Big Bend Conservation Area

Great place to camp, fish, hike and enjoy nature in all of its glory. Riverside camp sites are 25 feet from the Thames River and the view is awesome! Fishing is great, fire pits, picnic table and lots of shade are at the site we rented. Sites are huge, too. It's cheap too, making it more affordable to spend a night enjoying the outdoors. Wood and ice is also available to buy by the bag. We always have the time of our lives and we've returned to camp here this season quite often. I'd rate 10 stars if I could. Can't wait for the 2023 season to start up. We'll definitely be booking here again as often as possible :)

Absolutely gorgeous camp ground. Perfect lil weekend get away. Sites were clean and well maintained. Plenty of shade. Showers n Bathrooms. Plus the staff is very friendly and down to earth. Oh and did I mention you can have your firewood dropped off when you book your site.

Very impressed with the quality of the River Front campsites. Large sites, quite private and clean. The staff are beyond friendly, informative and extremely helpful. The location is beautiful, the Thames River is an under appreciated gem that South Western Ontario has to offer.

An unexpectedly wonderful place. Campsites are big, staff is so so nice, lots of wooded area (which is my fave) and by the Thames river. It would have been absolutely perfect for me if there was a hammock spot overlooking the river. That would be the dream. The spot I was at was just fine since it was really big and had a couple spots for hammock hangs! Will return for sure.

Great first experience camping at big bend. Upon arrival to our canoe route site (which was Huge- site R1) we noticed the Staff had already brought our pre-ordered firewood right to our site so we didn't need to track it down. Amazing views of the thames from our site. Washrooms and campground kept very clean. Perfect for kayaking on the thames. Vance, a staff member came to our site as we were setting up to welcome us and ensure we knew where everything was. Would go back again.

We spent 3 nights and 3 days at this conservation area and had a fantastic time. We did some fishing in the pond with actual results. Plenty of spacious campsites and very well groomed shared areas, pathways and trails. Bathrooms and showers cleaned and maintained daily. Only downfall for the entire trip was the wood that is sold 10 per bag and 75%was skid wood and burned far too quickly. A huge shout out and thank you to Vance the conservation officer who made sure each day we were comfortable and not in need of anything. We will definitely be back!!!!

I highly recommend Big Bend Conservation Area for all ages. What a delightful spot rain or shine snow or sun! This little conservation area is truly a hidden gem in the Southern Ontario Corridor! Every Sunday we choose a place for our weekly hike and serenity! This was a very nice enjoyable hike with small trails and beautiful scenes. A small pond was alit with the glorious Chorus of birds singing and chirping their songs. All around us the life of this small ecosystem seemed to be alive with joy. After this short walk we made our way over to the other side of the park where the Thames formed its D only to be met with more Wild life and a delightful perch from which a birds eye view was had. Climbing up the old fallen tree swinging our legs around like a couple of kids we pulled out our thermos of chocolate and poured out two cups. There we sat perhaps 12 feet up nestled in this petite scenic panorama enjoying the hot beverage that spoke of days of childhood and serenity. All those times out on the field on dads homemade ice rink that hot chocolate always tasted so good. Or perhaps you were in a southern Ontario field picking tobacco and the farmers wife sent you her homemade sweet bread and your hot chocolate for the cold chilly morning. Either way the nostalgia and warm feelings of this park were just that good old southern Ontario charm of home. This is spring and the luscious vegetation has not even started to grow but all around us the birds sang the Muskrats mused and the sun sparkled it’s shimmering diamonds like a sauna of love. We truly thanked God for our lovely country and the gift of creation. We thought about how joyful it would be to rent one of these lovely campsites and take a one day kayak trip down the Thames River landing here in this haven for a sleep over in our little RV. As we bathed in the nostalgia and glow of our surroundings we dreamed of that weekend in the summer when we would stay longer. We pulled out our chocolate bars and tasted that sweetness of memory and future at Big Bend Conservation Area. At long last we climbed down from the old fallen tree and walked back along the river then back down to the pond for the sunset. The colours of the setting sun on the water provided a marvellous view. The multitude of birds singing farewell to the setting surrounded us. I snapped some pictures and Ms Tansy pounced around in all her glory as puppies loves to do. We so enjoyed Big Bend Conservation Area that we once again envisioned landing here in the kayaks, site number 7 and the warm glow of the campfire. We were like kids on an adventure having discovered the perfect place to build Our fort and we could hardly wait to visit here next time.

Really enjoyed our 5 days camping at Big Bend. We went during the week so it was really quiet. There are no trails for hiking, but the walk to the bathroom/showers is quit a hike if you dont like jonnys-on-the-spot. Id recommend bringing a bicycle. It is well maintained and the conservation officer/camp host comes around every day to deliver wood and answer all your questions. Please note - Most sites are not serviced, although there are a few with hydro near the front gates. No swimming but lots of fishing if you bring your canoe. They have a boat ramp into the Thames river. Dogs are welcomed but must be kept on leash at all times. The most notable aspect of this camp site is it's in a forest. Lots of cool shade during hot summer days. It's also close to West Lorne and Glencoe if you need to pop into town for supplies.

There is one hiking trail along the river but it is terribly overgrown so I was not able to access it. There isn't much to do or explore here other than camp and maybe fish.