photo, Randy Craig, Getty Images
Muskoka is Cottage Country
Just two hours by car—but a world away—from powerhouse Toronto beats the heart of Ontario’s cottage country, Muskoka. Families have gathered here for generations to revel in true wilderness. The 2,500-square-mile area includes 8,699 miles of shoreline, 17 historic towns and villages, and innumerable waterfalls and lakes framed by the peaks of Algonquin Provincial Park to the east and the isles of Georgian Bay Islands National Park to the west.
There’s plenty to do here but nothing you’d put on an agenda. Lounge with friends, barbecue everything, watch the night sky from the dock in the pitch black, play board games while listening to the rain. And run around barefoot all day.
photo, Randy Craig, Getty Images
Voted as the NUMBER 1 Best Summer Trips to Take in 2011 by National Geographic – Muskoka Cottage Country, Ontario, Canada
In Eastern Canada, “cottage country” covers any lake destination within easy driving distance for a quick weekend getaway. Central Ontario’s Muskoka district is close to Toronto—about two hours north via Highways 400 and 11—while still offering an unplugged pace that’s a world away from Canada’s largest city. The 2,500-square-mile natural playground includes 8,699 miles of shoreline; 17 historic towns and villages; and countless waterfalls and lakes bordered by the granite peaks of Algonquin Provincial Park to the east and the 30,000 islands of Georgian Bay Islands National Park to the west. Spend the day paddleboarding on Muskoka Lake or exploring the Riverwalk and shops of Canada’s waterfall capital, Bracebridge. For an old-school family vacation, head north to Peninsula Lake’s Pow-Wow Point Lodge, a 91-year-old, all-inclusive resort featuring simple summer pleasures like campfires, canoeing, and volleyball. Plan an August visit to catch Algonquin Park’s educational Thursday evening wolf howls starring—weather-permitting—the reclusive, inhabitant, four-pawed chorus.