Take a Hike! (in Muskoka)

While Muskoka is known for its abundant waterways, opportunities abound to get out on the trails and enjoy nature from dry land. From trails at the water’s edge to those deep in the forest, hiking offers the chance to get up close and personal with Muskoka’s beauty. There are several trails just a short distance from Colonial Bay:

• Oxtongue Rapids Hiking Trail – 15 km east of Colonial Bay, just off Highway 60. This gem is just a short drive away and is a beautiful spot for a picnic. (The photo above was taken there in the Fall.)




• Ronville Hiking Trail – 15 km southeast of Colonial Bay off Highway 35. This 1.2 km cliffside hike offers views of Lake of Bays.




• Fairy Vista Trail – 7 km west of Colonial Bay alongside Highway 60. This 3.4 km paved trail is suitable for both walking and cycling. It offers varied scenery including forest, farmland and views of Fairy Lake.




• Huntsville Mural Walk – 12 km west of Colonial Bay in the heart of Huntsville. For a more urban experience, this walk takes you through Downtown Huntsville to view the Group of Seven Outdoor Gallery.




• Limberlost Forest Reserve Trails – 10 km north of Colonial Bay on Limberlost Road. This network of 70 km of trails is open Monday through Saturday from 8am to 8pm (check in at the office before heading to the trails).

For maps and directions to these trails and more, visit these links:
Lake of Bays trails
Huntsville trails
Limberlost Reserve trails

There are also an abundance of trails in both Arrowhead Provincial Park and Algonquin Provincial Park (park fees apply). You can find information about the trails here:
Arrowhead Park trails
Algonquin Park trials

Whether you prefer an easy stroll or a challenging hike, Muskoka offers it all. The next time you stay with us, why not check out a few of them and then head back to Colonial Bay for a refreshing swim.

We had a fantastic long weekend and will post some photos soon.

From our family to yours,
Bruce, Nicolle, Luke, Ben & Addie

The Call of the Wild

The mournful call of the loon is one of Muskoka’s most recognizable sounds. In late April or early May (almost as soon as the ice is out), the return of the loons is a sure sign that Spring has arrived even if Mother Nature is trying to convince us otherwise.

We’ve been fortunate to have a pair of mating loons visit us at Colonial Bay and thought we’d share some interesting loon facts with you.

• Loons mate for life and build their nests close to the water’s edge, affording both adults and newly hatched young a quick escape. Chicks can swim and dive within hours of hatching but will sometimes ride on a parents’ back when they are tired or cold.


• While a loon’s streamlined body and strong webbed feet make it an excellent swimmer and diver, on land they are capable of only a slow waddle using their wings as crutches. Their flying talents aren’t much better: with dense bones and short wings built more for swimming, a loon must run and flap at the surface for a long distance, between 20 and 400 meters, to get enough speed for lift off. Their manoeuverability in the air is equally limited. They do, however, have enough stamina to fly to the Atlantic coast where they overwinter.


• Loons are exceptional divers and can remain underwater for up to 3 minutes, often resurfacing a long distance from where they submerged. They dive 2-5 meters below the surface to catch perch and minnows. The attached video (from Minnesota, not Muskoka, unfortunately) shows rare footage of a loon swimming underwater with scuba divers.

• They have four distinct calls which can be heard 2-3 kilometers away.


• The loon is Ontario’s official bird.


• 5,000-year-old loon pictographs have been found on cliffs scattered around the Great Lakes region.

The next time you visit us, listen carefully for the distinctive calls of these beautiful creatures.

Up next: May long weekend, the ‘official’ beginning of cottage season, starts Friday. We still have a few cottages available – why not join us?

Let the fun begin!
Bruce, Nicolle, Luke, Ben and Addie

Water, Water, Everywhere

Muskoka is renowned for its abundance of lakes. Roads meander all over the map avoiding water here and water there so that sometimes it seems the most direct route anywhere is not “as the crow flies” but as the canoe glides.

If you do want to get out on the water, there are many options for canoeing and kayaking in Muskoka, whether you launch from our own beach or travel further afield to explore some of the region’s other waterways. You can find a detailed map of local canoe routes here. (The map covers Algonquin Park, Lake of Bays and north Muskoka as far west as Huntsville.)

Prefer something with a little more speed? Larger watercraft can be rented from local marinas. (But remember that you’ll need a BOATsmart license to operate any type of powered watercraft.)

However you choose to experience Muskoka’s waterways, here are some safety tips to help ensure your trip is pleasantly memorable:

• Wear a life jacket. The law requires you to have one per person in the boat, but remember that a personal floatation device is only helpful if you’re actually wearing it.


• Watch the weather and plan accordingly. Wind and rain can be more than just an uncomfortable inconvenience. High winds can topple a small craft. Heavy rain can quickly fill a hull. And if there’s any sign of lightning, get off the water. In hot weather, hats & sunscreen will help to prevent sunburns and heatstroke.


• Stay within your limits. Keep both your boating skills and the swimming ability of everyone onboard when you plan your route.


• Keep additional safety equipment onboard: a spare paddle, a bailer or water pump, a whistle, navigation lights if you plan to travel after sunset, a throw-line, and a water-tight first aid kit. Duct-tape can be useful for repairs.

As always, we’re happy to answer any questions you have about local activities. Just ask!

The May long weekend is fast approaching and we still have a few cottages available. Call us at 1-800-916-2008 or you can book online here.

We look forward to seeing you this Spring!
Bruce, Nicolle, Luke, Ben & Addie

Beavers and badgers and bears...oh my!

Spring is an ideal time to view wildlife in Muskoka. Some of our local critters are just coming out of hibernation, the ones that endured the winter conditions can now move more freely with the snow and ice gone, and others are moving back into the area after heading south for the winter. And with leaf cover just starting to come in, it’s easier to spot them as they go about their daily lives.

Here are some tips for viewing wildlife in Muskoka (and anywhere else, really):

• Get up early. While it’s possible to see animals at any time of day, many are most active in early morning or late evening (dusk).




• Be patient and observant. Walking slowly or sitting quietly for a few minutes can make smaller animals in particular easier to spot.




• Go where the animals are. You can sometimes see wildlife from the highway, but for the best views you’ll need to get out of your car. Visit local trails or get out in a canoe.




• Look for specific wildlife habitat and signs. Moose are forest animals but can often be found in marshy areas in the spring and where there’s a beaver lodge there’s bound to be a beaver.




• Keep your distance. They are wild animals, after all, and cute doesn’t necessarily mean cuddly. Bring binoculars for a close-up view.




• Don’t forget your camera. You never know where an animal might pop up. Be prepared and you’ll have a picture to show off to everyone at home instead of just having a story to tell.

The Algonquin Visitor Centre is a good source of information about local plants and animals. You can also see orphaned or injured animals that have been rescued and rehabilitated at the Muskoka Wildlife Center and Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary. Be sure to call ahead for hours of operation.

Here at Colonial Bay, the loons are back on the lake, deer are pruning the shrubs for us, and we eagerly await visits of the human kind (that means you!). We still have some cottages available for the May long weekend and beyond.

From our family to yours,
Bruce, Nicolle, Luke, Ben and Addie

Signs of Spring

Spring has finally chased back winter for another year and now the clean-up begins. We’re busy painting cottages, repairing the winter damage to the playground and cleaning up the branches that seem to materialize from nowhere. (Yes, we know they come from the trees.)

The most tell-tale sign of spring is that the ice is out and the loons have returned to Pen Lake. It’s magical to hear their calls across the mist in the early morning (We haven’t captured them on film yet this year - this picture is from last fall).

With the ice gone from the lake, people sometimes ask ‘Can we swim yet?’. And the answer is…only if you’re really brave. The temperature is suitable for polar bears and penguins (not that we have any around these parts) but it’s a little chilly for humans. Still, it won’t be long before the sun starts warming the shallows and we can dip more than our toes in.

May is fast approaching and, with it, these holidays and local events:

• May 1 - Algonquin Park Visitor Centre is open daily throughout May, but ice is not out on all lakes in the park yet


• May 8 – Mother’s Day - You didn’t forget, right? Why not surprise her with a trip to Muskoka and a stay at Colonial Bay?


• May 19-23 – Victoria Day Weekend (affectionately known as May 2-4) and the ‘official’ start of the summer season. Join us!!


• May 21 - Muskoka Heritage Place opens for the season - get a dose of local history, ride the Portage Flyer and enjoy some old-time sweets


• May 26 - Huntsville Farmers’ Market starts Thursdays after the long weekend from 9 am to 2 pm. Check out what grows around here and support local vendors too.


• And at Algonquin Theatre: The Music Man, a locally produced show, runs May 1 and 5-7; the Take a Ride Tour with blues tunes from the Jimmy Bowskill Band is on May 11; and For the Love o’ Nat, a tribute to Nat King Cole, appears May 19.

We hope you had a wonderful Easter and look forward to seeing you and your family soon!
Bruce, Nicolle, Luke, Ben and Addie

Easter long weekend

It’s Spring (…really, it is!) and what better way to celebrate both Easter and Earth Day than communing with nature in Muskoka? We’re happy to see signs that Spring has arrived despite a recent dusting of snow. In fact, just in time for Easter, the landscape is looking very much like a Spring bunny: white with patches of brown poking through. Mother Nature has a great sense of humour.

Crocuses and tulips have started popping up in sunny spots, the first tentative buds have begun appearing on the trees, and there’s open water at the shoreline. There’s something magical about the day the ice disappears from the lake and with the forecast calling for a return to double digit temperatures and mainly sunny skies, it won’t be long before the ice is gone.

So other than watching the ice melt, what’s there to do on a spring weekend in Muskoka? The lack of leaf cover on trees makes it a great time to spot wildlife – there are lots of deer sightings right now and the bears are making their first tentative forays from winter dens. Cooler evenings and mornings are great for curling up in front of a fire with a good book or a board game. And there are a few local events happening this weekend if you want to venture further than your Colonial Bay cottage:

• For art enthusiasts and lovers of Algonquin Park, there’s a painting exhibition at the Algonquin Visitor Centre from Friday April 22 to Monday April 25. In the spirit of the Group of Seven, Philip Sworden explores the iconic landscapes of Algonquin Park.


• For hockey fans, the Huntsville Otters host the Dudley Hewitt Cup from April 19-23.


• And for the kids, the Muskoka Heritage Place Annual Easter Egg Hunt is Sunday, April 24 from 12-1. Goodies are provided by The Nutty Chocolatier. And it’s free!

This is one of the few 4-day long weekends of the year (if you’re fortunate enough to have both Good Friday and Easter Monday off) and we have some cottages available. As always, you can book online here.

We look forward to seeing you soon!
Bruce, Nicolle, Luke, Ben and Addie

Summer Fun Continues...

There is still time for a summer holiday. During the last two weeks of summer we are booking 3 and 4 days stays as well as weekly. To see what is available just go to our home page and click on "availability".

Lots of fun stuff is happening. Yesterday one of our families from Italy was trying windsurfing and on Friday the kids (and adults) enjoyed some fresh Ontario Corn cooked in a cast iron pot over the campfire. Just two of the great outdoor experiences you can have while at Colonial Bay.