World-renowned jewel of Georgian Bay’s 30,000 islands region, the Town of Parry Sound is a bustling port and commercial hub whose population triples to 60,000-plus in summer. Home of the Festival of the Sound at the Charles H. Stockey Centre for the Performing Arts, you can also check out The Bobby Orr Hall of Fame and learn about how a small-town kid became an international hockey legend. From Parry Sound Harbour you can set out along the region’s famous shoreline onboard the cruise ship Island Queen or get a birds-eye-view of Georgian Bay Country’s remarkable ecosystems with a flight with Georgian Bay Airways.
Explore the shipwrecks, light houses and ghost towns that dot Georgian Bay’s eastern shores. Whether it be by sail, motorboat, canoe, kayak or plane, you can make your way to your own secluded cove or tie up at a full service slip with provisions and attractions nearby. A recreational waterway like none other, the world’s largest freshwater archipelago is a UNESCO-designated Biosphere Reserve. Heading inland there are more than 1,000 lakes, rivers and channels, and dozens of rustic, big-hearted towns.
As the backbone of the Park-To-Park Trail that runs from Killbear to Algonquin Park, thousands of kilometres of trails are available for your ATVing, hiking, biking or horseback-riding pleasure.
And the gift of winter is equally extraordinary. Book a cross-country skiing adventure, head out for a little ice fishing, take a dog sled excursion, or rev up your sled and check out some of the finest groomed trails in Ontario. Be among the first to travel the recently-completed French River Bridge, Canada’s largest cable-supported recreational bridge, spanning the spectacular French River Gorge.
You’ll find accommodation to suit every taste and budget as well. Go deluxe with international cuisine, first-class golf, and the spa treatment at a resort. Check into a friendly inn, a full-service hotel or a charming B&B. Spirit your family to a cozy cabin retreat with its own private beach. Or pitch a tent at one of seven gorgeous provincial parks or at a privately-owned campground or cottage resort.