North Shore Camping Co.

The tent was lovely, and the bedding and gas stove kept us cozy and warm. We also had beautiful views from a great site. Before arriving, we filled out the form to request free extras like cookware, dishes, and a French press, but none of those things were at the site. We had to make several trips to the lodge to collect what we thought we’d already signed up for. That was our one disappointment. Still, it’s a great place and we’d recommend it!

Inside the tent, we had everything we needed. The bed was comfortable, staff were friendly and helpful, and the location is excellent for a North Shore stay. We’d consider coming back, but we’d ask for any site other than #1. Our heater didn’t work, but the staff were accommodating and offered us a discount plus store credit for the camp store. Thankfully, it was warm enough at night, and the supplied blankets were plentiful. The bigger issue was the site itself. It was very exposed, right at the start of the path, so passersby could see the whole area and us whenever we were outside. Other sites had trees or plants and private walkways, which would have been much nicer, especially since we had a dog. The glass panels in the front door had no covering, so with the lights on inside, people coming up the path could see in. The fire pit cooking grate wouldn’t stay level and we had to rig it, the picnic table wobbled, and the chairs faced the path, leading to some awkward moments as people walked past. With a different site, I think this would have been a five-star stay, but the lack of privacy and uncomfortable outdoor setup kept us from enjoying it as much.

The tents are cute, the bed was comfortable, the sheets looked clean and fresh, and the hiking trails are nice. But there were a lot of problems with the basics. The bathrooms at both base camp and the satellite locations were filthy, with dirty toilets, almost no toilet paper in some stalls, and hair clogging the drains. Our blankets were dingy and stained. We’d asked for dishes ahead of time, but they weren’t ready when we arrived, and we got only one lantern instead of the three advertised. Our tent did have a heater, but we heard staff say four tents had broken heaters at once, so they don’t sound very reliable. On arrival we also discovered our smoke detector was missing, which felt especially important with a propane stove in the tent. I called and left a message at 4:30 pm, then texted to ask for one. It didn’t arrive until 8:15 pm. Getting it took three more calls, a request at Cove Point, and an 80-minute wait at the base camp lodge before we found a staff member. There didn’t seem to be anyone stationed at the desk. Staff appeared to be juggling desk duties with other work around the site, and we waited at least 20 minutes whenever we needed help. That might not have been such a big deal if calls and texts got answered promptly and the tents had the supplies they were advertised to have, but that wasn’t my experience. Two days before the stay, I asked a question about my reservation. It took six hours, four phone calls, a text, and finally a call to Cove Point before someone at NSCC responded. Fun concept, but severely understaffed and full of issues.

The hut itself was nice, and the first person at the desk was very helpful when we arrived for our three-night stay. But the setup and supplies were frustrating. The cooking set shown on the website was nothing like what we received. We asked for cooking bowls and got one, along with two cereal bowls, an 8x11 cookie sheet, plenty of silverware, a colander, a small pot, and a 9" frying pan, but no spatulas. It was hard to imagine cooking bacon, eggs, hash browns, and french toast in that one small pan. We were supposed to have tin foil too, but didn’t. The cook stove was filthy and missing a knob, so my husband had to clean it. The guy who checked us in noticed we had no dishwashing tub or rack and went to find them. Why hadn’t the hut been checked before we arrived to make sure everything was there? We were the only guests there on the first night. The lady at the desk later had to go up to the apartment to get us frying pans and dish soap. If I’d known they wouldn’t provide the cookware, I would have brought my own. I recommend bringing your own pots and pans. We also had to replace our own Jackery and lanterns after the first night. There were lights along the main walkway, which was nice, but no replacement lanterns had been left at our site, so we had to pick one up. The propane tanks were nearly empty when my husband checked them. We told the front desk and the guy said he’d taken care of it, but on the third night it got very cold after the heat went out halfway through the night. It was 45° in the hut. I spoke with the manager and we were reimbursed for one night. I got the impression she didn’t like my feedback about the cookware we hadn’t received. And don’t look under the bed. There was about 3" of dust.