In September, 2018, we took a road trip to Canada’s Maritime provinces in our ‘new to us’ 1989 Corsair Medallion motor home. At nearly 30 years old, the RV runs fine (only around 120,000 km when we bought it in May) but the gas mileage was atrocious.
At best, the gas powered 7.5 litre Ford engine was getting around 35 litres per 100 kilometres. At it’s worst, on the never ending hills of Nova Scotia, it was getting, at times, 45 litres per 100 kilometres. In old speak, that’s a range of around five to eight miles per gallon. Gas prices in Canada were at a high and we never paid less than $1.20 per litre.
It was a learning lesson. We knew the gas would be a huge expense but maybe we should have done better testing and calculating. In the end, our nine night journey cost about the same as a week traveling to, and around, Europe.
But, the vehicle is amazingly comfortable and convenient, especially with two young kids and a dog. The engine always started up without a fight. Fluids needed to be topped up but no more than any other 30 year old engine.
We’re not retiring her but she will be allocated to more local weekend trips and not touring vacations.
The Journey
We left Orangeville, Ontario at a bright and early 5am and reached Quebec City for our first night. The following night, we stayed at one of favourites, Mount Carleton Provincial Park in north central New Brunswick. From there, we did a long stretch to the north eastern end of mainland Nova Scotia before crossing the Canso Causeway to Cape Breton.
We stayed three nights on the island of Cape Breton, two at the North Sydney / Cabot Trail KOA and one at The Lakes Campground. We followed that up with two nights at another favourite, The Old Shipyard Beach Campground on the Bay of Fundy. On our way back west, we stopped at a KOA in Granby, Quebec.
The Campgrounds
We stayed at seven different campgrounds on this road trip. All but Mount Carleton were suited for RV’s. This was a departure from our normal tenting life. Of the six RV specific campgrounds, three were KOA brand. We find that KOA’s are excellent whether you’re in a motor home or just tenting. Sure, they’re not wilderness retreats but the service and amenities make it more like a luxury hotel than a campground. I say these kind words even though this website was denied as an affiliate…
All seven campgrounds had excellent service and we would, without hesitation, recommend them all if you’re traveling to that part of the world. Of course, visiting in mid-September (the off-season) makes for a more intimate experience with the parks half full, at best.
What follows is a list of the sites. They are in chronological order to how we visited them and are, by no means, listed in any sort of best to worst ranking order. A few have driving tour videos included. There would have been videos for the Linwood, Old Shipyard and Granby KOA but the memory card on the GoPro got corrupted – something I didn’t figure out until we got home…
Quebec City KOA
Officially located in St. Nicolas, Quebec, at 684 Chemin Olivier, this campground is a great mix of quality and prime location. They’ve done a great job to hide the fact they’re located on the edge of an industrial park. The campground is well treed and it’s just off the main highway 20, within 15 minutes from historic old Quebec City.
On site, there is a pool, hot tub and sauna. Free Wi-Fi reaches all corners of this KOA and works without issue. There are two playgrounds for the kids, along with KOA’s trademark jumping pillow. For those who don’t know, the jumping pillow can be best described as a massive trampoline.
Each site has 50 amp hook-ups, along with water and sewage. Spacing is as can be expected for a RV park but there is also a tenting area and rental cabins. The park store is actually useful and not too over-priced. And, the answer to the big question when visiting Quebec – Yes, the staff speaks English and seem happy to do it.
The hidden gem of this campground is its close proximity to Chutes de la Chaudiere. This is pretty decent sized waterfall / hydro-electric dam located just the other side of highway 20. There are look-outs on both sides of the Chaudiere River. Hiking trails take you down to river level for a closer look at this beautiful waterfall. It’s a bit difficult for photographers as the cascade faces north so it’s always backlit.
Driving Tour Video
Mount Carleton Provincial Park
What can I say about Mount Carleton Provincial Park other than you absolutely must camp here. 2018 was our third visit to this out-of-the-way wilderness campground. I only wish we had more time to spend there. This go-around, we arrived in the evening and left early the following morning. The goal of the trip was Cape Breton so we had to push on.
The park is located 43 kilometres southeast of St. Quentin, New Brunswick in the remote north central part of the province. This is logging country with little to no civilization to be found for quite a radius around the park. The park is cash only because there is absolutely no reception within the park or, really, anywhere nearby.
There are no luxury hook-ups for your RV here. No electric, water or sewage. And, it’s a dark sky preserve so you’re expected to keep your nighttime lighting to a minimum. But, the trade-off is amazing. Mount Carleton is the highest peak in Canada’s Maritime provinces at 820 metres or 2,690 feet. You can hike to the summit for an outstanding view and a great sense of accomplishment. The trail is a bit strenuous but doable for most. There are hiking trails throughout and, depending on the season and rainfall amounts, the waterfalls can be spectacular.
If visiting, do not miss the view of the mountains, reflected on the smooth waters of Nictau Lake. Go just before sunset for the best colours and reflections. Sunrise is probably good but I got fogged out on this visit so I’m not 100% sure…
Linwood Harbour Campground
Not a planned stop, we camped at Linwood Harbour Campground simply because we were running out of daylight and wouldn’t reach the other end of Cape Breton before dark. This is a small, basic campground but was excellent, nonetheless.
Located at 11089 Highway 4 in Linwood, Nova Scotia, it’s just a ten minute drive to the Canso Causeway which takes you across to Cape Breton. The main highway 104 (Trans Canada Highway) is within sight. The harbour is located across the road and the campground boasts ocean view but not ocean front. I would have liked to explore the area more as the maps showed a beach just a short drive up the road.
This campground has, as anywhere in the Maritimes, a very friendly and helpful staff. There are 36 sites with water and 50 amp power hookups. They offer free Wi-Fi and we found it worked without issues.
North Sydney / Cabot Trail KOA
One of the focal points of our trip. We pretty much intended on staying at this location right from the start. The North Sydney / Cabot Trail KOA is located in a perfect spot to use as a base for exploring this part of Cape Breton.
Officially located at 3779 New Harris Road in New Harris, Nova Scotia, this KOA is easily found at the edge of Great Bras D’Or on the Trans Canada Highway. As you cross the Seal Island Bridge on your journey from Sydney back to the Canso Causeway, the campground is directly on the left as you cross the bridge.
Each site is strategically lined up for views of the bridge and water. There is a small beach and boat launch at water level with more picturesque views of this Cape Breton scenery. Also on site is a mini-golf course, a decent sized playground and a dog park. Absent is the trademark KOA jumping pillow. Something tells me the rocky terrain at this location wouldn’t allow for it.
Within an hour’s drive from this KOA is the Fortress of Louisbourg, the Louisbourg Lighthouse, the Glace Bay mining museum and the Cabot Trail. Sydney is a modern, progressive city with all the retail and services found anywhere else in North America. The North Sydney ferry port is located close by if you plan to take the ship to Newfoundland.
Driving Tour Video
The Lakes Campground, Restaurant and Cottages
This campground was completely off our radar. Until it wasn’t. On our way down the Cabot Trail, toward Cheticamp and the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, this place definitely caught our eye. We have a six year old. This campground has a go-kart track. What else is there to say?
The official address is 4932 Cabot Trail in North East Margaree. The campground is on the shore of Lake O’Law. The water is beautiful with the hills rising directly from the water’s edge on the opposite side of the narrow lake.
After seeing the campground on our way to a boat ride with Pleasant Bay Whale Watching, we had to stop on our way back. The Hey Dad! Go-Karts didn’t disappoint. The mini-golf course was decent but the bugs got a little viscous as the sun went down. It was a bit odd as we were attacked by what seemed to be black flies. Normally, in Ontario, black fly season is in the spring, not in the fall.
Old Shipyard Beach Campground
Can’t say enough about this place. Old Shipyard Beach is a simple one lane campground on the shores of the Bay of Fundy. When I say on the shores, I mean on the shores. At high tide, the water laps against the rocks close to your campsite. At low tide, it’s a long walk on what was hours before the ocean floor before you get to the shoreline.
Located at 774 Spencer’s Beach Road at Spencer’s Island, Nova Scotia, the Old Shipyard Beach Campground is just a short drive from Advocate Harbour and Cape D’Or. The location is at the tip of the chunk of land that points west out into the Bay of Fundy between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
In the early part of the 20th century, this was one of the premiere tall ship building spots in Canada. In the 1920’s, that all came to a crashing halt when steam ships became the deal. If you use your imagination, you can still picture what it looked like a century ago. Wooden pillars remain in the water and can be seen when the tide is out.
The lighthouse on site was activated in 1904 and discontinued in 1987. It has been open to the public since 1991. Inside, you’ll find a ton of historical information and pictures regarding the shipyards.
Granby / Bromont KOA
I was born in London, Ontario but my family roots are in Quebec’s Eastern Townships. Therefore, I’ve been visiting Granby, Quebec all my life. Our night at the Granby / Bromont KOA marked the first time I’ve camped in the area.
The official address puts the campground in Bromont, located at 1699 Shefford. This park much more caters to seasonal guests that the other two KOA campgrounds we stayed at on this trip. Sites come with the usual 50 amp electrical, water and sewage hookups.
The site is at the top of the KOA game with a large playground, swimming pool, jumping pillow and a small swimming lake with what looks like an olympic style diving platform in the middle.
According to the owner, this campground has gone through massive improvements over the past decade, raising the star rating considerably. Among the improvements was the planting of hundreds of trees. The efforts show and if visiting in the summer months, you’re pretty much guaranteed a shady site.
