Booking a campsite with the KOA automatically gives you the assurance of a great, world-renowned experience, and the Parry Sound KOA was just that. Right from the first phone call to make the reservations I was treated like family, and after mentioning that we were bringing our ATVs I was made aware of all the required permits, ATV amenities, and ATV-related park rules.
Upon arrival, Michelle, co-owner with her husband Don, greeted us at the front desk with a huge smile as if she had been waiting just for us to arrive. After checking in, Michelle radioed for George, who pulled up in his golf cart to escort us to our site. George guided me as I backed in and lined up with the service post, and made sure we were all good to go.
The park was amazingly tidy, and the bathrooms were refreshingly clean, as were the showers. Our kids loved the playground and the trampoline, but I think it was the heated pool that was the biggest hit.
It almost seemed surreal having our ATVs right on our campsite, but as we wandered around that evening we noticed quite a few sites had ATVs on them.
The next morning we headed out of the campground on the ATVs. A beautiful trail wandered through the bush to connect with the Park to Park trail and cross the highway. Minutes later we were in the drive-through getting our morning coffee; what an experience that was.
We really enjoyed our trail ride, and it was so nice not to have to worry about a long trip home at the end of our ride. We returned to the campground and prepared dinner.
Over the next few days we explored some more of the trail, and in between made several trips into and around Parry Sound. What a beautiful town, with a fantastic waterfront. The docks were fascinating with the huge train trestle overhead. With lots of restaurants it was hard not to skip dinner at the campsite for a meal out. Check out Wellington's Pub & Grill for an evening out. A great place to grab lunch to go or to stay in is Orr's Fine Meats & Deli on River Street. A stay in Parry Sound is incomplete without a cruise on the Island Queen: a breathtaking tour of the 30,000 islands.
We hated to leave at the end of our stay; it was so nice to be able to enjoy our two family sports, ATVing and camping, all week long. Michelle seemed sad to see us leave, and made a point of sharing hugs with us; she was especially fond of our two girls. Of course we couldn’t leave without discussing our next stay with the Parry Sound KOA... we can’t wait.
And if you're looking to treat your riding partners to something a bit more fancy, The Grand Tappattoo Resort is just minutes from the trail and never disappoints!
