Muskoka



Food & Drink


Top Restaurants
  • BBQ at the cottage Nothing beats BBQing at your cottage. There's no better location than being right on the lake and the BBQ allows you to cook up the best food from steaks to chicken to burgers.
  • Turtle Jack's Port Carling & Tulo's Taqueria Muskoka Fun spots right on the water in Port Carling (note: over-priced but still good experiences)
  • Moon River Lookout Restaurant & Lakeside Bala Restaurant Upscale restaurants in Bala
  • The Lake Joe Club (Water's Edge) The "Water's Edge" is the bistro at the Lake Joe Club and it has great food and outdoor seating right on the water
  • The Rosseau With 5+ places to eat and drink, The Rosseau is a great option for breakfast, lunch or dinner
  • The Smokin Birds Amazing for grilled meats
Top Bars/Nightlife
  • The Kee to Bala concert venue and bar located on Lake Muskoka
  • Turtle Jack's Port Carling Great place for a drink on the water (although they don't stay open too late)
  • At the cottage The best nightlife is found at cottages on the lake hosting weekend socials/parties. (Note: Muskoka generally shuts down pretty early, as people go to cottages to escape busy city life.)
Top Breweries/Wineries
  • Sawdust City Brewing Co. One of the best in terms of the quality of their beers (they also have a great space in Gravenhurst)
  • Clear Lake Brewing Co. & Muskoka BeerSpa Great brewery close to Bala. Clear Lake has its brewery, which is a great atmosphere. But it also has the "BeerSpa" which is a place that people visit or stay at for the day to relax and enjoy beers
  • Canvas Brewing Company & Katalyst Brewing Company Canvas (Huntsville) and Katalyst (Bracebridge) both great beer—pick your brewery based on where you are in Muskoka!
  • Muskoka Lakes Farm & Winery Open year round. Tour their farm for a fun activity or taste their wine!
Top Coffee Shops
  • Jack & Stella Great coffee shop in Bala
  • York & Mason The best coffee in Port Carling
  • Tim Hortons A Canadian classic with locations in Gravenhurst and Bracebridge
  • Streamliner Cafe Located beside Torrance General in Torrance
Top Ice Cream Shops
  • Ice Dreams Soda Shop Great ice cream with vintage design
  • Mooskoka's Ice Cream The original ice cream shop in Muskoka
  • Silver Stream Farms Grocery store with ice cream shop attached
Top Grocery & Premium Food Stores
  • Silver Stream Farms Best grocery store with amazing sandwiches, butcher, bakery and ice cream shop
  • Field Of Greens One of the best premium grocery stores (Note: check out their outpost in Torrance called the Torrance General, if Port Carling is too far away.)
  • Sobeys Gravenhurst Big supermarket with good prices
  • The Pearl Great premium grocery store in Bala

Activities & Attractions


Top Activities
  • Sports & Outdoor activities Listed below are golf courses, hiking paths and road cycling routes
  • Dock & Lake Day Swim in the lake, lounge on the dock, paddleboard in the bay. Muskoka is known for its lake activities!
  • Wake Surf, Foil Board or Water Ski Boat activities are always the best on Lake Muskoka, Rosseau or Joe. If you don't have a boat, go to Bush's Watersports Park near Bala.
Top Golf Courses
  • Muskoka Bay Resort #22 on Canada's Top100 Best Golf Courses
  • Port Carling Golf & Country Club just south of Lake Rosseau, this club is among the 40 best golf courses in Canada
  • The Rock Muskoka designed by legendary golfer Nick Faldo to challenge players and provide unique experiences
Top Hikes
  • Hardy Lake Loop 7km trail around beautiful Hardy Lake (the best in Muskoka)
  • Torrance Barrens Loop Amazing trail in the scenic environment of the barrens
  • Hatchery Falls Only 2km, but great for the falls
  • Hazelwood Trail 4km through wild Muskoka nature
  • Walkers Point Trail Only 1km but beautiful views (great during fall for the foliage)
  • Partridge Trail - Wolf Trail This loop combines the local Partridge and Wolf Trails (4km, well-maintained but poorly marked)
  • Superberry Trail longest loop (6km) at Muskoka Lakes Farm & Winery. Start from the main parking area and follow the Pioneer Trail by the Sugarbush, Trillium
Top Bike Routes
  • Falkenburg Road The original road from Bracebridge to Port Carling
  • Northern Long Route Bike all the way to Parry Sound!
  • Lake Rosseau Loop 65km loop around stunning Lake Rosseau—prepare for hills
  • Doe Lake Road via Gravenhurst Doe Lake Road through the historic farmlands of Barkway and back via Housey’s Rapids
  • Killbear Provincial Park stop in at Snug Harbour on your way!

Stays


Top Stays
Areas/Towns
  • Port Carling, Bala, Port Sandfield, Bracebridge, Gravenhurst