CENTRAL ONTARIO

The vacationland called Central Ontario stretches from the pastoral lands near Lake Ontario through the vast forests of Haliburton to Georgian Bay in the west. Lake Ontario towns Cobourg, Port Hope and Grafton offer extraordinary antique hunting and beautifully preserved architecture. Nearby Presqu'ile Provincial Park has one of the oldest lighthouses on the Great Lakes and the park is known for fall migrations of birds and Monarch butterflies. 

Travel the Trent-Severn Waterway through the sparkling Kawartha Lakes, beloved haunt of fishermen. The lockside towns of Fenelon Falls and Bobcaygeon welcome travellers with a winning combination of museums, professional theatre, boat cruises and charming shops. Buckhorn is a magnet for art lovers, with an annual festival of wildlife art and back roads brimming with top-notch galleries. 

The forests of the Haliburton Highlands and Algonquin Provincial Park have a wildness that is addictive to lovers of the outdoors. This country is made for canoeing, kayaking, mountain biking and hiking. The best way to appreciate the Muskoka Lakes is aboard the gracious steamship RMS Segwun, which departs from Gravenhurst, while the wider horizons of Georgian Bay can be enjoyed by sailing or cruising from Parry Sound. 

Shutterbugs head for Bancroft's lofty hills during autumn's brilliant foliage season, while deep, dependable snow cover and an extensive trail system makes Haliburton the place for the best cross-country skiing in eastern North America. Slippery slopes and high speeds combine for tobogganing thrills at Arrowhead Provincial Park, groomed trails of all kind make Haliburton the destination for snowmobiling, dog sledding and skiing. There is also excellent luging in nearby Bancroft.

Central Ontario is not all rustic splendour. Theatre festivals take place in Gravenhurst, Bancroft, and Orillia, while Parry Sound hosts a celebrated summer music festival. Studio-touring is a popular pastime along the back roads near McKellar, Port Carling, Haliburton and Maynooth.

Ontario's Finest... in Central Ontario & Niagara

Uniquely Ontario

• Cruising Millionaire's Row aboard the Segwun
• Cruising on the tall ships, Discovery Harbour (Penetanguishene)
• Enjoying a performance at the 4th Line Theatre (Millbrook)
• Exploring ghost towns Sequin Falls and Maynooth Station
• Hearing the wolf howls, Algonquin Provincial Park
• Watching the cruises through the locks at Peterborough
• Watching the Monarchs migrate at Presqui'ile Provincial Park

Museums, Galleries & Historic Sites

• Barnum House Museum (Grafton)
• Bethune Memorial House (Gravenhurst)
• Big Chute Marine Railway
• Discovery Harbour (Penetanguishene)
• Haliburton Highlands Museum
• Highlands Cinema Film Museum (Kinmount)
• Lang Pioneer Village (Keene)
• Kawartha Settlers Village (Bobcaygeon)

• Gallery on the Lake (Buckhorn)
• Muskoka Pioneer Village (Huntsville)
• Muskoka Lakes Museum (Port Carling)
• Petroglyphs Provincial Park (Lakefield)
• Victoria Hall (Cobourg)
• West Parry Sound District Museum
• Whetung Crafts and Gallery (Curve Lake)
• Woodchester Villa (Bracebridge)

Shopping & Antique Hunting

• Bobcaygeon
• Buckhorn
• Cobourg
• Fenelon Falls

• Parry Sound
• Picton
• Port Carling
• Port Hope

Farm & Garden

• Ecology Park (Peterborough)
• Johnson's Cranberry Marsh (Bala)
• Schoolhouse Gardens (Warkworth)

Theatre

• Association of Summer Theatres 'Round Ontario
• 4th Line Theatre (Millbrook)
• Academy Theatre (Lindsay)

• Opera House Theatre (Gravenhurst)
• Orillia Opera House
• Summer Playhouse Theatre (Bancroft)

Outdoor Pursuits

• Exploring the Warsaw Caves (Lakefield)
• Landing a Lake Ontario salmon
• Luging at Mineral City Luge Club (Bancroft)
• Mountain biking, Haliburton Forest & Wild Life Preserve
• Skiing the Haliburton Highlands
• Tobogganing at Arrowhead Provincial Park