Sunsets & Stargazing in Southampton, Ontario
Midway up Ontario's Lake Huron Coast sits the beachy village of Southampton. Filled with "Store to Shore" shops and a massive stretch of soft sands, this Bruce County community is a summertime beacon. Plus, thanks to the adjacent MacGregor Point Provincial Park, a weekend trip to Southampton is sure to include mesmerizing sunsets that are superseded only by the ensuing cosmic canopy. Or at least that was my experience on a recent August getaway. Here's a taste of Southampton's natural and commercial assets, plus a few indulgent pit-stops I discovered on the way up the Bluewater Highway.
Introducing Southampton
Though technically part of the Town of Saugeen Shores, Southampton very much functions as a standalone village. In fact, until you reach Tobermory, to the north, or Goderich, to the south, Southampton serves as one of the tourist rallying points for this stretch of Lake Huron shoreline. Having just rolled in for the first time, I can see why.
Southampton's compact downtown is predominantly concentrated on High Street, and part of Albert Street (itself a part of Highway 21, aka Bluewater Highway). When you see the large, red-brick heritage building and clocktower — now home to Southampton Arts — you'll know that it's time to park the car and enjoy downtown Southampton on foot.
Irina, my partner, and I arrived mid-morning, anxious to grab second breakfast and explore the store to shore stretch while we waited for our 2 p.m. campground check-in. Popularity doesn't always equate to quality, but in this case, the townsfolk voted wisely on The Lighthouse Restaurant. A couple of full plates and generous reloads of coffee in the presence of a full, jovial diner, and we were feeling pretty darn good about Southampton's prospects.
Eyeing up Dizzy Bird Coffee, Larkspur Books, Offshore Bakery, and Outlaw Brew for future reference. One of the nicest things about having a small town next to a campground is that you can dip in and out, only held back by the weather. We continued out to Southampton Beach & Boardwalk with its clearly marked gigantic Canadian flag and dozens of makeshift cairns at its base. The beach continued beyond the horizon in each direction with the rocky shore to the north and sugary sands to the south. I've never seen a beach with such a stark transition.
MacGregor Point Provincial Park
Hard as it was to peel ourselves from Southampton's reverie, it was time to check into our campsite and unpack the region's primary natural asset: MacGregor Point Provincial Park. This nearly 3,700 acre sanctuary contains three large campgrounds, two smaller beaches, and several multi-use trails through the woods, along the lake, and around the cattailed wetlands. We stayed in the Huron Campground, which was extra appealing for its radio and generator-free policy, giving a peaceful end to the sunsets and stargazing we came to see.
Lake Huron Sunset
Of MacGregor's two beaches, Camper's Beach is more popular for its sandy makeup and day-use parking. But for this reason, the rocky, and therefore overlooked, Huron Campground Beach, aka Dog Beach, named for its pet-friendly status, had its own niche appeal. Personally, I'm not a huge sunbather, so having Dog Beach just minutes away from our campsite was most agreeable. Prepped in advance for the occasion, Irina and I packed up our dinner tupperware bowls, found a washed up log to eat on, and watched the sun dip ever closer to Michigan's Sunrise Coast on the opposite side of the lake. Like clockwork, as its fiery yellow shifted to pastel streaks across the horizon, small groups of fellow campers materialized around the wild, unspoilt beach.
Sometimes the best views are in the afterglow of sunset but given the forest road we had to walk back on, and given that this part of Ontario is firmly in black bear territory, we let the sun touch the water, and then utilized its last remaining rays to get us back to camp.
Campground Cosmic Wonder
As the crackling embers of our fire glowed red, overhead a cloudless night sky boasted light years worth of stars. Even with my old iPhone 11, I was able to do some justice to the cosmos. Largely unseen by Great Lakes city-slickers, or in my case, elusive to those who go to bed long before they shine on those late summer evenings, it was wonderful to lean back, mere feet from my tent, to look at the stars for an extended period. Neither Southampton nor MacGregor Point Provincial Park are designated Dark Sky Preserves, but nearby Bruce Peninsula National Park is, and there are no light-polluting cities in between. Evidently, a similar cosmic canopy can be enjoyed here, provided we're granted a clear night sky.
Three Prized Pit-Stops
Driving up from Sarnia, Ontario, the southern terminus of Ontario's Lake Huron shoreline, I had the chance to visit three uniquely-satiating places en route to Southampton. Pine River Cheese and Butter Co-Op has been producing specialty cheeses since 1885, a forgotten staple from my childhood until we whizzed past. Knowing we could use some extra snacks for our campsite cooler, I made the first U-turn I could just to taste some of their countertop cheese samples I always loved.
If you have never had your mouth start watering at the site of fresh produce then you haven't tried the Hi-Berry Farm. Taking a pit stop between Port Elgin and Southhampton, we snatched up some blueberries, strawberries, and the crispest kale I've ever laid eyes on.
Finally, on the slow Sunday saunter back to Sarnia (how's that for alliteration!), we popped into Bad Apple Brewing Company for a sampler of craft beers. With live music on the second floor of the converted barn, it was such a beautiful afternoon that we simply set up shop in the sprawling outdoor area. The atmosphere was friendly and the beer delicious. What more could you want from a rural roadside brewery?
Dusk 'till Dawn
Ontario's shoreline village of Southampton has something for every sensible hour of the day. Depending on your leisure, this may entail joining a sunrise yoga class on the beach, getting juiced up for the day at Lighthouse or Dizzy Bird, and then perusing the store to shore shops of High Street, or perhaps shifting gears over to MacGregor Point to hike and swim. But whether you fill the peak hours with shopping and leisure, or outdoor recreation, be sure to congregate back on one of this area's three idyllic beaches to watch the sunset give way to the stars. There are no peninsular impediments or significant sources of light pollution. So on any given day, in the heat of summer or the early drafts of fall, Southampton is an unexpected host for dazzling evenings.
