Walking and hiking
As big as France and Spain put together, Ontario offers countless trails for hikers, from easy strolls to challenging wilderness treks, where you might not see another soul. At 500 miles long, the Bruce Trail is Canada’s oldest and longest footpath. It winds all the way from Queenston on the Niagara River to Tobermory on Georgian Bay along the Niagara Escarpment and it’s commonly walked in nine shorter sections. www.brucetrail.org
Then try this…
Georgian Bay Yoga and Sea Kayaking - 3 night summer escape from £399 per person
Once you get to Georgian Bay, give your feet a rest and take to the water in a sea kayak to explore the wild shoreline and islands. In between paddles relax your mind and body with some Yogic deep breathing and stretches on this four-day adventure.
Canoeing in Ontario
Ontario lays claim to 20 per cent of the planet’s fresh water, so canoeing figures high on the list of any must-do experience here. At almost 3,000 square miles, Algonquin Park is a vast provincial park the size of Devon, and its maple and pine-clad hills and rocky ridges are criss-crossed by thousands of interconnected lakes, rivers and streams, typical of the Great Lakes forest region. There are 950 miles of canoe routes through the park – and little beats the thrill of seeing moose on an early-morning paddle… algonquinpark.on.ca
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Woodland Caribou Provincial Park - 14 night guided wilderness canoe trip from £1,920 per person
Delivering one of the most remote and wild canoeing experiences, this paddle and portage takes you though the Woodland Caribou Provincial Park in the far north west of Ontario. In this boreal wilderness you’ll witness pure stands of fire-born Jack Pine and Black Spruce, and encounter the elusive Woodland Caribou.
Sea kayaking in Ontario
With 400,000 sparkling lakes and rivers, Ontario offers something for everyone from the absolute beginner to the seasoned paddler. One quintessential Ontario experience is to kayak on the ruggedly beautiful Georgian Bay. This huge bay isn’t on the sea – it’s part of Lake Huron, one of the five Great Lakes on the Canada/US border, and its immense shoreline is dotted with some 30,000 islands. For sea kayak instruction, try White Squall Paddling Centre. whitesquall.com
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Manitoulin Star-gazing Experience - 2 night guided astronomy package from £89 per person
At the northern end of Lake Huron, above Georgian Bay, is Manitoulin Island, the world’s largest freshwater island. Here you can discover the beautiful night skies of Gordon’s Park. A guided stargazing experience includes using the park’s 8-inch Dobsonian Telescope.
Ride the rails in Ontario
With so much wilderness to explore, the train takes you deep into Ontario’s remote heart. Try the Polar Bear Express from Cochrane to Moosonee, just 19km south of James Bay - Canada’s gateway to the Arctic. It’s journey through some of Ontario’s most spectacular wilderness. Or ride the Agawa Canyon Tour train in Lake Superior Provincial Park. The steep-walled valleys provide some of Ontario's most breathtaking scenery and this is one of the most popular train rides in North America. agawacanyontourtrain.com
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Upper Missinaibi River - 8 night white water canoe trip from £999 per person
Running to the east of the Agawa Canyon Railway line is the mighty Missinaibi River. This adventure will see you running over 20 sets of rapids and camping every night beside the roar of cascading falls and rapids. Few rivers can match the power, beauty and history of the Upper Missinaibi.
White water rafting in Ontario
You can experience the rush of adrenalin adventure just 90 minutes from the heart of Canada’s capital city, on the Ottawa River - known as one of the best white water rafting destinations, not only in Canada, but in the world. The unique geology of the Ottawa River with its many islands, offers gentle floats along class 1-2 rapids and extreme, white-water runs down class 3-5 rapids with huge vertical drops. ottawatourism.ca
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Ottawa River White Water Rafting Adventure - 2 night white water canoe trip from £145 per person
Unique in rafting worldwide, OWL Rafting combines the longest white-water trip on the Ottawa River with a delicious BBQ aboard pontoon boats and the advantage of resort property facilities.
National Parks in Ontario
Ontario has more than 300 parks - from family-friendly pleasure parks with first-rate amenities and guided tours to the challenging terrain of wilderness parks with their uninterrupted stretches of ancient forests dotted with rocky outcrops and tranquil lakes. In this majestic wilderness of sapphire lakes and boreal forests animals roam wild, so expect to see moose, deer, foxes, or otters and even the odd bear. ontarioparks.com
Then try this…
Wonder of Whitewater Lake - 6 night lodge canoe trip from £1,000 per person
Whitewater Lodge in Wabakimi Park is located on the west end of the 26,000 acre Whitewater Lake and is a paddler’s dream. Staying in your own private log cabin this week-long holiday is the perfect way to enjoy the park’s world-class wilderness canoeing.
More Ontario adventures…
Adrenalin adventure in Ontario
High-adrenalin thrills don’t come more extraordinary than Toronto’s newest and tallest extreme urban adventure! On the roof of the CN Tower’s restaurant, at 356m –1,168ft - above street level, you can step outside and walk The EdgeWalk, a five-foot wide ledge encircling the tower. Wearing a harness you can even lean back out over…nothing! The dizzying walk lasts about half an hour. edgewalkcntower.ca
For more information on all these experiences, and much more, see travelontario.co.uk
Cycling in Ontario
Whether you love meandering recreational trails, pushing it over rugged mountain biking terrain or riding the open road, Ontario is an incredibly bike-friendly province. One must-ride route is the Niagara River Recreation Trail, a mainly off-road 56km paved path on which you can explore the Niagara Gorge, abundant wineries and historic Niagara-on-the-Lake. And, of course, visit the epic Niagara Falls themselves, undoubtedly the province’s most famous attraction.
Snowmobiling in Ontario
Ontario has the world’s largest interconnected snowmobile trail system with more than 30,000km of wilderness trails, and more than 300 of these trails are in Haliburton Forest & Wild Life Reserve, Just two and a half hours from Toronto and Ottawa. This snowmobiling wonderland has been rated as one of the Top 10 snowmobiling destinations in North America. Haliburton is also ideal for many other winter sports, including cross-country skiing, orienteering, dog-sledding and snowshoeing. haliburtonforest.com
Potholing in Ontario
Bruce Peninsula National Park, where thousand-year-old cedar trees overhang the crystal clear waters of Georgian Bay, offers many outdoor activities, including hiking, boating, canoeing/kayaking, deep-water swimming and bouldering. And it’s also a favourite spot to try a bit of what Canadians call spelunking – better-known as potholing and caving. Greig’s Caves, at Hope Bay, open from April to October, and visitors can explore 12 caves and tunnels linked by a kilometre trail explorethebruce.com
