With over one million square kilometres of land and lake, Ontario is without a doubt one big, beautiful place to call home. Why travel far away when there are so many fantastic places to visit right in our own backyard? Pack up and hit the road with our list of favourite weekend getaways in Ontario.
Bruce Peninsula National Park
If you love camping, hiking, or just can't get enough of the great outdoors, Bruce Peninsula National Park should be right at the top of your weekend getaway list. Located just a few hours northwest of Barrie in Tobermory, this national park can also be a fantastic day trip if you can't make it up for the whole weekend. Beautiful trails, rocky cliffs, and sapphire waters await you in this northern paradise (Couldn't hurt to bring a camera either).
Algonquin Provincial Park
Another perfect way to escape the mundane and breathe in the natural world, Algonquin Provincial Park is Ontario's oldest and largest provincial park. With just under two million acres of camping, biking, boating, canoeing, fishing, and more, there's always something fun to do and something beautiful to see.
Horseshoe Resort
They say horseshoes are lucky and when you arrive at this resort with the hope of finding the perfect weekend getaway, you'll start to see why. Horseshoe Resort has activities for all ages like mini-golf, disk golf, mountain biking, golf and more along with tons of ways to stay cool at Lake Horseshoe. If that wasn't enough, cap it all off enjoying some delicious food and a cold drink on their massive patio at the Crazy Horse. The best part? It's only a 20-minute drive north of Barrie.
Blue Mountain
Looking for a place to take the whole family or a romantic weekend getaway with that special someone? Blue Mountain is packed with activities like hiking, mountaintop tours, golfing, and more. Do some shopping in the village, relax on Georgian Bay at their private beach, or explore the beautiful surrounding Collingwood area. Blue Mountain takes its motto "Open For Adventure" very seriously!
Nottawasaga Inn Resort
This one is cheating, but we promise you that it's worth it. Yes, you can go up to the beautiful Nottawasaga Inn Resort on the weekend and you will have an absolute blast, but if you need to get together with colleagues for work, why not turn a boring business meeting into an overnight staycation? Get the admin out of the way and then enjoy a round (or two) of golf and a relaxing stay at one of their luxury suites.
Niagara-On-The-Lake
There's only one thing better than a weekend getaway and that's a weekend getaway with wine. You've gotten to know each other over the last few months and we think it's finally time for you and wine to enjoy a weekend away together. Niagara-On-The-Lake is a beautiful town full of fantastic places to stay and the surrounding region just happens to have one of the best climates in Ontario for growing grapes. Reif Estate, Trius, Pondview, and Jackson-Triggs are just the tip of the iceberg and you can easily fill an entire weekend with tours across dozens of wineries.
Muskoka Lakes
One of the only ways to enter a new country right now is by driving up to Muskoka for a cottage country weekend. Like points on a compass, Lake Muskoka has Port Carling, Bracebridge, Gravenhurst, and Bala dotted around its picturesque shores and each one is more beautiful than the last. Stay at one of the many inns and resorts, cosy up in a nice B&B, or rent yourself a cottage for some hot days by the water and cool nights by the fire.
Featured image courtesy of The Government of Canada via pc.gc.ca
