Love it! A perfect day-trip from Toronto! This a trail that almost any rider can enjoy. Round-trip…read moreis about 26 miles of paved trail that winds through a variety of areas (town, beach, wetland, but mainly forest). There are minimal spots where you have to cross a road. I would say that it is a very accessible trail for anyone in your family, from children to seniors. There is plenty of shade along the way, provided by the forest, so don't worry about melting, even if it is hot. Please note this a very friendly trail. Most of the riders greet each other, so don't be too shy to say hello or good morning. What sets this trail apart from so many (apart from the fact that it is fully paved and well-maintained) is that it seems carefully planned out. There are benches and trash cans at intervals, and at slightly longer intervals there are picnic tables, even in the middle of nowhere. There was even a port-o-potty or two right on the trail. The trail screams, "Bring a picnic!" During a trip to Toronto, we made the drive up (about an hour and fourty-five minutes) just to ride the trail. It was a very nice break from the city and absolutely worth the time. We made a stop in Barrie, a very pleasant town along the way, for coffee and a snack. I recommend taking some time to enjoy Barrie too. Note: You can park at Pete Pettersen Park (your have to add the Pete for Apple Maps, but it is called Pettersen Park on Google Maps) in Midland to start your ride. You will need to drive through a section for truck and trailer parking for boats to find the park. Don't give up and think it is only boat parking. Parking is free. Sainte-Marie among the Hurons, a French Jesuit settlement from the 1600's is right along the trail, so you might want to take your bike locks if you plan to visit it.

We came to Midland this weekend and biked the entire Midland - Waubaushene Trail. We like cycling…read moreand, in my opinion, this is one of the most scenic bike rides in South Ontario. Former rail trail, it is level, fully paved and perfectly maintained. The trail follows Georgian Bay shoreline and the views are simply amazing. The roundtrip is 42 km but you can turn back at any point. Suggest stopping at Victoria Harbor on the way, it's really scenic. You may also visit Sainte-Marie among the Hurons historic camp, our kids really liked it. We were really lucky with the weather (it was Indian summer weekend) and finished the ride with well deserved beer on the patio of Boathouse eatery in Midland.

The parking lot is a short walk to the sandy beach. There are some rocks when entering the lake but…read morethey aren't a problem if you wear water shoes. The water is shallow and safe. In June the water is cold but your body will adapt quickly on a warm day. Power boats aren't allowed in the roped off swimming area. There are picnic tables and a general store that sells fast food and souvenirs. The bathrooms are fairly clean with flush toilets, sinks and mirrors. The park also has change rooms. They offer educational sessions for children at certain times. The only thing keeping me from giving this provincial park 5 stars is the reservation process. Once you reserve a day pass, you can't get a refund if the weather forecast changes to cold or rainy and you can't even move your reservation to another date. So your money is lost. But if you don't reserve in advance for a Saturday or Sunday in the summer, there's a chance they will be full. The website doesn't give a price for seniors. There is a discount but it's well hidden.

Sibbald's provincial park is a great place for families. They have activities throughout the summer…read moreteaching kids and families about the different things around the park. A few walking trails. Some nice little fishing holes close by.

Very nice park well established tree canopy with lots of shade. We stayed 2 nights. Overall good…read moretime, although the beach area gets rather busy from folks from outside the park. The beach area that allows dogs is very rocky and somewhat dangerous if you're not stable in walking. Also, there is not mobile service at the park. Some will take that as a blessing while others will struggle from being disconnected. Bathrooms while clean for the most part there was a lot of spiders and insects where the kids would not enter.

It's a beautiful day to spend at Awenda Provincial Park!…read more We walked while others were biking the trails enjoying the outdoors while not having to wear a mask but social distancing when encountering others. Remember to pay and display your park use permit on your vehicle dash; strictly enforced or you can pay a $30 parking ticket. The machine accepts cash or credit card. It was a $15.50 charge for day use since the machine didn't allow an hourly selection. Gorgeous and tranquil nature along the shores of Georgian Bay.

Gigantic park that never seems crowded like my beloved Bellwoods park…read more Sunnidale has a huge wooded area in the back, which is great for hikes, a playground area for the kids, tons of flat cleared areas for cross country skiing or snowshoeing. In the July and August months, this place is crawling with wedding parties waiting around for pictures.

Returned here after many years…read more So peaceful. Easy to observe the wild life Staff are extremely helpful. They have several different sessions including birds of prey demonstration, guided hikes etc. We also signed up for the canoe tour which was a lot of fun. The kids had a great time

Had a lovely day exploring the trails and wildlife. Would recommend it as a relaxing experience to…read moreconnect with nature.

Small beach off the beaten path…read more Minet's Point Park is a quiet beach in Barrie situated south of Centennial Park across the Kempenfelt Bay. We chose to come here for our annual beach trip as the other beach is always packed with festivities and crowds in summer. In contrast, this beach was quiet this past weekend with a good amount of beach space. There are a few picnic tables and a large kids playground with a few features similar to those at the bigger park. No BBQ is permitted. The beach is unsupervised but there is a buoyed area. Windsurfers were launching nearby while ducks roamed about. The only downside is the expensive parking at $15 hourly and $60 max for the day. Street parking is by permit only. Skip it or hit it? For a quieter beach day, this is a decent pick in Barrie.

Minet's Point Park is a city park with a beach included. It…read moreis unsupervised, so use at your own risk. Alongside the kids swimming area, marked with buoys, there is a boat launch used by kayakers and made it fun to watch as you laze around the waterfront. The parking lot is right there, in direct view of the beach which is outstanding. A treed field adjoins the parking lot so nature is right there to greet you as you step out of your vehicle and take in the greenery. There is even a small picnic area that can accommodate the party grillers in the crowd, the ones that make everyone jealous with their delicious smelling griddles. As if that weren't enough to make this spot super family friendly, there is a young kids play structure directly behind the beach to top it off. There are some stones mixed in with the sand here, and some can't handle that so if it bothers you, then bring crocks or something to wear into the water. The swimming was good here with clean water and just a few waves that day from power boats going by. The bathroom is located further away near the park entrance, and the mens side at least was filthy and stank. You should avoid going in unless you have to. The view is nice looking at the north side of Barrie, with a side view of the end of Kempenfelt Bay, the harbour front downtown area with all the action happening. Nice view!

Great park, especially if you have kids. Can get really crowded on summer weekends. The parking is…read morelimited and quite expensive, but don't park on the street, my friend got a $100 ticket after he left his car there for 5 min to unload some water toys.

I have a beach house here and it's so so beautiful!!! The sunsets never fail to amaze me and the…read morewater is so clear in the summer! Don't miss it!

Love this place! Gives you access to the water directly and the view? STUNNING!…read more Always a great spot to catch a good sunset. Mostly usually less crowded so that's a plus too.

Today we went to Lake Simcoe public beaches. But calling them "public" is a stretch. Local people…read morehave taken over the beaches, placing heavily armed police to guard the parking areas and not allowing anyone they don't recognize. The "public" parking was half full, and they let in people they recognized but not strangers. The police were nasty, very aggressive, and threatened us. When I stopped a few times on the shoulders and entered one of their members-only parking lots to let my daughter use the washroom, they sent a police trooper in a vehicle to escort us from Simcoe County. This is the first time I was afraid for my life in Canada. Worse, this is funded by our tax money to defend public property from the public.