Campgrounds and RV parks near Stratford, ON

Stratford sits in southwestern Ontario's farm country, roughly 30 minutes from St. Marys, 45 minutes from Kitchener-Waterloo, and about an hour from London. The city is best known for the Stratford Festival, a repertory theatre operation that runs from April to November, so RV demand tracks the theatre calendar as much as the weather. Campgrounds in the surrounding townships lean private and family-focused. Happy Hills Family Campground, near Embro, is one of the larger options in the region, with 135 acres, roughly 500 shaded sites, and full electric, water, and sewer hook-ups. Lakeside Resort, Windmill Family Campground, Nith River Campground, and Willow Lake Campground and RV Park round out the closest private parks, generally within 30 to 45 minutes of downtown Stratford. For a public alternative, Wildwood Conservation Area near St. Marys is the closest reservoir campground, run by the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority. It offers a large serviced and non-serviced campground with 387 sites, alongside a swimming beach, boat launch, and trail network.

For Ontario Parks provincial campgrounds in the region, book through the Ontario Parks reservation service. The online reservation system opens at 7:00 a.m., five months in advance of the first date of the trip, and popular sites can go within minutes on release day. Wildwood, Fanshawe, and Pittock are managed separately by the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority. Reservations are handled online or by phone at 1-866-ONT-CAMP, available 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week. An account must be created before booking. Private parks manage their own reservations directly through their own websites. Happy Hills, for example, accepts reservations roughly a year in advance, so summer sites open once the corresponding week arrives in the current season. For holiday weekends and long stays, booking as early as the operator allows is the safest approach.