Meat Cove Campground

With a name like Meat Cove... This private park sits almost at the northernmost tip of Cape Breton Island. You'll need to head out about 8km of washboard gravel to reach it, but it's worth it when you get there. Sites are first come first served, but checkout is 11:00 am so that's the time to show up. Everything will typically be full by 4 or so if not earlier.

For tents, bicycles or motorcycles, there are a number of sites lower on the cliff towards the water that are great. Vans or truck campers can get to any of the first several in the lower section and find a reasonably level spot. For larger trailers, you can either do what we did which was turn around by the restaurant and back down the steep gravel access road into site #9 which was awesome, pull into a long straight site on the other side of the road but with less of a view, or back into to the upper "corral" just across from the little restaurant. All doable but bring your A game.

The beach is a short scramble down the cliff or a walk around on the road. Seals in the water and tons of cool rocks. Restaurant serves fish and chips, seafood chowder, a great (but pricey) crab sandwich and cold beer, all with a view!

Wifi available for free but hit and miss with a full CG. We had good cell data service otherwise.

Sweet little campground perched on top of a cliff with fantastic views out over the ocean. Sites are a little variable but we scored a sweet spot right on the edge with views in all directions. Keep an eye on the weather, we got surprised by 50+ mph winds our first night there. There are a couple of hikes you can take right out of the park, the Cape St Lawrence hike was amazing on the day after the storm. If you do go out that way be aware that there is a bull loose on the land and he's very aggressive.

There is one bathroom with one shower as well as two pit toilets. Probably could use more for the size of the CG but they are kept nicely clean. The restaurant was fun and a nice thing to have available.

It's a bit of a haul down a potholed dirt road to get there. I wouldn't recommend anything other than a smaller rig, space in the CG is pretty tight and level spots are limited.

Meat Cove now holds the top spot on the list of places I've camped. It's an incredible, awe inspiring place with beautiful ocean views from every site. Everyone there was friendly and welcoming and went out of their way to make my stay comfortable.

The road in demands your attention with curves and some rough spots but take it slow and you'll be fine. No reservations are taken for the tent/RV sites and space is limited for RV's so it's best to call ahead of driving in to see what availability is. This is a DRY CAMPING campground, there is no hook-ups but there is free wi-fi, drinking water and flush washrooms with free hot showers. You can also book a small cabin if you want.

If you like hiking or kayaking be sure to take your gear as you'll want it with you.

Add this one to your list friends, you won't be disappointed.

Just a beautiful, one-of-a-kind campground. While we didn't see any whales and seals, we did see a northern gannet. There's a nice beach a quick walk away. The water was brisk!

This is dry camping. First come, first served, but for our late June visit, there was plenty of room.

There is a nice new bathhouse. A food truck on site served lobster rolls, chowder, and a couple other seafood options. The ice machine was out for repair while we were there, and the closest ice is in Cape North. The St. Margaret Village coop doesn't sell ice in spite of what their sign says.

The final 13km takes a good 30 minutes in an RV. The road is of questionable quality. Make sure you have everything you need before you arrive. The drive up Cape Breton and through the national park is lovely. The east side is relatively flat while the west route goes through the mountain. You don't need to pay to drive through the park, but there were some sights worth stopping for.

Honestly, if I were to come to Cape Breton again, I might choose to stay in the national park to avoid the extra 1-1.5 hours one-way to get here, but I'd have to think about it. I'm glad I visited once.