The falls was only a few steps away from parking. A quick walk takes you deep into the woods and as…read moreclose to nature as you can get without breaking a sweat. There were people and kids bathing in the lake below. There was also a water park which seemed interesting. Definitely must visit place if you are looking for something quick and accessible yet very enjoyable. Parking is free but there seems to be few spots only

Lots of great scenic hiking around this falls area. Several different sized falls around as well…read more Great for canoeing as well.

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.

Amazing experience!!!! Can't say enough about the guides, their knowledge of the area and super…read morefriendly. I felt very comfortable and welcomed as we all enjoyed the amazing hike and caves together. Such an amazing spot that you would never know is there!!! You can literally see and smell the world's history!!! Highly recommended!

From the owner: Step it Up Adventures is a trusted hiking, snowshoeing, paddling and back country adventure company…read morethat competently and patiently elevates our guests to new heights in their outdoor experiences. Our tours are private, and we take great pride in providing each guest with a unique and unforgettable experience. If you’re ready to step away from screens and into the wild, book a tour with Step it Up Adventures. It’s time to Step it Up and rediscover what it means to move, breathe, and feel alive in nature. Check out out website to book your tour!

This is a beautiful park with several short (less than 2 kilometres) hiking trails that go into a…read moreforest. There are lots of different plants, neat wooden bridges, super big trees and an abandoned old car, for some reason. It's a pretty easy walk, the ground is soft and there weren't any inclines or tough, rocky areas that I could see. It was just nice and serene, except for the sounds of some wood processing plant nearby. There's parking enough for about 20 cars, and it's free.

If you're looking for a gentle hike with the kids, this is a great spot. Boardwalks, benches and…read morebridges make this great for grandma and grandpa too. trail maps are available and informative. Admission by on your honour donationof what you feel is appropriate.

I had been to the Thornton Bales Conservation Area before and couldn't quite make it to Joker's…read moreHill due to rainfall in the area. However, today I found out that there's a parking lot for the Joker's Hill hiking trail. The parking lot is fairly large, but inconspicuous. There are no signs, so you just have to slow down as you near the entrance heading south on Bathurst because it's easy to miss. I recommend wearing bug spray and long sleeve shirts and pants because there are signs indicating that there are ticks in the area. I also recommend wearing proper hiking shoes because there are areas that get muddy, depending on how far you hike. Don't forget to bring water. The trail starts off on the right and is shaded. Another trail head starts heading straight from the parking lot. I took the one that went straight. That trail starts off very narrow and passes by residential houses until you eventually reach a wider trail. The trail markers are dark blue. It's important that you know how to follow a trail and know how to read the trail markers because I'd say 95% of the trail is marked well and it's easy to go off the trail if you're not paying attention. I used my phone's GPS and Google Maps to figure out where I was located, though Google Maps doesn't show the trail that I was on. The trail merges with other trails. The blue trail markers turned into red and white. I believe the red trail markers are for the loop that starts off to the right of the Joker's Hill trail parking lot. I followed the white trail markers to the end of the Joker's Hill hiking trail, where I entered the Thornton Bales Conservation Area. The trail markers turn light blue. At the end of that trail are the 99 Steps. In total, it's a little over 5,000 steps and about 50 minutes to hike from the Joker's Hill parking lot to the 99 Steps parking lot. Overall, a pretty decent hike.

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.

I pulled a 'walk in' at Awenda park last weekend (July 1st long weekend). Have never been to Awenda…read morebefore, but read stellar reviews so my friends and I thought we'd give it a try. I knew we could only get walk in, but I didn't realize that if they have sites available, you can only have it for one night. They keep approx 60 sites each night for walk ins. Since we wanted to stay for two nights, we had to put our name on a 'roll call' list for the 2nd night. We also had to be at the office for 1pm SHARP and if our name was called, we got a 2nd night. I don't understand how, if they have 60 sites on Friday, they don't have 60 sites on Sat, since you can only stay for one night without getting on the list. But the next day they only had 5 sites available. Luckily we got there early enough and we got 2nd on the list, and got a site across the road (still in Turtle). A short move. The park itself is huge. There are 5 campgrounds in the park I believe. We chose Turtle. There are also 4 beaches, one dedicated to the fury friends. YOU WILL NEED TO DRIVE TO ALL THE BEACHES. If you try and walk, be ready for 45 minor 1.5 hr walk. They are not close. If you have bikes, the ride is nice, but also a bit far... and there's a steep hill on the way to the beaches so be ready to walk or I hope you're cardio is good :) I can only speak for Turtle... it was lovely, sites spaced far apart and heavily shielded above from the sun. Large, tall hardwood trees cover the park. There is warning of lots of poison ivy. Even though they have a plant at the office, I still couldn't spot it in the forest. Thankfully I didn't run into any. Bathrooms were relatively clean, till of course the next morning when there's flies and moths flying about. They close the bathrooms from 11:50-12:10 daily to clean them. The beaches are ROCKY. VERY VERY ROCKY. On beach 1 there is a sandy part on the FAR left (when looking at the water) that has been cleaned up a bit so you can walk on the sand. Otherwise, if you try to walk out in the middle, you will be stepping on rocks and it friggin hurts. Ladies: do not get a pedicure before you go to the beach. You'll be severly p-o'd if you did. I never do, but just a word of advice. I would definitely go back, try the other campgrounds. I hear there are some nice trails for hiking... the road to the beach is a hike itself.. It's nice and only 2hrs from Toronto. Great getaway!

Decided that thanks to COVID that I would explore more of the trails/parks that are close by…read more About 1.5 hrs from Toronto, this is a great hiking spot with good paths marked (although watch out for the horse poop!) and great views. There are multiple trails (named/colour coded), but the blue marked trail seems to be the "main" trail. I think the green trail takes you up to the viewing platform where you get some lovely views - I can only imagine when the leaves start changing colour - it must be epic! There is a map slightly into the entrance - i took a photo of it so I could see how all the different paths interconnected. Fairly large parking lot - you can only pay for either 4hrs or all day parking - there is no option to pay for anything less (but luckily it is not too expensive). I came on a random weekday so it was pretty dead - which was perfect! Lots of bugs so bug spray is a must. There really isn't any sitting areas - ie - no picnic areas/grass areas/benches to sit...it's definitely more of a walk walk hike hike area. Overall, it's a fairly easy and enjoyable hike. I'd love to come back in the fall and see the changing scenery!

One of my favourite hikes! We went on a Sunday afternoon and the weather called for slight chance…read moreof light rain. Luckily this made it easy to get a parking spot, and the park was not busy at all. There are certain areas of the trail that are bit more difficult, but so enjoyable. Can easily spend hours here; can't wait to be back!

This is a review for day-use only, as the park is actually closed for camping during this time of…read morethe year. There are a couple of day-use lots on the outside of the actual park for locals to use, I don't believe you can drive into the park proper to use it for day use. At the time we visited, Orillia was close to peak color, so it was a fantastic time. It was a nice day for a hike, and there were quite a few other people using the park as well -- there's a little beach area in the day use part as well as a playground and places for taking your dog on leash. We went and followed the trails in the park, there seems to be a few that can be used, one in the treeline and one along the lake. You can make a decent little loop of a couple of kilometers. There's nothing incredibly challenging about this little hike, to be honest, but the tree colors make for some gorgeous photos. I'll definitely want to come back and visit here and go camping during the season. A really lovely provincial park!

Absolutely gorgeous views from the bridge. I always love when you can get a piece of nature while…read morestill in town/city. The fisherman seemed to be having a good time as well.

Beautiful rental cottage on quiet Farlain lake near Penetanguishene/Midland, ON…read more Great family vacation spot, with private beach and all amenities.