Last year we stopped at Bon Echo but only for one night as that was all we could get without moving to a different campsite each night. This year we booked early but still were pipped at the post for the sites we wanted. We got sites in the radio free campground that are further away from the lake; it turned out to be a much quieter campground. I arrived at the campground before my sister and brother-in-law; after missing my loop and doing a tour of the whole campground I finally found my site. It took me twice more around before I got my trailer backed into my site, but I did it. I have to say I did give some thought to just taking my sister's site because I could have pulled across that one.
There's a nice dog beach at Bob Echo where the dogs are actually permitted to be off leash. The next day we took Teddy and Liam down for a swim. I had brought their life jackets. Teddy is quite keen to go wading and didn't even mind swimming. Liam had to be dragged out. I did that twice so he would get the idea that with the lifejacket he's not going to sink, then we just let him wade and meet the other dogs.
We had a thunderstorm overnight and had breakfast in the rain the next day. Afterwards we headed into town as I needed milk and so we could go the Pioneer Museum. The bonus was that there was not only cell service but open Wifi so we sat in the pavilion at the small park for a while before heading back to the campground.
 |
| Pavilion |
 |
| Cloyne Pioneer Museum |
Later I walked the dogs down to the lagoon and the narrows through the adjacent campground. I walked back on the park road to our campground to get an idea of how far it was; it was quite a long walk.
 |
| Lagoon |
 |
| Colourful canoes. |
 |
| Mazinaw Rock |
Bon Echo is known for the pictographs on Mazinaw Rock but to see them you have to take a tour boat or rent a canoe or kayak. I have never done that, perhaps one day I will.
The next day I drove down to the Narrows to take the dogs wading there. Teddy was all excited to go in wading and bark at boats, Liam stayed on shore.
 |
| Come in the water's fine! |
 |
| I'm not coming in! |
 |
| Teddy barking at the tour boat. |
Later on, that same day, my sister came down with me and we let the dogs paddle again. Liam didn't want to be left behind this time.
 |
| Wading is not so bad after all! |
When we arrived at Bon Echo there was a fire ban, but we got lucky, with the rain the fire ban was lifted so we were than able to have campfires. It's not camping without a campfire.
 |
| My sister's trailer by firelight |
 |
| Ontario Parks campfire ring |
 |
| Solar lights for the path to my campsite. |
As usual, we at very well, our dinner menus included chicken, salmon, pizza and a charcuterie board. For breakfasts, we had blueberry pancakes and bacon, breakfast wraps with sour cream and salsa, and scrambled eggs, sausage with jalapeno cornbread.
 |
| Chicken breast with cheese, tomato and Balsamic glaze |
 |
| Strawberry shortcake |
I really like Bon Echo even though it's quite hard to get into, I'm sure I'll go back again. One day I have to see the pictographs on the cliffs.
I only have one more camping trip this summer as my big trip coming up in Sep is a river cruise on the Danube so Podrick will be going back into storage early. Sad to see the summer camping season coming to an end but getting excited for the next adventure.
