for kids but they are decrepit and the owner intends to get rid of them in favor of more RV sites which is probably great from the badly needed cash flow perspective but not so great for the kids. Next to Mini-ville is an equally decrepit mini golf course which looks like it might be possible to be restored to basic functionality in a day by a highly motivated person equipped with a rake and a power washer. The place has a full-size gymnasium, an indoor recreational area with the requisite ping pong and foosball tables etc. and a moderately sized conference room, all of which appeared to be in fair condition. There is an outdoor pool and a ball-field. Despite being on Lake Ontario, which is pretty to see, there is no waterfront facility such as beach, boats or swimming, only a rough trail to a rocky shoreline which could enable you to cast for fish. I recommend walking the perimeter of the campground because there’s more to it than meets the eye and there’s an interesting historical feature to discover a few steps northwest of the ballfield.To put this review in perspective, I visited essentially out of season in the unusual circumstance of a brief surge of activity due to the eclipse. The café was open only the first day (and maybe the first day of the season) then closed due to what may have been a plumbing problem. They had time to get the hotel into what may have been better than its average state of cleanliness. I never saw anyone in the camp office, not that I needed anyone to be there.I didn’t take pictures of the facilities. The weather was great the days before and after the eclipse but unfortunately the clouds broke only a few seconds for me to snap a shot of the sun before totality occurred.I recommend visiting Niagara Shores Campground with reasonable expectations and a good attitude. I chose this place due to location and favorable reviews and I’m glad I did.

Brandi Benham (1)

2023-05

My husband and I got a cottage for the weekend. Even with the little bit of rain and cold weather, it was still so perfect. The place is pet friendly, so we were able to have our dogs there as well. The owners and staff are all very helpful and accommodating. It's the perfect spot to spend a peaceful weekend.

Sheila Schmitt

2023-09

My son and his fiancee got married at Niagara Shores on 08/12/23. Blessed with beautiful weather, great venue with lake view and great sunset. Food was delicious. Great staff to work with and very attentive during event. I highly recommend.

Emily Lange

2023-08

We stayed here for 4 days, Thursday through Sunday, and were not very impressed. The cabin we originally booked was a bunkhouse (pictured) but they gave us a family cabin, very thankful for the upgrade as it gave us a fridge and microwave. But, there was mice poop on some of the beds and the floors under the beds were dirty with food pieces, which attracts the mice. I understand it’s “rustic” camping but I would prefer not to sleep with the critters inside. We also didn’t have a picnic table that I thought we would have. The bathrooms by the pool were not the greatest, I wouldn’t want to take a shower in them. Wasn’t a fan of the shower curtain doors for the toilets either. My husband said the men’s bathroom didn’t have toilet paper or paper towels since we got there. So no one checked the bathrooms the whole weekend. The pool was clear but it needed vacuumed. The camp store/cafe/Rec room was not open the whole time we were there. We were hoping to eat the breakfast that all the reviews we saw talked about. We texted one of the numbers that the sign told us to on the front door of the office to get fire wood and look for other supplies in the camp store but they did not respond back to us. No one was around that we could tell. The playground is for kids over the age of 5. Nothing for toddlers to do, which is fine but, wanted to let others know. A wedding was going on Saturday night and you can tell they cater to those guests. The bathrooms/showers on that side by the barn were very clean and nice. The putt putt course was disgusting. Where the golf clubs and balls were located smelled like mold and mice. The greens were slippery with moss after the big rain we got. Very run down. This campground could have great potential. It’s in a great spot right on the water (beautiful sunsets) and close to the falls but it needs a lot of help. We won’t be returning.

Kathy M

2024-04

My daughters wedding was at Niagara Shores. The location. People lodging and food were superb. There was nothing my daughter would have changed. They truly do everything in their power to make your event and stay perfect. I highly recommend !!

DJ DANNY OCEAN STATE

2023-08

We had a very pleasant experience here. The owners seem to be actively modernizing the grounds, and this place has super potential to be a premier vacation spot.They have a wedding hall and ceremony area. There was a Wedding the night we arrived and it looked beautiful. Our site was probably the closest to the venue, and we barely realized the wedding was happening, noise was kept down. Wedding was done at 10pm.Sites are natural land sights, and not level. our slight we were side to side level, but we had to ground the tongue to level front to back.Verify your amperage. Our 50amp site meant 50amps, there wasn't 30 or 20.. we needed to run down to the Walmart for a 50-30 adapter.Pool was clear and warm, but needed to be vacuumed. Other amenities were sort of out of service. Playground is an original to the old Christian camp from the 1970s. there is a awesome spooky mini village which needs repair, a few condemned historic looking buildings. Not sure about dining hall, Cafe, store as they were not open during our stay. mini golf needs a. it of tlc too.Overall a perfect stay for a get away to see Niagra, go cherry picking, and relax with beautiful sunsets over Toronto.

Brian Rutherford

2023-05

One night stay over on “dry” camping site. We had best spot in the park- pulled up to front row view of Lake Ontario- right on the bluff! Owners are accommodating and friendly. Bathrooms/showers were clean and newly remodeled. We often stay one night at random campgrounds when going to and from our final destination and this one was by far our favorite. We even could see the Toronto skyline from our site across Lake Ontario which was really neat!

JustGoFlyVinnie

2021-05

I can't rate this hidden gem high enough. We got the royal treatment from the owner and staff. Jenn checked us in and was excellent in letting us get our way, moving us to our desired site, and coming to check on us. I ran into a guy name Dave, who was cleaning bathrooms, and I started asking him about the campgrounds. Who would guess the owner was cleaning the bathrooms. But if you saw the bathrooms you would understand his attention to perfection and his amazing creativity. He invited us for coffee and we got a personal tour. Their plans for this campground and conference center are extraordinary and very exciting. I think it's going to have a huge draw, and so beautiful. You can see Toronto in the distance, across Lake Ontario. Enjoy the photos. I intend to post a video soon.

Judith Czigler

2022-05

Our stay at Niagara Shores Campground was absolutely, by far, the MOST perfect camping stay that my husband and I have had !! Our four nights here were divine, relaxing, heavenly would actually be a better description. The grounds are super clean, the playground equipment was sturdy and updated. With miniature golf, a below ground pool, camp sites, cabins, hotels, even more, and all of this right on the beautiful Lake and perfectly situated near Niagara, wineries, and nature. We spent 4 nights here with our 2 dogs, and we all agree that we have to return. The owners are superb: they are attentive and friendly and smart. We just cant say enough about this place, except that Appleton NY is BACK on our bucket list.

Nick Nyhan

2021-05

Pulled in there after Niagara Falls visit. Really great view of the Lake and beautiful trees and grass areas and playground for kids to play. Dave the manager made sure we were good and told us they have been investing to make things even better. Good place for weddings. Lots of different size buildings on the site but spread out nicely.

Maria Barton

2023-10

Recently had my wedding here and it was the perfect weekend. Dave, Ernie, and Heidi helped to make our wedding of 160 guests run smoothly. They truly put their hearts into each and every event and made us feel so special. The food was absolutely delicious, huge portions and amazing desserts too. They even worked closely with us to help book our guests to stay the weekend on the campground as well. Would highly recommend for a rustic and beautiful wedding. Thanks for all your time, energy, and love to make our weekend so special.

Houston Grant

2023-05

We went for a weekend and got a tent site. After checking in, the lady told us where to go for all tent sites. We drove around for awhile trying to figure it out. Nothing was labeled and we were so confused, so we just parked. BUT the views were absolutely amazing. The neighbors were quiet, we had our own personal space. It was quiet. You could hear the waves crashing. The campground was decent and in good shape. Only 4 stars because we were so confused when we arrived. The sunsets were just breathtaking there to.

Philip Martin

2020-05

This is a very nice place to camp they have houses that can fit 20 people in it, they have cabins , cottages, even a hotel for those that dont like the woods feel. They have a in ground salt water pool. They also have RV hook up. There is 50amp hook up so those big buses RV'S can hook up overlooking the Lake Lake Ontario. Thier trails are so nice and kept up. The campground is family oriented, friendly people.

Kristen Thaw

2023-08

Beautiful location on Lake Ontario. Stayed for a wedding reception held there that we made a family wedding weekend..a great property with amazing views and was perfect for us. They are on process of making more improvements after purchasing the property which will make the cabins a bit better. Overall a nice rural cabin/hotel experience.

RJ Pratt

2023-10

Sunsets and sunrises are spectacular over the lake. Great place for any event. A party. A wedding. Whatever. The place keeps going and going. You can camp or park your RV. They have rental cabins, houses, and a motel. There's a pool. Putput golf, Basketball, Bonfires. This is a good close getaway. For people close and far away. Come check it out. You won't be disappointed. Everyone needs to unplug, relax, and enjoy themselves in a great atmosphere!

Ralph Abramo

2021-05

With campgrounds, I tend to hover around 3 stars for a decently-run place, as my standard for somewhere that fits the bill, presents no issues, etc. I reserve 4 and 5 for exceptional places and/or potential.The sites at this campground are very small, but we found ours to be perfectly level and, despite wet weather leading up to, well drained, no mud, no soft spots, with the ground, rock-ring firepit, water, electrical, and sewer connections in perfect condition.I like to camp among trees, so I chose one of their few sites that are among them which, given the site size, could have been challenging, but it was actually a snap to put our 26 foot camper exactly where I wanted it.The place has some great potential, small sites or not (and I'm not fond of small sites, so that's high praise). The view of the lake is great and sunsets on it are spectacular.And then there are the campground rules - they're hilarious. These people have great senses of humor... And they're easy to work with, very pleasant.We had absolutely no issues, everything was as was expected, the place is photogenic in multiple ways, and there's some good potential there.Just remember - very small sites packed pretty close and not very far from the road (we barely noticed), so as long as these things don't bother you, it's not a bad place to park for a bit at all.I definitely expect all of the above to earn even higher marks as time goes by.

John Backhaus

2023-08

We camped here for 4 days. No one at the camp office. Their hours are from 12pm to 4pm. No staff around at all. There were two other campers on either side of our site. The one camper was hooked up to our electric/water. Thank goodness there was an electric/water hook up next to the fence. I was talking to the camper 2 sites over. He was saying that his electric was not working, and he had to mover his camper all the way back to hook up to the electric/water next to the fence. The camper that was next to us, said the same thing. That their electric hook up was not working. Now as far as the metal fence goes. I was reading some reviews. 11 months ago, someone commented on the fence. The owner responded that they were going to work on it. It's been 11 months. Our camp site was not mowed. We had a lot of high grass around our site. I went to the office to check in. I explained to the lady at the office about the grass. She said they mow every day and that they have a skeleton crew. It had not been mowed for a couple days. Trash - They have a couple trash cans around. I walked down to dump off my trash bag. They had not picked up trash in a while. There was at least 3 bags of trash laying in front of the trash can, because it would not fit in to the can. Campsites are very close to each other. Not a lot of space between sites. Putt Putt Golf. They have a shed where you can get putters and balls. The shed is so run down and moldy smelling. There are putters, no balls. There are little buildings/houses for kids to play in. But they are boarded up and falling apart. Why not take them down? Why leave them up? The playground looks like a 1970's playground horror movie. The swimming pool was locked, and not able to be used. Talking to a couple other campers. I think the general consensus is that the banquet hall and conference center are their cash cow, and the camp sites are just there. It's sad, because the views are amazing, and for the price you pay for a site, you should get more. We will definitely not be staying here again. I would highly recommend going to another campsite.

theresa Smith

2023-05

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Sandra Shufelt

2021-05

Wonderful place for a group retreat. View was beautiful, owners and staff are very professional, food was AMAZING and the rooms were very comfortable and roomy. Will definitely be back.

Melissa West

2022-05

This past weekend was our first time visiting Niagara Shores and we could not be happier! The owners are active, attentive, friendly, and super fun! The bathrooms and amenities are spotless! Even the other campers were a pleasure to be around. We stayed in a cabin and cannot wait to return. There is a beautiful pool that we enjoyed so much! Lots of great things going on and an absolutely incredible view of Lake Ontario! ❤️ There is a great little Cafe with yummy food, a nice General Store, mini golf…I could go on and on! If you love to camp, do yourself a favor and check them out. I promise you won’t be disappointed!! See you all again soon! ❤️

Colleen Fryer

2020-05

I highly recommend Niagara Shores Campground for an event you may have coming up. I had my family reunion there yesterday and everything was beyond great. The owners and staff were great to work with during the planning through the day of the event. They were very accommodating to our requests and needs from the planning stage right through the day of the Reunion, as well as having suggestions of things that I never would have thought of. The Food they prepared for us was fantastic. The view, well let me say, the dining hall where our Reunion was had north & west side windows, which was the view of Lake Ontario and a perfect spot for us to freighters going by or to see the beautiful sunset last night. Most of my family had never been there before and kept telling me what a gorgeous place it was and thanked me for holding our family reunion there. Definitely a place to check into if you have any upcoming family or work events or even a wedding (Chapel on site as well). They also have hotels rooms, cabins, houses & RV sites your guests can reserve for your event or for even just a weekend get away. We truly enjoyed our experience this weekend, and definitely will be back. Thank you Niagara Shores for helping to make our Family Reunion memorable.

Melissa Ash

2023-05

I had two cabins and a hotel room reserved for a wedding as a member of the bridal party. The hotel was not accessible as my key wouldn’t work. The venue is not staffed on the weekend and couldn’t find nor did I have time to track someone to assist. One of the cabins I was given smelled terrible of something rotting not sure if something died underneath it but we all wound up staying in the smaller cabin. Beautiful views but the campground is in dire need of repairs and updating.

Clair Casagrande

2023-05

Rough. The campsites are minuscule with enough room for your small pop up camper (not your vehicle and on some sites not your campfire either). View of Ontario is obstructed by chain length fence, amenities could use some love. Fantastic location in theory but not solid enough in practice to be worth the price in comparison to other campgrounds. Apologies to our neighbors for being ON TOP of them when our kids woke up in the morning

Mary Anne Crisafulli

2021-05

I can't say enough about Niagara Shores Campground.The Owners and Staff were ABSOLUTELY Amazing! Exceptionally clean. I'm sure this place will ONLY get better the longer they own it. It ooks like they are continuously upgrading and making the place better and better! Food in the cafe was exceptionally delicious and priced well! Once your there, really not much of a reason to leave. The Sunset overlooking Toronto is SPECTACULAR!Our Pups enjoyed themselves as well and the owners visited them with treats and scratches to boot!

Shannon Lawton

2021-05

After another campground didn't honor our online reservation we thought our 15th wedding anniversary weekend was ruined. A friend recommended Niagara Shores late Friday evening. I looked at their website and saw a rental cabin was still available. I emailed Ernie at 10 pm and to my surprise he responded within an hour! We were booked for an overnight stay the next morning. On arrival we were greeted with welcoming staff and the cabins were super cute and clean. The view of the lake was breathtaking! We will be returning very soon. They offer so many things here, pool, mini golf, restaurant and I'm sure there is more. We plan on going back and enjoying all of the amenities they offer!!

K K

2022-05

If I could give this place even more stars I would. My family came here for the week and had an amazing time! We were in the tenting area right in front of the lake. We had an excellent view. The sunsets here are insane! Whether relaxing at the pool or by our tent site, all 3 of us had a great time! Also, the hospitality here is great. Everyone very friendly. Thank you so much for the lunch on July 4th, that was a great surprise! Will definitely be coming here often. So peaceful.

Matt Carroll

2020-05

We rented the hotel for a company party for this past weekend and I could not be more happy the owners, staff, and everybody else there. Very very very accommodating to things. I would recommend this place to anybody who is either looking to just get away for the weekend or a week long stay. It really is an amazing place to go to. Thank you again Niagara shores for the wonderful weekend and we will definitely see you again next year.

Stitch the Cat

2019-05

This place is great for whatever. Weekend getaway ✓ Family reunion ✓ Family camping trip ✓ Team building conference ✓ Youth Retreat ✓ Wedding ✓ Bachlorette or Stag Getaway ✓ Fishing Trip ✓ Wine Trail Excursion ✓. You name it they can help your accommodation needs. At the temple of this reviews they are still renovating for opening in the spring but we stayed in the Bed and Breakfast and got to discuss the future plans with the owners and we became very excited about booking further vacations with them because they have big plans for the former youth retreat / conference center. It is great to get away and unwind from the daily stress. I am sure when this destination is fully open and complete it will be a real jewel for Olcott, NY. If you are planning for your next big summer getaway - definitely connect with the staff here at Niagara Shores.

Elizabeth Groth

2021-05

Totally loved, loved, loved this place. The view of lake Ontario ismis especially the sunsets highlighting the sky scape of Toronto. The staff do everything to make your stay enjoyable and memorable!

Kim Bow

2020-05

What a great place! So beautiful right on the lake and the staff goes above and beyond to make your event so memorable. Ernie is totally accommodating and super nice to deal on with. It's a hidden gem so check it out for your next event!