Muskoka Lakes

A cottage-country lake district about two hours north of Toronto, with lakeside cabins, steamship cruises and fall maples — a favorite weekend and fall-color road trip for Toronto's Chinese community.

Muskoka lies in central Ontario, Canada, about 180 km (110 mi) north of Toronto, in the lake country on the southern edge of the Canadian Shield. Centered on its three big lakes — Lake Muskoka, Lake Rosseau and Lake Joseph — its granite islands, pine forests and century-old lakeside cottages create the classic Muskoka scenery, and it's often called the Hamptons of Canada. The main towns are Gravenhurst at the southern end (steamship wharf, Bethune Memorial House), Bracebridge in the middle (a waterfall town with Santa's Village), Bala and Port Carling on the west side, and Huntsville in the north (Lions Lookout, and the gateway to Algonquin Park).

The best seasons are summer vacation time in June–August and fall color from late September to mid-October: in summer you can cruise the lakes on the steamship Segwun, paddle a canoe and stay in a lakeside cottage; in fall the hills blaze with color, and fall-color steamship cruises, the cranberry harvest and the Huntsville lookouts are all popular. In winter most cruises and seasonal attractions close, and the focus shifts to skiing, ice fishing and snowmobiling.

Getting around is mainly by car: from Toronto, take Highway 400 to Highway 11 to reach Gravenhurst in about 2 hours, then continue north 30 minutes to Bracebridge or 1 hour to Huntsville; public transit is limited to Ontario Northland buses, so a car is practically essential for getting between sights. Plan on 2–3 days, and consider combining it with Algonquin Park or Georgian Bay for a fall-color road trip loop. Accommodation fills up on summer and fall-color weekends, so book ahead; most islands and shoreline on the lakes are private property, so don't trespass.

Top sights

• Muskoka Wharf & RMS Segwun – A wharf on the shore of Gravenhurst's lake. Boarding the Segwun, one of North America's oldest coal-fired steamboats, for a cruise on Lake…
• Lions Lookout, Huntsville – A hilltop lookout on the edge of Huntsville, overlooking Fairy Lake, river-bend villages, and forested hills. It is the most photogenic spo…
• Lake Muskoka – The largest of the three major lakes in the Muskoka region, dotted with hundreds of islands and lakeside cottages. It is the core waterway…
• Lake Rosseau & Port Carling – A town between Lake Muskoka and Lake Rosseau, known as the 'heart of the lakes.' You can watch yachts pass through the lock, visit the Musk…
• Bethune Memorial House National Historic Site – The 1890 birthplace of Norman Bethune, the home of a Presbyterian minister. It recreates 19th-century domestic life and presents his experi…
• Santa's Village – A family theme park that opened in 1955 on the Muskoka River outside Bracebridge, suitable for younger children.
• Bala Cranberry Marsh (Johnston's Cranberry Marsh & Winery) – One of Ontario's largest cranberry farms. In autumn you can watch the wet harvest, when the fields are flooded and the berries float on the…
• Bracebridge Falls – Falls formed where the North Branch of the Muskoka River runs through the center of Bracebridge. They are just steps from where you park an…
• Muskoka Discovery Centre – A lake-region history museum beside Muskoka Wharf. It holds many antique wooden boats and tells the story of steamships and summer cottage…
• Lake of Bays & SS Bigwin – A lake with a winding shoreline in the eastern part of the region. You can take a lake tour aboard the Bigwin, an old-style steamship from…
• High Falls – A waterfall on the North Branch of the Muskoka River just north of Bracebridge, where water rushes down a granite slope. It has trails and…
• Muskoka Heritage Place & Portage Flyer – An open-air historic village in Huntsville that recreates a 19th-century pioneer settlement, with a restored vintage steam train to ride.
• Dyer Memorial – A stone memorial tower and garden beside the East River, northeast of Huntsville. Surrounded by trees with streams running through, it is a…
• Bala Falls – Where Lake Muskoka flows out into the Muskoka River. The falls sit in the center of Bala, beside a lakeside park and town restaurants.
• Hardy Lake Provincial Park – An undeveloped provincial park on the south shore of Lake Muskoka, with an 8 km loop trail through granite, wetlands, and mixed forest.
• Wilson's Falls – A waterfall and short trail on the northern outskirts of Bracebridge. A walk through the woods brings you close to the North Branch of the…
• Georgian Bay Islands National Park – A national park made up of 63 islands. Take a ferry to Beausoleil Island to hike and camp, and see granite outcrops and wind-swept pines.
• Big Chute Marine Railway – A one-of-a-kind marine railway on the Trent-Severn Waterway that uses rail cars to carry boats whole over a change in elevation.
• Torrance Barrens Dark-Sky Preserve – One of the world's earliest permanent dark-sky preserves, where you can lie on exposed granite barrens and see the Milky Way.

Where to eat

• The Old Station – One of downtown Bracebridge's most popular family restaurants, with original 1930s brick walls, craft beer and a patio.
• El Pueblito – Often rated the best Mexican restaurant in Muskoka, serving traditional Mexican food rather than American Tex-Mex.
• Griffin Gastropub – A gastropub tucked into a pedestrian lane in the old town, with about 12 rotating Ontario craft beers and live music on…
• Main St Deli – An industrial-style deli in a historic building in the old town, known for smoked beef and Reuben sandwiches at afforda…

Itineraries

• Eastern Canada Maple Road Self-Drive Loop – A self-drive grand loop from Toronto, connecting Algonquin, the Laurentians, La Mauricie, and historic French-speaking…
• Lake Superior North Shore & Agawa Canyon Train – Head north from Toronto to Sault Ste. Marie for the canyon train, then follow Highway 17 around the lake to Thunder Bay