Valens Lake Conservation Area

Camping at Valens Conservation Area in Hamilton, Ontario, during the month of September was a truly remarkable experience. The fall season added a magical touch to this already beautiful natural haven. The campground itself was well-maintained and offered a variety of campsites, from cozy tent spots to spacious RV sites. I opted for a tent site near the water, and waking up to the serene view of the lake was unforgettable. The sites were equipped with fire pits and picnic tables, making it easy to enjoy meals amidst nature. The highlight of my trip was the abundance of outdoor activities available. We spent our days hiking through picturesque trails, observing the vibrant foliage that had started to change color. The fishing opportunities were excellent, and I even managed to catch some fish. Birdwatching enthusiasts will appreciate the diverse avian species that call this area home. Clean and well-maintained restroom facilities and showers were conveniently located throughout the campground. The staff was friendly and helpful, providing us with maps and information about the park's attractions. If you're considering camping in September, Valens Conservation Area in Hamilton is an excellent choice. The cooler weather, stunning natural beauty, and peaceful atmosphere create an idyllic setting for a memorable outdoor adventure. I left with a deep appreciation for this hidden gem in Ontario's wilderness.

I come here all the time, camp sites are reasonably priced and the process of booking and checking in is very simple. There's a camp store that offers lots of camping supplies like firewood, ice, and other things you may have forgotten at home. They offer group sites, walk-in sites, regular camp sites and just recently they added small "glamping" cabins next to the beach. There are restrooms located near each group of sites and beside the beach as well. This place is also great for day use of you're not into camping or don't have the time. The beach is a good size and not murky at all. There's lots of room next to the beach for picnics or bbqs. This is my go to beach coming from Guelph. There's also a few trails that loop and can all be done in one day, or just do one trail in 20 minutes. They all lead to a boardwalk across the lake with a very nice view. One trail also leads to a wooden lookout tower on the lake. If you're a beginner camper, trail walker, or sun bather, this place is great for you!
Dog-friendliness
There's a small beach next to the normal one for dog owners.
Picnic area
Lots of grassy area for picnics and bbqs next to the beach and the boardwalk. Lots of space on the beach as well.

We've been visiting this park every summer for the past 4 or 5 years and we are never disappointed. They keep it very clean, considering there is also a lot of geese. I've never camped there but I have family members and friends that do and they're always very satisfied with the camp ground. The park has also recently built small cottages which look very interesting for us non campers lol. The bathrooms are clean and on the weekend there is a food truck that makes fantastic burgers. There's a fee to get in unfortunately I don't know what it is since we purchase the yearly pass which also gets you access to some other parks. Great park for some family quality time. We visited yesterday July 14/23 and the water was clear and perfect for swimming. Dogs are allowed but must be kept on a leash and are not allowed to swim in the public area. They have an area for the dogs to swim. They also have a dock you can fish from.

Large beach area. Check website if camping RV areas to reserve are available usually book year in advance. Reserve areas for large gatherings. There's a bridge and dock (boat and sup rentals remain also snack bar by beach remain closed but camp store open check times. Fishing is so so lots of weeds small fish sunfish small mouth bass. There's a few larger ones but we used kayak (perch and bass so far) also catch and release. I miss back 20 + years they had sand castle building at the beach, corn roasts labor day weekend. Fishing derbys believe they still have derby have to check that one out. Large playground area at one time also summer lifeguards (not anymore). Our children are growen but once grandparents hoping nice spot tall trees nice camping and trailer lots large sandy beach and fishing bridge are still there. Have been once sometimes twice a year 30 plus years.

Overall a pretty decent place to camp, and for day visits. The water is kinda grody for swimming, and somewhat likely to be closed for bacteria contamination. The store has a surprisingly good range of supplies, and obviously it's a bit pricey, but it's convenient. If you really want to save money, it's a short trip to Cambridge. The washrooms are cleaned frequently and the showers are great. It has slipped a bit in past years, going from very family friendly, to a rowdy type of place. The patrol trucks do laps, but do nothing to curb the loud, swearing, drunkards, at 2am. So much for quiet time and strictly prohibited alcohol. Overall, the pros slightly exceed the cons, and I'm likely to return, at least now I know to bring beer.

Nice conservation area ! Came here to stay at th cabins for one night. The cabin was amazing - super clean, warm, no bugs, spacious - would happily go back. Numerous park benches dispersed throughout - sun and shade spots. Nice boardwalk trail -enjoyed it. We didn't do any other trails as we had two babies in a stroller ! The camp store was great - had exactly what we needed. Wood on the pricier end - $11/bag and there was only 8 logs in it. As per the beach, it was a nice area - but bacteria levels were high and it said no swimming. All in all nice place :) keep in mind there is an alcohol ban, if that is relevant to you.
Playground
None.
Restrooms
Clean !
Picnic area
Tons of these !

August 2022 5* Visited the place with family today and it is a very nice place if you are looking for family outing. The best part is that there is plenty is parking space available and you can easily park near to your sitting area. There is camping site, picnic area and beach in the conservation area. The entry fee for family of 3 is around $25 per day and you can pay on site. BBQ is allowed on site and you can have fire BBQ to cook food. Great to see good numbers of families. Near the conservation area, there are good farms so you can buy fresh produce like milk, cheese, vegetables, beef and corn. There is washroom and changing room and is frequently cleaned.

Incredibly quaint, with a small town charm & ideal for trail running, hiking & cycling. The beach has gorgeous backdrops of the lake & parklands but unsure if swimming would be viable re/water quality in summer season. Nevertheless, the trails, parks & campsites are nestled among an array of forests & foliage with a park store on site. For that last minute day trip, trail run or fall colours stroll, it’s ideal and easily accessible. Park store closed for the season, so pack your picnic basket, load your bike or grab your running gear and enjoy Lake Valens!‍♀️

Great place for family camping . Lots of trails. Small beach area I don't suggest to go in later summer because of pollution can't go swimming. Not the greatest for kayak or boating. Bitnitnos a beautiful area for camping. There's a small store in the park. And lots of picnic areas. Awesome dog beach its small but good enough to cool the pup
Restrooms
Pretty clean
Dog-friendliness
We go here because we have a dog, and it's dog friendly, dog beach and trails.
Picnic area
Private picnic areas

I really wanted to like this place as a kayak and camping enthusiast. Staff were friendly. Went for a paddle yesterday and the weeds are so extensive that it really did ruin the experience. Imagine tobogganing with only a dusting of snow and that's how it was to drag the boat along. The campground is extensive and fairly full, however the complete alcohol ban will mean that we'll never camp here. Enjoy a hike or family picnic but not a place for me.

These Valens lake cabins are a wonderful getaway. When we arrived the cabin was warm and inviting. Getting into the park was a sleek well thought out layout of convenience. The only thing I would change is to have parking for the Swan and Mallard cabins a bit closer, although they have nice little wagons to carry in your gear. So much more than the expectation. Our experience was the best! Would recommend 100%!
Visited on
Weekend

Truly a wonderful, clean campground. There were so many beautiful trails intertwined with the campground itself. We enjoyed the beach, the fishing, and they even had a dog beach for our dog. Lots of space and big gravel roads for biking. The sites are super nice and fairly private yet felt like a community in the layout. I highly recommend this campground. I especially enjoy the fact that there's no alcohol allowed on the premises!

On the upside, we were impressed with our pull through site (150); easy to set up and totally level. We liked the boardwalk trail around the reservoir and the beach area. The camp store was well stocked and covered the few things we forgot to pack. On the downside, we were disappointed that we could not rent any canoes or kayaks, etc. Also, the bathrooms were not as clean as what we are used to with Provincial Park camping.

We frequent this lake quite often, especially in the summer. You have to get there early or you might not get a spot as it fills up fast (in the summer). The beach is not the finest sand, but is still not too bad. Lots of nice trails and a board walk. Camping was good. Everything is within walking distance. Note: The bathrooms are closed in the winter season. There was 1 porta-potty, but was not so great.

Beautiful place to enjoy a picnic with friends and family. The " dog beach" does attract lots of pets so be aware. There seems to be enough shade trees and benches to go around. My ideal place when the objective is only to sit and enjoy food with family and friends on a summer day. The washrooms are not maintained well..dryer does not work and the floor gets dirtier and dirtier as the day proceeds.

This is an interesting conservation area. There is a beach, camping, picnicking, cabins to rent, fishing and a beautiful hiking trail with two long boardwalks. More than what I expected and there is even a food truck.
Restrooms
For the traffic that goes thru them they are surprisingly well maintained.
Dog-friendliness
There is a dog only beach just for the four legged visitor

Camping was great both times I've been this summer! First time experience and was overall impressed. Reasonable costs for firewood and ice however everything else is slightly over priced. Showers, washing machine and dryer available. The beach was a tad murky however my kids had zero complaints! Had a site without and one with electricity and truly enjoyed both!

This park has great trails easy for both hiking as well as biking. The lake is great for non-motorized boats such as canoes and kayaks. The camping area is great. There are many electric/water sites along with shaded or non shaded sites. Great place to go to for the day or longer. In the winter there is ice fishing and the trails are nicely groomed.

Good park area, worth it if you have a park pass or else will need to pay about 30+ for a family of 4 to enter the park. The beach area is fun, however, the sand is more like muddy than Sandy… the water is shallow and good for kids to practice kicking and swimming. Dont forget to bring the life jackets and floats. Good fishing spots as well.

Best camp ground ever. We bring the dogs and the dogs absolutely love it. The campground is clean, everyone very friendly it’s a great get away.
Restrooms
Restrooms are all over the conservation area and are kept very clean.
Dog-friendliness
Very dog friendly
Picnic area
Tons of picnic areas

It's a nice place for camping. Beautiful areas for solo, group, or family adventure. Wide and open playgrounds. Well maintained restrooms. Most of the camp sites are dog friendly. Great spot for group or family picnic. I booked W504. (Walking campsite - 550 meters walk from parking spot to the campsite)

Great place to camp nice walking trails, beach, would have been great for the kids to have one playground. Canoe rental would be great I'm sure that will open later in the summer. Reasonable size site bit of a grade but that's part of the deal sometimes. Definitely return in the future

We stayed on site 74. This would be a great site to stay with friends as there are shortcuts to the two adjacent sites. Restrooms are just around the corner and are very clean. There are two showers there as well, but they don’t have shower curtains, so your clothes might get wet.

We love the pull through sites, water and 30amp hook up, clean washrooms and friendly staff. The hiking trails are lovely, there is fishing on the bridge, volleyball nets and boat rentals. Large beach as well however it was too cold when we went. Look forward to going back again!

Amazing park, gorgeous scenery and the staff are amazing and friendly park is always clean. Great spot for bass and pike fishing plenty of pan fish for small kids to catch. Only downside is they stopped boat rentals which really takes away from enjoying the lake.

The camping experience is great. Good atmosphere for family friendly camping. I just wish they would keep the water level higher and do something about the weeds. Drag the lake and clean them out. It's decent fishing but it's running our of weed free area.

Great spot for picnics and getaways. The entry rates are fairly reasonable and there is a small shoreline where can you get the beach vibe. The hiking trails are pretty decent and engulfed with natural elements. Canoes and kayaks are also welcome here.

Nice well maintained campground but been consistently loud with people talking loudly at 2 or 3 am every time I've camped there. Obviously people boozing, not just a couple of drinks and no effort by the park to crack down or maintain quiet hours.

Great conservation area, both for day use and camping. Lots of parking spaces, in picnic areas. Loved a food truck by the beach, didn’t try, but great to have this option. Very cozy camping sites. All facilities are clean and well-taken care off.

I stayed for one night on June 13. Decent campground. It was easy to check in at the gate, they allowed me to come in at 10am even though check in was at 2pm. They even accommodated me when I asked if I could switch campsites. The campsites

The parks washrooms are well-maintained all thought they need to do better at keeping the smell clean, the beach is nice with warm water around end of July but have been to cleaner beaches, the campsites are small, good for single family

Its a nice place for family fun and day out. Large park compared to other conservation areas in this region. The beach feels like artificial made but it does it’s job. There are volleyball nets available if you want to challenge a game.

A nice place to spend the day or enjoy a camping/cabin getaway. It is a flat park so levelling trailers is pretty simple. Some sights are kinda small so follow the size of equipment suggestions. Clean vault toilets and comfort stations.

We shared a nice fire with friends who were camping there. The area is beautiful and the campground is quite private. The road is a bit bumpy and has a few too many potholes, and I just don't like paying $15 to be there for a few hours.

Took the family on a whim to Valens, Sunday of the Canada Day weekend. We arrived around 2pm and had no problem getting in or parking close to the beach. $32 basically for the SUV and 4 passengers. The beach was bigger than anticipated

Gorgeous conservation park just a stones throw away from Toronto and Niagara. Located in Flamborough, Valens offers trailer, RV, tent camping with clean and secluded campsites. Electrical and water sources available, fire rings/pits as

Spent weekend camping, lots of people with visible alcohol, we had to listen to music from another site till 2:30 a.m., and laughter and noise, kids running around playing and screaming almost till 11 pm, no enforcement in site. They

Went kayaking around the lake but absolutely full of weeds....hard to paddle through......not just at the edge....throughout the middle....more weeds than clear water! Big shame !!!

Park was nice, trails were great, camp sites were large. Great week there, however, no swimming due to unsafe water. There was lots of weeds and green algae close to the beach area.

Overall nice grounds and lots of trails to bike and explore, unfortunately the lake is disgusting and polluted. There are warnings advising not to swim in the lake.

Mostly used valens for day use. But had an amazing time camping. Clean facilities, really nice serviced sites. Planning on a big family camping trip next year :)

Food was okie, service was slow slow. It took forever for our waiter to bring us the bill. Got truffle parm fries bean tacos and a blackened chicken sandwich