Vacation rentals in Bracebridge

Heritage buildings line the main street of this Ontario town, one of several small communities in the Muskoka “Cottage Country” north of Toronto. These days, the brick facades are more likely to house cafés or gastropubs than the general stores or haberdashers of the Victorian era, when this region of lakes and forests first became a getaway for city residents. Pull on your hiking boots to wander the Downtown Historic Walkway for views along the Muskoka River or check out the three waterfalls close to town. There are a number of hiking trails to explore nearby, including sections of the Trans-Canada Trail, and beaches where you can swim in the river or Lake Muskoka. To explore more of this lake-filled region, take a sightseeing cruise on Lake Muskoka. You can also base yourself in Bracebridge to get outdoors in Arrowhead Provincial Park, 30 minutes to the north, or in massive Algonquin Provincial Park. Bracebridge is an hour’s drive from Algonquin’s west gate.

July through early October are the best months to visit Bracebridge and the Muskoka region. Everything is open, the weather is comfortable, and as the autumn days begin to cool, the forests turn gold and red. Weekends are busiest, so consider a midweek visit to avoid the Friday-to-Sunday crowds. Spring is quieter — just beware of mosquitoes, which can be most annoying in May and June. Winters are snowy, best for ice-skating, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, or cuddling by the fire. Many attractions in the Muskoka region close between mid-October and mid-May.

Every summer, locals and visitors turn out for the weekly Bandshell Concert Series, free evenings of music in Bracebridge’s Memorial Park. Since 1979, local artists have been welcoming visitors to their studios during the annual Muskoka Autumn Studio Tour, normally held on late September or early October weekends.

Kirby's Beach Park

This family-friendly sandy beach on Lake Muskoka is a good spot for a picnic or a swim. While the beach does get crowded in summer, there’s a playground for kids and plenty of grass for running around or for settling in for an al fresco lunch.

Muskoka Discovery Centre

Curious about the region’s lake-filled history? The multimedia exhibits at this creatively designed museum journey back to the steamship era, when holidaymakers arrived at grand lakeside lodges by boat. The centre also has a collection of antique boats on the water in the Grace and Speed Boathouse. At nearby Muskoka Steamships, you can cruise the lake on one of North America’s oldest operating steamships. The Discovery Centre and the steamships are located at Muskoka Wharf, a 15-minute drive south of Bracebridge in the town of Gravenhurst.

Bala

Loop around Lake Muskoka from Bracebridge to find Ontario’s cranberry capital. While Indigenous people in the region used wild cranberries as food and medicine, cranberries are now cultivated around the village of Bala, where they’re made into juices, jams, snacks, and even wine. Come during the fall harvest, when the bogs are red with berries and a popular cranberry festival takes over the town for a mid-October weekend.