8 Beautiful Places Around Lake Huron
Updated: Jun 24
Beauty surrounds Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, like a lovely necklace around a queen’s neck! Sharing with you a few of the gemstones of the necklace!
Places covered in this blog
Inglis falls
Jones falls
Indian falls
Coffin Ridge Winery
Chantry island
Sauble beach
Goderich lighthouse
Huron Historic Gaol
Menesetung bridge
Owen Sound
This city by the southern shores of Georgian Bay is a beautiful blend of nature and culture. For me the former was the attraction. Really enjoyed spending time at Inglis Falls. Located in the Inglis Falls Conservation area, this fall surrounds hiking trails covered in ferns and tall trees that created a unique green hue on the day I strolled the trail with my friend! We parked at the entrance, walked past the once thriving sawmill, down a bit of rugged terrain to get a spectacular view of the fall! They also have viewing platforms. Jones Falls and Indian falls are also in near proximity, making it possible to visit all three on a day trip!
Later we went to the Marina and walked down the streets of downtown Owen Sound, a thing I do at every town I visit. It kinda gives me a pulse of the place.
My favourite place about 30 minutes drive from downtown is the Coffin Ridge Winery! It's a boutique winery that has a spectacular view from its property of the fields and the Bay! Though I do not like comparing places, there is a unique resemblance with the landscape of Tuscan vineyards that I have only seen pictures of. Each time we visit we order the vintner's plate which is an assortment of local cheese, bread, jam, meat and more! Have spent relaxing wonderful moments on their patio!
Southampton
Summer sun, sandy beach, blue water are my Southampton memories! If you are into birds (or not) take a boat trip tour to Chantry Island. The island can be seen from the beach in Southampton as it is only a kilometer away. It is a federal bird sanctuary and boasts one of the six imperial lighthouses from the mid 1800s. Enjoyed the sunset from the shores in downtown and the lovely dinner at the Walker House.
Sauble Beach is 15 minutes drive from Southampton, a very popular summer destination! Have spent hours soaking in the sun and the beauty on several trips here.
Goderich
Visited this beautiful town during the beginning of the pandemic under covid restrictions hence could not feel the pulse of the town. It has the title of the Prettiest Town in Canada with a unique large octagonal centre in the core of the downtown area surrounded by shops and offices, with beautiful murals on the walls.
Only their very popular Culbert's Bakery was open when we visited. Got their famous short breads for the road! Enjoyed walking around the pretty downtown square and watched an artist work on her mural.
Next went to sit by the historic Goderich lighthouse built in the 1800s at the edge of a cliff off Lake Huron, perfect spot to take pictures!. Spent a nice relaxing time there just taking in the spectacular view of the lake and listening to the waves. Wish I could have stayed longer to see the sun set from this point! There is a wooden stair from here that goes down all the way to the beach!
We stopped at the Huron Historic Gaol, an octagonal jailhouse that was operational until the 70s! It was closed when I visited but they are open in the spring and summer for tours. It is managed by the Huron County Museum which is a must see if you are interested to know the local culture and history.
Walked on the Menesetung Bridge to take in the lovely view of the Maitland river meeting Lake Huron. It is a very old train bridge now part of a walking trail.
Bayfield
This pretty little town is just a 20 minutes drive on ON21 South from Goderich. Its attraction is the Main street with lines of boutiques, art galleries, restaurants and hotels with a very local vibe! Hard to chose my favs from but if I had to it would be Sea Jewels for decors and trinkets, Crichet Handmade Designs for an array of art and decor as well as condiments, I just loved!!!! The ensemble of items here are from artists locale, making it a very interesting store to explore! A cool and fresh lemonade from Hive was the ah factor for the hot afternoon!
Had desired to stay overnight at The Little Inn of Bayfield , sadly for me, there wasn't availability. It was originally built as a stagecoach stop and obviously is a heritage building! Pioneer Park, a few minutes walk from Main street, has a breathtaking view of Lake Huron! The Bayfield Marina, located on the south side of the Bayfield river, is the largest recreational Marina on the Canadian side of Lake Huron, as mentioned in their website. We just drove around the neighborhoods around Mainstreet to appreciate the lovely fronts of the houses there! Bayfield is definitely a beautiful heritage village very much worth visiting.
Grand Bend
A taste of bubbly beach town is what I mostly got from Grand Bend, which sits on the shores of Lake Huron another 20 something minutes on ON 21 South from Bayfield. The Main street is lined with beach shops, restaurants, bars, ice-cream shops and then some more! The pristine beach has earned a blue flag status for years making it a safe and fun environment. After a fun beach day and night we enjoyed a relaxing breakfast at the Cottage Cafe on their waterfront patio watching boats pass by the Ausable river into Lake Huron. Perfect ending to our tour of Goderich, Bayfield and Grand Bend this summer!
Wasaga
The most popular beaches of Lake Huron’s Georgian Bay are undoubtedly Wasaga for us Ontarians I presume! With its 14 km of beach along the Georgian Bay of Lake Huron, it is the longest freshwater beach in the world! The main beach with its touristy stores and boardwalk is usually always busy, I found. There are several other beaches, I believe six including the main ones for us to explore! I have been to beach 1 and 2 only so far!
Tobermory
The first time I explored Tobermory was with my daughter, nephew, his wife and their chocolate lab. I fell in love with the beauty instantly. Tobermory is situated in Bruce Peninsula, a fantastic beauty that is sitting between Georgian Bay and the Main body of Lake Huron.
It is a nature lover's paradise with hiking trails of all levels. This was my first hiking experience with the kids on Bruce Trail where I remember letting go of my over protective attitude towards my then teenage daughter and let her enjoy the hike without me driving everyone crazy with cautionary remarks! The kids hiked and climbed (the Grotto too) and explored to their hearts delight. Iris the lab enjoyed swimming in the clear blue waters and I just grew as a person in such beautiful surroundings of Bruce Peninsula National Park! We decided to stay overnight and explore some more. Had a lovely brunch at Cragie’s Harbour view Restaurant, strolled around Bay street by the water in their downtown village checking the boutique stores, Tobermory Trading Post is one of my favourites here. Tobermory is a place one will keep returning to, as I find myself doing, to enjoy it's beauty by taking the glass bottom boat tour to see the shipwrecks underwater and the Flower Pot Island and explore the Lion's Head Provincial Park, and definitely to enjoy the waterfront vibe by checking out the restaurants and stores!
The Chi cheemaun ferry for Manitoulin Island also leaves from Tobermory. (Read about my trip to Manitoulin Island)
Please note that there is paid parking almost everywhere here but getting a spot on busy times is hard.
The most helpful sites for Tobermory for me was obviously tobermory.com and visittobermory.ca
Collingwood
Though famous for the Blue Mountain ski resort, the town of Collingwood is a charmer by itself. Situated by Nottawasaga Bay, a sub bay of the Georgian Bay, it's a very popular tourist destination. I will not go into the year round activities to do in Blue mountain but provide their link here bluemountainvillage.ca for you to explore. Taking the Gondola up and going on hikes, strolling around and exploring the many interesting stores in the village, taking a ride on the Ridge Runner mountain coaster are stuff we enjoy at Blue Mountain in the summer and fall.
My favourite are the beaches in Collingwood which are different from the sandy beaches of Wasaga. These beaches are mostly flat rocks. But fun to explore like a pool! Sunset Point Beach is a beautiful place to spend a sunny afternoon. The huge inukshuk by the water is an instagramable point here. And you have The Chipper there for yummy fast food and ice cream! They have paid parking at the park area. Just a couple of minutes drive is the Millennium park providing a scenic view of the surrounding. The park has a giant compass rose to check out. The industrial look around the silo is softened by the cute greenery and flowers of the petite park surrounded by the blue waters! The Arboretum is also great for hiking and is a nature lover's delight with information about its habitats. If you are into exploring caves then the Scenic Caves (sceniccaves.com) at Collingwood can be your calling which also boasts the longest suspension bridge is Southern Ontario! In regards to food, Collingwood downtown has a plethora of restaurants to choose from to keep us entertained! Lakeside Seafood and Grill is on the waterfront with a patio! Loved their brunch!
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