Fall is the best time of year to go for a relaxing hike, and there is no better time for a hike than after you’ve visited a local scratch bakery or ice cream shop and tried their delectable sweets! Try one or all of these great bakery, ice cream and fall colour hiking suggestions!
Belly Ice Cream & Lion’s Lookout
Belly Ice Cream Company – the hottest spot for cool treats in Muskoka! This artisan ice cream shop just north of downtown Huntsville is creative, authentic, and completely handcrafted!
Get to know your chef: Shelley Westgarth is a Chef, Foodie, Mom and Wife. A well known, local entrepreneur who took a chance at doing something new to provide a more balanced work life for her family. Shelley is no stranger to taking chances. She built a state of the art production facility and scoop shop on West Road in Huntsville, has been featured on Dragon’s Den (the television show), and her Artisan Ice Cream can be found in over 120 locations plus really cool restaurants like Susur Lee where you can order our very own Ice Cream!
What do you need to try: Start with a delicious hot drink from the full espresso bar, and then choose from their wide selection of sweets including freshly baked cookies, pies, squares and tarts. Probably their most popular treats are their signature cupcakes, stylishly finished by hand with buttercream icing and enticing toppings. You might also want to order one of their signature harvest pies including apple cranberry and pumpkin pecan praline.
Belly’s fall colour hike: Whimsical Bakery serves lunch, light dinners, coffee, specialty coffees, and of course delicious sweets! You can park your car near the downtown at one of the free public parking spots and stop in to get your fix before heading out to see the beautiful fall colours from one of Muskoka’s best lookouts. Lion’s Lookout is about 1km away from the bakery, so you can walk or drive, just expect a slight incline if walking. The hike is certainly worth the view!
Humble Pie Butter Tart Factory & Pizzeria & Baysville Historic Walking Trail
If you bake it, they will come! They sure do, as Humble Pie Butter Tart Factory & Pizzeria has become a must-stop destination for anyone passing through beautiful Baysville. Not only do they feature beautiful baked goods, they are also one of the best pizza places in Muskoka. Michelle uses her dad’s famous recipe from the 1960’s, when he owned and operated the Pizza Inn on Yonge south of Eglington. You can check out his prices from back in the day as Michelle proudly displays a copy of his old menu on the walls at her bakery.
Get to know your bakers: Michelle worked downtown corporate for 20 years, and then decided one day to move to the quaint and charming village of Baysville where she just started baking. After eight seasons of being open, it is looking like she made a great decision! Michelle’s favourite part about owning a bakery in Muskoka is the interactions with her customers. For many, stopping into the bakery is the highlight of their vacation, and she shares a sense of pride that she gets to create that experience. While visiting her bakery, a group came in that Michelle hadn’t seen before so she asked them what brings them to Baysville? When the group responded they were invited to a friend’s cottage Michelle quipped, “Well behave yourself and you might be invited back!”
What sweets do you need to try: Judging by their name – Humble Pie Butter Tart Factory & Pizzeria – you can certainly assume they are famous for their pies, and butter tarts, and you would be right! Try their seasonal pumpkin tarts, or order a freshly baked apple harvest or pumpkin pie. Try their Sesquicentennial maple leaf cookie, a delicious maple-flavoured delight to celebrate Canada’s 150th year. Of course you are going to want to pick up some of their famous butter tarts to spoil yourself, your family and friends.
Humble Pie’s fall colour hike: Baysville is a beautiful place to explore. Stop in for sweets and a coffee at Humble Pie Butter Tart Factory & Pizzeria before taking the Baysville Historic Walking Trail. The route passes many of the historic homes, churches and businesses of the village, as well as the beautiful Muskoka River at the Baysville Dam.
Cottage Cravings’ fall colour hike: Sit down for lunch and a cranberry baked goodie to muster up the energy for hiking at Muskoka Lakes Farm & Winery. Hike around the marshes, or on one of six picturesque hiking trails around the farm.
The Pasta Shoppe’s fall colour hike: Park your car in downtown Bracebridge (free parking downtown) and pop over to The Pasta Shoppe by Beat the Wheat. They serve breakfast, and feature paninis, house made soups, daily pasta specials and more for lunch. Stop in for a bite to eat or just to try one of their tarts, and head towards the historic Silver Bridge and Bracebridge Falls. Take the 1.3km Bracebridge Bay Trail, a trail that travels along the Muskoka River and features 10 historic information plaques along the route.
