The best dog-friendly RV campgrounds near Sydney, Nova Scotia

Welcome to Hipcamp! If you're looking for an RV camping experience in or near Sydney, Nova Scotia that accommodates pets, we've got over 160 options for you to choose from. Our top-rated campsites include Big Belle Farm (9 reviews), Smokey View (9 reviews), and Bungalow Bus Stop (4 reviews), each offering popular amenities such as potable water, showers, and pet-friendly accommodations. You can expect an average price per night of $15, with options as low as $15. Our campsites offer a range of popular activities, including wind sports, historic sites, and whitewater paddling.

90% (96)

Top-rated campgrounds

Welcome to Hipcamp! If you're looking for an RV camping experience in or near Sydney, Nova Scotia that accommodates pets, we've got over 160 options for you to choose from. Our top-rated campsites include Big Belle Farm (9 reviews), Smokey View (9 reviews), and Bungalow Bus Stop (4 reviews), each offering popular amenities such as potable water, showers, and pet-friendly accommodations. You can expect an average price per night of $15, with options as low as $15. Our campsites offer a range of popular activities, including wind sports, historic sites, and whitewater paddling.

90% (96)

Top-rated campgrounds

1. Wreck Cove, Cabot Trail Oceanfront

100%

(2)

56km from Sydney · 1 site · Tent, RV · Baddeck, NS

Welcome to your slice of paradise along the majestic Cabot Trail! This property offers 6.94 acres of beautiful level land with 394 feet of breathtaking ocean frontage. Nestled on the renowned Cabot Trail near the base of Smokey, this property boasts level terrain, accessible via an established driveway and some clearing started for R or tent along the driveway/ocean of tucked in to the trees. Take in the inspiring views of Cape Smokey and listen to the waves crashing in! For added convenience, the amenities of Ingonish are a short 10-minute drive, providing easy access to dining, shopping, and other essentials.

2. Great Bras D'Or Waterside Camp

100%

(1)

32km from Sydney · 3 sites · Tents, RVs · Ross Ferry, NS

Nicely treed with grassy clearings, this waterfront property has a pebble beach, with stunning views down the Great Bras D'Or Channel. At the beach, there’s swimming and fishing, shell searching, rock-skipping. Walk 100m down the beach to the Ross Ferry Marine Park where you’ll find shaded walking-trails, an outdoor fitness gym, and a jungle-gym with a slide for kids. Anyone who feels bold enough can jump off the wharf! There is also a boat launch that can be used (for a small donation to the Ross Ferry Marine Park. Guests of all campsites will have communal access to a small cabin close to the road in SUMMER TIMES ONLY. The interior of the cabin and the water are shut down in September. The cabin has power and water (AC cord can be run from the exterior outlet, and a hose can be attached to the exterior tap). Guests are free to use the small basic kitchen, bathroom, large deck and small living room, but the cabin is not for sleeping. There is no regular cleaning service, so guests are responsible for keeping the communal spaces clean.

3. Oceanview RV Stop

23km from Sydney · 1 site · RV · Glace Bay, NS

The Cape Breton Miners Museum is home to the profound stories of miners and their families—the communities born and raised by the flame of the coal fire, and the resource that helped build a nation. We are also the proud home of the Men of the Deeps. //

4. Island Point Resort

29km from Sydney · 3 sites · RVs · Southside Boularderie, NS

Island Point Resort is perfectly suited for: Family Vacations, Fishing or Boating. Getaways Retreats Quiet vacation spot to unwind. This peaceful resort tucked in on the shore of the Little Bras d’Or at Island Point Harbor. We are located 25min from Newfoundland ferry terminal. We are mainly a seasonal RV resort with some rental cabins. We have plenty of parking, boat ramp and small dock. Swimming raft and moorings for boats. Feel free to reach out to Jon at 902-322-1824 via call or text for more information.

5. Live Life In Tents Campground

99%

(61)

77km from Sydney · 15 sites · Tents, RVs, Lodging · Baddeck, NS

This was one of the original homesteads in the Margarees. There was an old sawmill on site which was used to build the house and barn. It was sold to a man who started renovations for a summer house but ended up listing it for sale. I purchased it and completely renovated the 100-year-old house. Shortly after, my brother and I started an outfitting company with no plan of building a campground, but in 2017 we saw a great opportunity for building something unique. We wanted to keep a backwoods camping feel, but yet create it around a hostel-inspired environment. We launched June 1, 2018 and are in full swing now. We look forward to meeting you and will help you out in any way to make your trip here something to remember. Adventure awaits at this eco-camping hostel offering a natural setting, overlooking a picturesque valley. This location offers close to off-grid camping with a twist of comfort; furnished Glamping tents, sleeping up to 4 people per tent on a queen bed with twin camping beds for extra guests. Cooking gear, bedding, and towels are provided. Each tent, located at this eco-hostel, has its own campfire pit, with a solar outdoor shower on site and beautiful views of the river valley.

6. Smokey View

100%

(44)

66km from Sydney · 1 site · RV · Sydney, NS

At the other side of the harbour is Ingonish Ferry. At one time the road around the harbour did not exist. People, horses and goods came across the bar by means of a ferry. There were many wharves with wooden ships tied up. The long white building on the corner used to be on the bar. A walk along the bar will award you with a view of the Keltic Lodge. Continue straight at the corner and you will find a trail that will take you to Ingonish beach.

7. The Barachois Beach

40km from Sydney · 1 site · Tent, RV · Englishtown, NS

Located in River Bennett / Jersey Cove on the north side of the Englishtown Ferry. Available for single or multi night, weekly or monthly stays. This waterfront property has a beautiful view of Kellys mountain, the ocean with easy access to the Waterfront for swimming or fishing. Close by are other beach access locations and; the Cabot Trail. You are between Ingonish and Baddeck for access to the Highlands or nearby amenities. Eat at the Clucking Hen Café or the Other Cupboard Emporium for shopping needs in the area. Lot is unserviced with no power, water or sewer. Private location. Welcome to book for individual nights or the entire summer!

8. Kaia's lake home

46km from Sydney · 3 sites · Tents, RVs · Framboise Intervale, NS

160 acres of forest and hiking. 3000ft of virgin lake on the south east coast of beautiful cape Breton. Upper Joseph marie lake. The lake Is about a mile from the road. Set up your camp or tent by mobile home and explore the land. You can canoe or fish on lake 2hich navigates to lower Marie Joseph lake and to ocean.

Camper favorites near Sydney

Top-rated campgrounds reviewed by the Hipcamp community.

Island Point Resort

29km from Sydney · 3 sites · RVs · Southside Boularderie, NS

Island Point Resort is perfectly suited for: Family Vacations, Fishing or Boating. Getaways Retreats Quiet vacation spot to unwind. This peaceful resort tucked in on the shore of the Little Bras d’Or at Island Point Harbor. We are located 25min from Newfoundland ferry terminal. We are mainly a seasonal RV resort with some rental cabins. We have plenty of parking, boat ramp and small dock. Swimming raft and moorings for boats. Feel free to reach out to Jon at 902-322-1824 via call or text for more information.

Live Life In Tents Campground

99%

(61)

77km from Sydney · 15 sites · Tents, RVs, Lodging · Baddeck, NS

This was one of the original homesteads in the Margarees. There was an old sawmill on site which was used to build the house and barn. It was sold to a man who started renovations for a summer house but ended up listing it for sale. I purchased it and completely renovated the 100-year-old house. Shortly after, my brother and I started an outfitting company with no plan of building a campground, but in 2017 we saw a great opportunity for building something unique. We wanted to keep a backwoods camping feel, but yet create it around a hostel-inspired environment. We launched June 1, 2018 and are in full swing now. We look forward to meeting you and will help you out in any way to make your trip here something to remember. Adventure awaits at this eco-camping hostel offering a natural setting, overlooking a picturesque valley. This location offers close to off-grid camping with a twist of comfort; furnished Glamping tents, sleeping up to 4 people per tent on a queen bed with twin camping beds for extra guests. Cooking gear, bedding, and towels are provided. Each tent, located at this eco-hostel, has its own campfire pit, with a solar outdoor shower on site and beautiful views of the river valley.

Smokey View

100%

(44)

66km from Sydney · 1 site · RV · Sydney, NS

At the other side of the harbour is Ingonish Ferry. At one time the road around the harbour did not exist. People, horses and goods came across the bar by means of a ferry. There were many wharves with wooden ships tied up. The long white building on the corner used to be on the bar. A walk along the bar will award you with a view of the Keltic Lodge. Continue straight at the corner and you will find a trail that will take you to Ingonish beach.

The Barachois Beach

40km from Sydney · 1 site · Tent, RV · Englishtown, NS

Located in River Bennett / Jersey Cove on the north side of the Englishtown Ferry. Available for single or multi night, weekly or monthly stays. This waterfront property has a beautiful view of Kellys mountain, the ocean with easy access to the Waterfront for swimming or fishing. Close by are other beach access locations and; the Cabot Trail. You are between Ingonish and Baddeck for access to the Highlands or nearby amenities. Eat at the Clucking Hen Café or the Other Cupboard Emporium for shopping needs in the area. Lot is unserviced with no power, water or sewer. Private location. Welcome to book for individual nights or the entire summer!

Kaia's lake home

46km from Sydney · 3 sites · Tents, RVs · Framboise Intervale, NS

160 acres of forest and hiking. 3000ft of virgin lake on the south east coast of beautiful cape Breton. Upper Joseph marie lake. The lake Is about a mile from the road. Set up your camp or tent by mobile home and explore the land. You can canoe or fish on lake 2hich navigates to lower Marie Joseph lake and to ocean.

Stories from the community

C

Camille

November 2025

Tent

3 nights at Great Bras D'Or Waterside Camp

I booked, confirmed by email, three nights here as their ad offered full services, drove quite a ways to get there and was exhausted the first night when I arrived so went directly to the site and slept. Come morning, I went down to the house that the ad says has the kitchen, shower, toilet, water, electricity. All doors were locked. Took two hours for the owner to respond to my email and he responded that they were closed for the season and would offer a full refund. I requested a full refund then had to follow up to obtain it. Then I checked my records and see that I did not get the full refund. I had to email again and was advised by owner that I had to contact hip camp for the remainder. Waste of time I replied, for all of this. He then challenged me that I had somewhere to lay my head for the night for $10 and asked me if I liked the view. I only wasted $50 to get there, sleep, NOT shower and have amenities then had to find somewhere else and drive there. Terrible service.

N

Nick

October 2025

30 ft travel trailer

Weekend Trip to Wreck Cove, Cabot Trail Oceanfront

We loved camping on Jenessa’s land. Highly recommended. Loved hearing the sounds of the ocean and seeing plenty of seals ! Stay here, you won’t regret it .

Landing is 25 feet deep to bank, 30 feet wide.

J

John

September 2025

20 ft travel trailer

Weekend Trip to Smokey View

This was a truly exceptional spot with a beautiful view out over the water. On one side was a grassy area and steps leading down to the water's edge; on the other a hidden away picnic table and a firepit with bench and firewood supplied. Blair was welcoming and helpful with suggestions for things to do in the area. Highly, highly recommended.

S

Stephanie

September 2025

14 ft travel trailer

With pets

3 nights at Smokey View

The host was accommodating and friendly. The site was fantastic and the photos don't do it justice. We're already hoping to stay here again the next time we come up the CBI.

This booking is for a campsite ONLY. The tent is not provided.

J

Jake

September 2025

Tent

Weekend Trip to Live Life In Tents Campground

Great campsites with bathrooms and a shower. The apples were in season so we ate a few! This campsite is where we begin our bike tour of the Cabot Trail. I would stay here again in a heartbeat.

T

Theodore

September 2025

23 ft campervan

2 nights at Live Life In Tents Campground

Beautiful and convenient location, close to beaches, sites, gas and groceries, and a reasonable drive to Baddeck. Lee was a friendly, informative host. The site is called”unserviced” but the washrooms and showers were terrific, exceeding or on par with any other campground we visited.

This booking is for a campsite ONLY. A tent, sleeping bag, and sleeping pad are not included.

T

Theodore

September 2025

23 ft campervan

With pets

2 nights at Live Life In Tents Campground

Loved staying here, good clean facilities, laidback vibe, sweet sites to visit nearby and central to both coast and Bras Dor.

T

Tom

September 2025

26 ft campervan

1 night at Live Life In Tents Campground

Nice open area with view of surrounding hills. Lee was very friendly and provided a lot of helpful information about hikes in the area.

Garrett

August 2025

20 ft campervan

Weekend Trip to Live Life In Tents Campground

Great views in a wide open field with tons of space. The food truck was closed for an event, but the menu looked bomb. Lee was friendly and helpful with tons of tips for the area.

Garrett

August 2025

20 ft campervan

With pets

3 nights at Wreck Cove, Cabot Trail Oceanfront

Incredible spot to post up for a few days right on the ocean. Little space aside from the road itself, but no prob if you’ve got a van to just open up. The waves have a really unique sound with how the rocks crackle when they recede.

Lauren

August 2025

16 ft Class B

3 nights at Smokey View

Blair’s spot is AMAZING!! This was our last camping spot while traveling around and camping on Cape Breton along the Cabot Trail and it was our favorite, hands down!! Blair was so helpful sharing some tips with us on some local spots or easy ways to access things, and the site itself was incredible! A great location for getting to the nearby beaches and beautiful natural views, but it was also so quiet and sp private. We loved the sunny grassy area for relaxing in the afternoon and we also loved watching all of the sea birds and fishing boats through the day. The picnic table was in a cozy spot tucked under beautiful trees with a view of the water and cape across the bay. The way the sunlight hits the cliffs in the late afternoon late across the water was absolutely breathtaking. We even saw a bald eagle! The star gazing was fantastic at night. We could go on and on. We will be back to Cape Breton again hopefully very soon and would definitely love to stay here again!

E

Elke

August 2025

16 ft travel trailer

4 nights at Live Life In Tents Campground

We enjoyed our stay at Life in tents. It was a lovely spot. We had our teardrop trailer there for a couple of nights. The showers and toilet were perfect. Thanks Lee and Kanary!

M

Mark

August 2025

22 ft Class B

1 night at Smokey View

What a fantastic overnight spot! Lovely view out to the bay from a secluded spot just off a quiet road. Blair has family history in the area and recommended some great local walks. Highly recommended.

Night Sky taken highest and lowest speed ultra-wide.

Alex

August 2025

Tent

2 nights at Live Life In Tents Campground

One of the best camping sites around Cape Breton, and right close to the Cabot Trail! This was my first time camping out, and Lee's Campsite is really clean and open! I love the openness of the space. At night it's even better since it gets so dark with no visible lights around, that you're able to see the stars and milky way! Toilet being a compostable "humanure" spot is great! First time trying one and I gotta say, I would adopt it. It's great! There are 2 of them. Showers stalls are also spacious enough for a single person! I appreciate Lee for also allowing my to charge my Jackery Power Station at his check-in spot while I was out for the day, since I needed to use it for my CPAP. Bless this man and this campsite, because if I visit Cape Breton again, I'll definitely consider it in the future!

C

August 2025

Tent

With pets

Weekend Trip to Live Life In Tents Campground

We loved everything about this site so much we end up staying three nights instead of one night we planned for. The camping sites were far enough for some privacy yet you see others to feel safe too. It was our first time here and we enjoyed it very much. The site includes washroom, shower room and the best part is everything is within 10-30 mins if you’re re driving. Convenient store is less than 5 mins driving, beach and Cabot trails is within 30 mins driving. To be brief, we loved this place and would definitely come back.

This booking is for a campsite ONLY. A tent, sleeping pad, and sleeping bag are not included.

John

August 2025

20 ft travel trailer

2 nights at Live Life In Tents Campground

I really enjoyed my stay at Lee's Hipcamp site. It was a good home base to explore the Cabot Trail for a couple days, and the open field setting was very peaceful, being far enough away from the main road. I appreciated the hot shower, although only had cold water one time. Did not feel cramped at all, as sites are spread out nicely. Really relaxing spot if you just want to hang out there for half the time.

S

Sabrina

August 2025

Tent

1 night at Live Life In Tents Campground

Great place for tents, On the Cabot trail, near some of the most popular hiking trails. (Sadly we couldn't experience them because all trails we're closed due to the forest fires) I recommend!

S

Stéfan

August 2025

12 ft travel trailer

With pets

3 nights at Smokey View

Wow!! Le plus spectaculaire site que nous ayons eu!! Directement sur le bord de l'eau avec même une petite plage privée dans la baie😍 Tout était parfait! On était à quelques pas de la belle grande plage d'Ingonish! Et que dire de notre hôte! Blair a été tellement gentil et attentionné. Il a pris le temps de discuter avec nous et nous a ciblé des sentiers et endroits à visiter selon nos intérêts! On s'est senti comme de la famille! Il y avait un joli petit espace pour se faire un feu, mais étant donné la sécheresse, nous n'avons malheureusement pas pu en faire. Nous recommandons à 100%!

S

Stéfan

August 2025

12 ft travel trailer

With pets

3 nights at Live Life In Tents Campground

Tout était parfait! Un très grand terrain vraiment propre avec une superbe vue sur les montagnes. On était plusieurs campeurs en même temps, mais chacun avait son espace et son intimité. Il y avait un espace à l'abri pour cuisiner en cas de pluie, des toilettes (composte) et même deux douches chaudes! Lee a été très gentil et accueillant!

R

Randy

August 2025

24 ft campervan

Weekend Trip to Live Life In Tents Campground

You will not find a better piece of land to camp, while experiencing the Cabot Trail and the surroundings. Lee has done a wonderful job and clearing and creating a wonderful atmosphere for campers. I found the provisions to be quite luxurious for "campers". It's not often that you will have the option to a hot shower at most campsites and a community pavillion/cooking area. Lee provides both, as well as two outdoor compositing toilets. Had I done more research, I would have spent more time at Lee's, as he also offers water activities, expanding trails to hike and a neighboring food truck within a stones throw. While visiting the food truck, I met a couple who were just completing their cycling trek around the Cabot Trail. Chapeau to them, as there are several challenging climbs on the trail. I will definitely be coming back!