Fifty Point Conservation Area is located at 1479 Baseline Road, in Winona, ON, just east of Stoney Creek. The park is situated on the historic Ingledale Farm, two ponds, a bay with a marina, and a peninsula jutting out into Lake Ontario. It is one of two Hamilton Conservation Areas to offer camping, along with Valens. We visited in April 2025.
Fifty Point offers:
- swimming on a large sand beach
- fully serviced marina and boat launch
- "Limani at Fifty" restaurant overlooking the marina
- wheelchair and bike accessible trails
- some of the best birdwatching anywhere on Lake Ontario
- views of the Toronto skyline
- multiple picnicking areas to enjoy
- two large fishing and recreational ponds
There is one trail system, with multiple sections.
South Pond Loop - 0.7km
This loop encircles the southern end of the Ingledale Pond. It passes the bridge and subsequently the Ingledale house. It's a solid place to walk the dogs in the morning while listening to the birds.
View Trail - 0.3km
A short walk up a small hill to a mediocre view of the campground.
North Pond Loop - 0.8km
This is the mirror image of the South Pond Loop, yet providing access to the marina from the campgrounds. Hike this trail alongside its southern counterpart.
West Point Trail - 0.1km
A short stint to offer a view of the lighthouse from the opposite side.
Lighthouse Trail - 2.2km
As the park's main trail, it offers the most. Alongside waterfront views, it also brings you to the lookout point over the Toronto skyline, as well as the two beaches. You can also access the lighthouse itself, the marina, the chip truck, and some picnic spots.
Note that there is no bridge connecting West Point to Lighthouse Point.
NOTE: These are not the actual trail names, as there are no trail names. This is just an easy way to visualize it.
Enter the park and pass the gatehouse. Going right, you'll pass by the South Pond, before arriving at two different campground loops. The first right is sites 1-46, and the third right is sites 50-80. Continue straight passing the North Pond where you can access the day use area. Taking the first left will circle you past the marina, past the boat storage, and eventually back to the park entrance. Going straight instead leads to beach access 1, where you can find the chip truck, lookout, lighthouse, and the main beach.
Note that the photos in this section are not explicitly from this park, they are good photos of species that live here.
Herons
Wood Ducks and Bonaparte's Gulls
Painted Turtles
Staghorn sumac
Visit this park as a day-use stopover, as it is a solid spring or fall hike.
If you are going to visit, come in the off-season. The marina and beach gets really busy come summer.
And if you are going to visit in summer, visit on a weekday, if possible.
Sites 50 through 80 are very sunny, and I would steer clear in the summer.
There is no firepits on each campsite. Every camper must go to a community if they'd like to have a campfire.
Alcohol is prohibited, but most people just hide it.
Bring binoculars and a camera, as there is surprisingly good birding.
If you're here in the summer, try the dog beach - it's considerably less busy and is still quite clean.
Hike the pond and Lighthouse trails.
A good spot for photography at Fifty Point is the Ingledale Farmhouse, overlooking the bridge and the two ponds. Not only does it provide a mix-up in colour for your photography, but also a historic angle to your shots. The house is an official heritage property, as it has been at this location since 1815. The red portion of the house (visible below) was built way back in 1815, after the land was acquired as a Loyalist grant during the war of 1812. The yellow part was built in 1835, and has remained the same since. The property and house was bought by the HCA in 1970, and has been a protected heritage property ever since.
Pleasantly surprised by this park. Although there isn't as much as there isn't that much to see when compared to a park like Valens, it makes up for it by having more to do. Whether you're walking along the ponds, docking at the marina, or just fishing in the lake, there is quite a bit to do. My main drawback is how sunny it is, and how the park feels like the land was turned into a campground - as opposed to the land growing up with the campground as an integral part of it. Anyways, I'm done rambling; 5/10.
