8-Day Ontario Camping Road Trip ("The Bucket Lister")

Day 1 Orientation

1. 1

   The Big Apple

   50 min

   Rest stop at The Big Apple in Colborne. Get your camera out! This is a very exciting stop with lots of wonderful things to do, and one-of-a-kind snacks and souvenirs to pick up for the trip.

2. 2

   Huff Estates Winery

   1 hour 30 min

   Enjoy pizza straight from a wood-burning stone oven, and some wine tasting at Huff Estates Winery in Bloomfield. To complement the beautiful scenery, we’ll stroll through the coinciding outdoor modern art exhibit too.

3. 3

   Sandbanks Provincial Park

   18 hours Admission ticket included

   Arrival at Sandbanks Provincial Park, followed by an introduction to the campsite & a tent setup demo. Next, enjoy some free time on the beach before finding your way back to camp, where a delicious vegetarian dinner awaits. Once the sun sets, gather around the campfire to unwind with S’mores and some good company.

Day 2 Into The Wild

1. 1

   Dunes Beach

   2 hours Admission ticket included

   A 40 minute hike along Woodlands Trail brings us to Dunes Beach. Sit on the beach, swim, or wander through endless dunes, the option is yours. Guests also have the option of continuing onto a guided hike of the legendary Dunes Trail.

2. 2

   1 hour

   Hell Holes - Embark on an ominous moss-covered trail in Centreville where the group will pass through a valley of giant stone formations dating back to the glacial period.

3. 3

   Bon Echo Provincial Park

   6 hours Admission ticket included

   Arrival at beautiful Bon Echo Provincial Park, where the group immediately sets up camp, and prepares for dinner and a campfire.

Day 3 Paddle Your Heart Out, Then Rise To Great Heights

1. 1

   Bon Echo Provincial Park

   6 hours Admission ticket included

   At the lagoon, the group pairs off 2 or 3 to a canoe to paddle Mazinaw Lake. We’ll head to a cliff, where ancient native pictographs can be seen lining the walls (a designated national historic site). Guests can also dock at the Clifftop Trail head for a 1 hour hike to the top of the cliff

2. 2

   Algonquin Provincial Park

   6 hours

   Arrival at world famous Algonquin Provincial Park, our home for the next 2 days. Explore the beach, play some bocce, or chill out at camp, while our 2nd team of cooks start on dinner.

Day 4 Welcome To Algonquin!

1. 1

   Algonquin Provincial Park

   3 hours

   The whole crew rents bicycles today to ride the Old Railway Bike Trail. We’ll head down an exciting 16km path that follows a discarded historic railway line (suitable for young children).

2. 2

   Algonquin Logging Museum

   1 hour 30 min

   Everyone loads into the van to go hike the Logging Museum trail. Experience life in Algonquin the way it was back in the day. This short interactive trail is so much fun!

Day 5 Bring On The Wetlands

1. 1

   2 hours

   This morning we drive off to hike one of the best trails in Algonquin Park. Booth's Rock Trail is a 2 hour 5.1 km loop trail that visits two lakes and a spectacular lookout, returning along an abandoned railway.

2. 2

   Six Mile Lake Provincial Park

   1 hour

   As a pre-dinner stretch at our next stomping ground, the group introduces themselves to the area by visiting The Marsh Trail, which circles the nearby wetlands.

Day 6 Six Mile Lake To The Bruce Peninsula

1. 1

   3 hours

   Restaurant lunch (and grocery) stop in Owen Sound. Known as the Scenic City, it's just a quaint, tree-lined seaport town with rich cultural history

2. 2

   2 hours Admission ticket included

   Arrival at Bruce Peninsula National Park and its 156 sq. km of wilderness. The group sets up camp.

3. 3

   The Grotto

   3 hours Admission ticket included

   Throw on your hiking boots for a trek to the coast, down the Bruce Trail (Canada's oldest and longest marked hiking trail!) At the mid point of this 2.5 hour excursion, we’ll reach the Bruce Peninsula Grotto, a small sea cave with turquoise waters.

Day 7 Shipwrecks & Flowerpots

1. 1

   1 hour

   Cute shops, restaurants & pubs line the high street of this "fresh water scuba capital of the world," where a glass-bottom boat will take us to see some of the 22 shipwrecks that lie shallow beneath the clear waters of Fathom Five National Marine Park.

2. 2

   Flowerpot Island

   5 hours Admission ticket included

   A glass-bottom boat cruise provides us with a view of 2 historic shipwrecks, then drops us off on an island on the Georgian Bay where flowerpot-shaped stone towers line the shore. We'll spend the day here, have a picnic, swim, and hike to a historic lighthouse on the coast. Fun for the whole family!

Day 8 See A Stunning Waterfall, Then Get Swept Away

1. 1

   30 min Admission ticket included

   Give us the opportunity to knock your socks off with a lunch stop at Inglis Falls, ranked #1 thing to do in Owen Sound. Its 18m high cascade is sure to impress.

2. 2

   Elora Gorge Conservation Area

   7 hours Admission ticket included

   We’ve saved the best for last, with a one-of-a-kind adventure at Elora Gorge Conservation Area for some white water tubing.