Norfolk County doesn’t always make the top of Ontario travel lists. That’s exactly why it should be on yours.
While the rest of the province races toward Algonquin and the Bruce Peninsula, Norfolk quietly gets on with being one of the most beautiful (and genuinely welcoming) regions in the province. It’s tobacco country turned wine country, a place where flat farmland gives way to forested river valleys, long sandy beaches, and small towns that still feel like small towns. Where the person at the farm stand knows the name of the farmer who grew what you’re buying.
I’ve lived here my whole life. And I’ll be honest. It took opening Homegrown Hideaway and watching guests discover this place for the first time to make me see it the way they do. Fresh eyes have a way of reminding you what you’ve been taking for granted.
Growing up in farm country, I wanted to live in town, to move to the city, always bigger and ‘better’. Now I look forward to my visits outside of Norfolk County, but always look forward to coming home, back to my slower, simpler life.
That’s what Norfolk County does to people. It doesn’t announce itself. It just quietly wins you over.
A glamping property with real roots in the land
Homegrown Hideaway isn’t a glamping concept that arrived in a shipping container and got assembled on land someone purchased as an investment. It’s a family farm and that history is visible in everything we’ve built here.
Jonathon grew up on this property. I grew up across the road. When we decided to open to guests, the question was never where. The question was how to share a place we’d loved our whole lives in a way that felt true to it. The tents are Canadian sourced, and the furniture pieces are built from reclaimed wood sourced from the land. The breakfast baskets feature producers from around the county. The summer concerts feature local musicians. We didn’t build a theme. We just opened the door.
Guests feel the difference. Not in an abstract way, but in the very specific way that someone who has stayed at a dozen glamping properties will say, unprompted, that this one felt different. More real. More grounded.
A past guest shared with me that our little piece of land reminded her of out east, where she had grown up. She had not been able to go home to visit for a long time, staying at Homegrown Hideaway gave her the connection to her home that she was missing. Hearing that our home is your next best thing to home makes all the hard work worth it.
What to do in Norfolk County during your stay
Your tent is the base. Here’s what surrounds it, and why Norfolk County rewards a slower, more exploratory pace than most Ontario destinations.
Port Dover beach and the waterfront
Port Dover is a 10-minute drive from the property and one of Lake Erie’s most beloved small beach towns. It’s the kind of place that hasn’t changed much in 30 years (in the best possible way). Walk the pier in the evening, watch the fishing boats come in, get fish and chips from The Beach House or Fishermans Catch, and sit on the beach until the light goes. It sounds simple because it is, and it’s exactly what most people need after a week of screens and schedules.
Long Point Provincial Park
Long Point is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve about 20 minutes from the property, and one of the premier birding destinations in North America. During spring migration the numbers are genuinely extraordinary. Thousands of birds funnelling through the point on their way north. Even outside migration season, the beach at Long Point stretches for miles and is uncrowded in a way that Ontario beaches rarely are in summer. It’s worth a full afternoon.
Whistling Gardens
In Wilsonville, about 25 minutes from the property, Whistling Gardens is a world-class horticultural garden that almost nobody outside the region knows about. It’s been called one of the finest private gardens in Canada. Thousands of plant varieties across beautifully designed beds, with a genuine sense of discovery around every corner. We’ve partnered with Whistling Gardens for our Glamp & Garden package — one night in the tents plus two admissions to the gardens, combined into a single booking. It makes for a wonderfully unhurried day.
Generations Marketplace is my personal favourite hidden gem in Norfolk County. They are a teaching homestead. Go for a farm tour, meet the animals, pick up some fresh canning or baked goods in the store. If you can, take one of their many classes.
Norfolk County wineries and craft breweries
The sandy loam soil in Norfolk County produces wine that genuinely surprises people who associate Ontario wine exclusively with Niagara. Several local wineries have tasting rooms worth an afternoon visit, and the craft brewery scene has grown quickly over the past few years. Picking up a bottle of local wine to open at your fire pit on the first night is one of those small decisions that ends up being one of the best parts of the trip.
Swimming, fishing, and hiking the Lynn Valley Trail
The property backs directly onto the Lynn River, and in summer the river is one of the quietest, most genuinely restorative parts of a stay. Swim in it, fish it, or just sit beside it with a coffee in the morning while the rest of the world hasn’t started yet.
The Lynn Valley Trail runs right past the property — a flat, wooded path that connects through to Port Dover. It’s walkable or bikeable, and doing the trail into town for dinner and walking back in the evening is one of those simple itineraries that sounds unremarkable until you’re actually doing it and realise it’s exactly right.
The river is a great place for wild life watching. From fish in the river, to hawks (even an eagle once!) and everything in between, the river is where they all come. If you can sit still enough, you are sure to see something coming for a drink.
The best time of year to visit
Homegrown Hideaway is open May through mid-October, and each part of the season has its own character.
May and early June are quieter — the property is lush and green, the wildcraft tea forage is at its best, and the lynn river is full from spring rains. Availability is easier and the pace is unhurried. It’s the season for people who want the experience without the summer crowds.
July and August are peak season for good reason. The Summer Concert Series runs every Wednesday evening in the barn, the river is warm enough to swim, and the long evenings make for fire pit nights that stretch well past dark. Book ahead — weekends fill up quickly.
September and early October are, quietly, our favourite time of year. The crowds thin out, the light turns golden, the forest starts to shift colour, and there’s a stillness to the property that summer doesn’t quite have. Weeknight stays in September are one of the best-kept secrets we have.
How to book your Norfolk County glamping trip
We have five tents, each in its own private nook in the forest, with a range of packages depending on what you’re looking for. From a simple overnight stay to the Glamp & Garden combination or a midweek concert package.
If you have a specific date in mind for July or August, booking a few weeks ahead is worth doing. For May, June, September, and October, you’ll usually find more flexibility, and a version of this place that regular summer visitors never quite see.
Check availability and book your stay →
Questions before booking? We’d love to hear from you.