Ontario offers some great spots for boating aficionados. If you’re itching for a place to fish or just boat around, here are a few places you might enjoy.
Lake Nipissing
This is an easy drive to the city of North Bay. You can get in a relaxing swim at a downtown beach that’s laid back and easy-going. Launch at the marina for an interesting tour around the lake. Travel the shoreline and stop at one of the Manitou Islands for a stress-free holiday.
Lake Simcoe
Take your Jeep Grand Cherokee here and drive around. It’s less than an hour from Toronto, and there are thousands of cottages and homes you can check out. The cities of Barrie and Orillia give you safe moorage and plenty of activities to keep you busy.
The Ottawa River
If you’re headed north of Ottawa, then the Ottawa River is the place to be. You’ll experience sandy beaches and can take a cruise all the way down to Montreal if you really want to. There are many different interesting sections, and because it’s a river, you won’t be getting lost.
Rideau Canal
This is a historical area. Opened in 1832, it was used as an alternative military route between Lake Ontario and the city of Ottawa. The Rideau Canal is Ontario’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s got an impressive 45 locks and 27 lock stations. It’s 202 km long and is a well-marked waterway. It’s also the oldest continuously operated canal in North America.
The Muskoka Lakes
National Geographic named this the number one place in the world to live during the summertime. That’s incredible. A visit to the Muskoka is breathtaking. It’s granite-lined waterways and the spectacular summer homes of movie stars and millionaires is impressive to say the least. Launch your boat at one of the free town ramps, or rent from a local marina. Book a day cruise on the Segwun or stay a few nights at the Muskoka resort.
1000 Islands
If you’re looking for an adventure, try the 1,000 Islands boat trip. You can get in at Kingston, Gananoque, Brockville, or any of the many marinas on the St Lawrence River.
What you may or may not know is that, even though it’s called the “1,000 Islands”, there are actually twice as many within an 80km section of the river. You can dine, hike, visit castles, museums, and fish.
You can even gamble, if that’s your thing.
Trent Canal
The Trent Canal is one of those places that you’ll want to see more than once. Travel one part at a time or make it a week-long event. There are lots of hotels and B&Bs along the area. If you’re a joyrider or cruiser, there’s overnight docking at each of the 45 docks. Boaters will see amazing nautical equipment, and become part of it. Two giant lift locks and the marine railway will take your breath away. And, as you boat many of the communities, rivers, and town in the Trent borders, you’ll see a lot of the art galleries and museums that make the place famous.
There were more than 129,000 boaters that came through here last year. Make sure you plan out your trip because it gets busy and you don’t want to miss anything.
James Peters works a 9-5 job but makes the most of his weekends and vacation time by heading off to explore. He is a keen fisherman and boatman, loving nothing better than heading out on the open water.
