Meghan's Guidebook
Restaurants & Cool Food Stops
Coldwater Ontario - on your way up! Roasted in store, great mixes and small gifts - 36 mins south of cottage (or stop on your way up!)
9 recommandé par les habitants
Copperpot Nuts
2 Gray StColdwater Ontario - on your way up! Roasted in store, great mixes and small gifts - 36 mins south of cottage (or stop on your way up!)
The Smokin Birds
3142 Muskoka District Road 169Top notch BBQ - chefs from Toronto opened an outpost in Bala!
Great local fish & chips and burger joint on 38 - 20 mins east of cottage
13 recommandé par les habitants
Mrs. H's Fish & Chips
2195 Muskoka District Road 38Great local fish & chips and burger joint on 38 - 20 mins east of cottage
Great little cafe (need reservations for dinner) where you can grab a coffee and a pastry, lunch, staples from Terroni in Toronto or even fresh hot doughnuts, overlooking Bala Bay on Lake Muskoka. They also have a little clothing shop and a lovely little home decor store, all in a row. Open from May 24 weekend to Thanksgiving.
15 recommandé par les habitants
Jack and Stella
1004 Bala Falls RdGreat little cafe (need reservations for dinner) where you can grab a coffee and a pastry, lunch, staples from Terroni in Toronto or even fresh hot doughnuts, overlooking Bala Bay on Lake Muskoka. They also have a little clothing shop and a lovely little home decor store, all in a row. Open from May 24 weekend to Thanksgiving.
Brand New local spot for food, bakery items, lunch and dinner! Reservations recommended!
The Pearl Muskoka
Brand New local spot for food, bakery items, lunch and dinner! Reservations recommended!
Local breakfast, lunch and dinner on the Wahta Mohawk lands. Great basics for a meal out.
Longhouse Grill
Local breakfast, lunch and dinner on the Wahta Mohawk lands. Great basics for a meal out.
Provincial Park
These are parks maintained by the province with camping and facilities for day tripping visitors or campers
lots of great trails and boardwalks between islands gorgeous in the fall - 35 mins east of cottage
76 recommandé par les habitants
Parc provincial Hardy Lake
Highway 169lots of great trails and boardwalks between islands gorgeous in the fall - 35 mins east of cottage
beaches and camping, rocky outcroppings and boardwalks - 30 mins south of cottage
13 recommandé par les habitants
Six Mile Lake Provincial Park
2024 Joe King's Rdbeaches and camping, rocky outcroppings and boardwalks - 30 mins south of cottage
camping, rocky shoreline, beaches, sunsets, lookouts and more - gorgeous park. - 1 hour north of cottage
41 recommandé par les habitants
Parc provincial Killbear
35 Killbear Park Roadcamping, rocky shoreline, beaches, sunsets, lookouts and more - gorgeous park. - 1 hour north of cottage
Gibson River Provincial Park
South Gibson Lake Roadsmall, quiet, mostly woods - 25 mins south east of cottage
accessible by water taxi only ($$$) from Honey Harbour - 40 minutes to honey harbour plus time to island.
37 recommandé par les habitants
Parc national des Îles-de-la-Baie-Georgienne
accessible by water taxi only ($$$) from Honey Harbour - 40 minutes to honey harbour plus time to island.
Sightseeing
largest overland marine railway system in the world! Picks up boats from the Severn River and carries them overland to Gloucester Pool lake. Huge water chute to observe next to railway. Big Chute Marina Cafe and store for simple meals and local gifts on the river. - 33 minutes south of cottage
Big Chute Hiking Trail - right near the chute for longer stays
22 recommandé par les habitants
Big Chute Marine Railway
7001 Upper Big Chute Roadlargest overland marine railway system in the world! Picks up boats from the Severn River and carries them overland to Gloucester Pool lake. Huge water chute to observe next to railway. Big Chute Marina Cafe and store for simple meals and local gifts on the river. - 33 minutes south of cottage
Big Chute Hiking Trail - right near the chute for longer stays
quintessential lake town - lots of small boutique fancy shops and good restaurants - 40 mins from cottage
126 recommandé par les habitants
Port Carling
quintessential lake town - lots of small boutique fancy shops and good restaurants - 40 mins from cottage
cranberry farm and winery - check website for hours and current events! - 34 minutes east of cottage
110 recommandé par les habitants
Muskoka Lakes Farm & Winery
1074 Cranberry Rdcranberry farm and winery - check website for hours and current events! - 34 minutes east of cottage
Local farmers market! Monday’s only! 9-2 - 30 mins from cottage
12 recommandé par les habitants
Bala Farmers' Market
1005 Pine Ridge RdLocal farmers market! Monday’s only! 9-2 - 30 mins from cottage
Essentials
Gas, groceries, firewoods, bait, wine, beer & spirits
Wahta Station
2195 Muskoka District Road 38on 38 - local indigenous crafts, moccasins and some food or snacks & gas & wood
Gibsons of Muskoka - Gas Station
2600 Muskoka District Road 38Gas station - open 24 hours
Gas station with firewood & a couple small restaurants (Tim hortons, pizza ville, pita pit) - 28 mins south of cottage
Petro-Canada
35 Lone Pine RoadGas station with firewood & a couple small restaurants (Tim hortons, pizza ville, pita pit) - 28 mins south of cottage
Bala Freshmart
1003 Mill StSmall Grocery store on 38 - 30 mins from cottage
27 mins north of cottage - small grocery with all the basics
12 recommandé par les habitants
Foodland - Mactier
7 Front St27 mins north of cottage - small grocery with all the basics
In Ontario you have to get Beer, Wine and Spirits from the Liquor Control Board of Ontario or LCBO. This one is 30 mins east of cottage
11 recommandé par les habitants
LCBO
3132 Hwy 169In Ontario you have to get Beer, Wine and Spirits from the Liquor Control Board of Ontario or LCBO. This one is 30 mins east of cottage
basics - snacks, ice cream, live bait, toilet paper, gas for boats only!, 10 minute paddle across the channel or 20 minute drive around the lake - you can get your own copy of the Go Home Lake book
Go Home Lake Marina
827 Go Home Lake Roadbasics - snacks, ice cream, live bait, toilet paper, gas for boats only!, 10 minute paddle across the channel or 20 minute drive around the lake - you can get your own copy of the Go Home Lake book
Natural Attractions on Go Home Lake
Go Home Lake, while having around 400 private cottages, is mostly crown land, meaning it is owned by the Federal Government and is free and open to anyone, but maintained by no one. This makes Go Home Lake very attractive to campers and anglers alike! Lots of secluded bays, waterfalls and beaches as well as trails to explore. Go Home Lake was historically a logging route and was the final stretch of sending logs through the lake system out to Georgian Bay, before workers could ‘Go Home’ for the season, which is where it gets its name!
are all the major highlights around Go Home Lake! They are all only accessible by paddling or motorized boat.
Pike Bay - secluded set of a couple bays, 30 minute paddle across the Bay of Many Winds - gorgeous rock walls with lots of turtles and a beaver dam.
6 recommandé par les habitants
Pike Bay
Pike Bay - secluded set of a couple bays, 30 minute paddle across the Bay of Many Winds - gorgeous rock walls with lots of turtles and a beaver dam.
Bay of Many Winds - cliff jumping on the east side rock walls - several levels to jump at for all adventure types!
Bay of Many Winds
Bay of Many Winds - cliff jumping on the east side rock walls - several levels to jump at for all adventure types!
This is for Go Home Lake Beach - which doesn’t come up in searches. This is a short 40 min paddle from the cottage through either the Haunted Narrows - small channel to boat or paddle through or another smaller channel closer to the Public Beach - just north of the Bay of Many Winds. The beach has a raft and a long dock for parking boats as well as covered pavilion, picnic tables and volleyball net.
Go Home Lake
This is for Go Home Lake Beach - which doesn’t come up in searches. This is a short 40 min paddle from the cottage through either the Haunted Narrows - small channel to boat or paddle through or another smaller channel closer to the Public Beach - just north of the Bay of Many Winds. The beach has a raft and a long dock for parking boats as well as covered pavilion, picnic tables and volleyball net.
Go Home Chute - likely 2 hour paddle - 10 mins by motorized boat - waterfall and swimming whirlpool - waterfall goes out to Georgian Bay. Very fun and friendly for small kids to walk along the falls, jump in the whirlpool and climb up again. Boats often come in from the Georgian Bay side to play!
Go Home Chute
Go Home Chute - likely 2 hour paddle - 10 mins by motorized boat - waterfall and swimming whirlpool - waterfall goes out to Georgian Bay. Very fun and friendly for small kids to walk along the falls, jump in the whirlpool and climb up again. Boats often come in from the Georgian Bay side to play!
This is for the Hydro Dam to Gibson River - 30 minute paddle west then south to a dock where you can get out and walk to the Gibson River and cross the hydro dam and waterfall - lots of warm sunny rocks and trails to explore!
Go Home Lake
This is for the Hydro Dam to Gibson River - 30 minute paddle west then south to a dock where you can get out and walk to the Gibson River and cross the hydro dam and waterfall - lots of warm sunny rocks and trails to explore!
This is for Flat Rock Rapids - top of Go Home Lake - 1.5 hour paddle - gorgeous place for picnics, take in the sweeping lake views, and enjoy the waterfalls at the rapids - you can hike back in to flat rock lake.
Go Home Lake
This is for Flat Rock Rapids - top of Go Home Lake - 1.5 hour paddle - gorgeous place for picnics, take in the sweeping lake views, and enjoy the waterfalls at the rapids - you can hike back in to flat rock lake.