Driving Tours

The 39th Annual Muskoka Autumn Studio Tour 2017

Sept.23 – 24, Sept.30 – Oct.1; 10am – 6pm

Experience the dramatic autumn landscape as you visit the studios of twenty of Muskoka’s finest artists and craftspeople who will share their work including the thought and process behind it. Through demonstrations and discussions, you will witness the evolution of a piece from concept to creation.

These diverse artists invite you to expand your horizons, share in their united vision, and immerse yourself in their surroundings as you take joy in searching for the perfect gift or piece to add to your collection.

Enjoy this self-directed tour at no charge.

For more information, visit their website

Ryde is a formerly independent township that was incorporated in 1879, but is now amalgamated into the Town of Gravenhurst.

Ontario’s newest barn quilt trail is located in Ryde Township which was incorporated in 1879, but is now amalgamated into the Town of Gravenhurst. The quilts were erected to commemorate 135 years of settlement in Ryde. Some buildings are historic, some are new; all have a story to share.

This website is central to the promotion of the trail. Please share it with friends and family and encourage them to turn off Highway 11, follow the Doe Lake Road, and visit Ryde’s Barn Quilt Trail. It is a paved loop of road, (with three short spurs) that will take about 40 minutes of driving time. Take time to “stop and smell the roses” and get a sense of the geographical, social and cultural context in which the quilts have been placed.

Click here for a copy of the tour’s Printable Map

Click here for a copy of the tour’s downloadable Tour Guide

For more information, visit the official Ryde Barn Quilt Trail website

Lake Muskoka Circle Tour
Start & End @ Gravenhurst
Approx. 95 km / 55 miles
About 1 ½ – 3 hours depending on number of stops

Click here for a Map with Points of Interest

Directions:

• From Gravenhurst, follow Muskoka Road 169 to Bala and Glen Orchard and on to Muskoka Road 118
• Right on Muskoka Road 118 to Port Carling and on through the Huckleberry Rock to Bracebridge (A nice detour: take Milford Bay Road and stop at the parking lot for the Huckleberry Rock Lookout Trail. Take a hike to marvel at the kilometre-long man-made canyon that 118 winds through.)
• Follow Muskoka Road 118 through Bracebridge to Muskoka Road 17
• Right on Muskoka Road 17 past Muskoka Beach and back into Gravenhurst

Tour Highlights:

• The town of Gravenhurst pays tribute to its cultural heritage with its stunningly preserved century Opera House, the lovingly restored birthplace of Dr. Norman Bethune (a hero in China), and the fantastic new Muskoka Wharf where the glory of the historic steam era comes alive alongside some of the best dining and shopping around.
• The town of Bala with its roaring falls and fabulous shops & boutiques
• The stunning Huckleberry Cut, a man-made canyon over a kilometre long on Muskoka Road 188 between Port Carling & Bracebridge

Big Chute & Georgian Bay
Start & End @ Port Severn
Approx. 50 km / 30 miles
About 1 – 2 hours depending on number of stops

Click here for a Map with Points of Interest

Directions

• From Port Severn, travel north on Highway 400 to Exit 162
• At Exit 162 take Muskoka Road 34 east to Big Chute, and watch the Marine Railway in action
• Return on Muskoka Road 34, cross Hwy 400 and continue west on Muskoka Road 48 to Muskoka Road 5
• Right on Muskoka Road 5 to Honey Harbour
• Return down Muskoka Road 5 to Port Severn

Tour Highlights:

• The incredible Big Chute Marine Railway, which gently carries boats right out of the water and up or down almost 18 m of Muskoka granite hillside
• Picturesque Port Severn, which is the last lock on the 386 km Trent-Severn waterway and the gateway to Georgian Bay
• Honey Harbour and the heart of the 30,000 Islands, including Beausoliel Island, the crown jewel of Georgian Bay Islands National Park

Lake Rosseau Circle Tour
Start & End @ Port Carling
Approx. 70 km / 45 miles
About 1 ½ – 2 ½ hours depending on number of stops

Click here for a Map with Points of Interest

Directions:

• Take Muskoka Road 118 out of Port Carling east to Muskoka Road 25 (Brackenrig Road)
• Left on Muskoka Road 25 to Muskoka Road 4
• Left on Muskoka Road 4 to Muskoka Road 24 (Make sure to detour into Windermere first!)
• Left on Muskoka Road 24 to Ullswater on Highway 141
• Left on Highway 141 to Rosseau
• In Rosseau, take Highway 632 through Minett and Port Sandfield back to 118
• Left on Muskoka Road 118 to Port Carling

Tour Highlights:

• “The Wall”, an incredible photo-mosaic of the Sagamo locking through at Port Carling in the 1920s, made up of thousands of historic photos donated by local residents. In both the “big picture” and the little pictures, “The Wall” commemorates the first 100 years of Port Carling.
• The canal & bridge at historic Port Sandfield
• The side-trip into charming Windermere

The Grand Tour
Start & End @ Bracebridge
Approx. 245 km / 150 miles
About 4 – 6 hours depending on number of stops

Click here for a Map with Points of Interest

Directions:

• From Bracebridge, follow Highway 11 north to Muskoka Road 117
• Take Muskoka Road 117 east through Baysville to Dorset
• Left on Highway 35 in Dorset to Highway 60
• Left on Highway 60, through Dwight and Huntsville to Highway 11
• South on Highway 11 to Highway 141
• West on Highway 141 through Utterson and Rosseau to Highway 69
• South on Highway 69 to Muskoka Road 169
• Follow Muskoka Road 169 through Bala to Muskoka Road 41 (Bethune Drive) in Gravenhurst
• Left on Bethune Drive to Highway 11
• Take Highway 11 north back to Bracebridge

Tour Highlights:

• The town of Bracebridge, with 22 waterfalls and where Santa Claus has his summer home
• The sites of an historic cranberry marsh in MacTier and a commercially-operating cranberry marsh in Bala
• Muskoka’s (and the world’s) first Dark Sky Reserve, just outside Torrance at the Torrance Barrens

Chain of Lakes Tour
Featuring Vernon, Mary, Fairy and Peninsula Lakes
Start & End @ Huntsville
Approx. 110 km / 65 miles
About 2 – 4 hours depending on number of stops

Click here for a Map with Points of Interest

Directions:

• In Huntsville take Main Street west across Highway 11 and follow Muskoka Road 3 to Muskoka Road 45
• Right on Muskoka Road 45 to Muskoka Road 2
• Right on Muskoka Road 2, following it back through Huntsville on Brunel Road and south to Muskoka Road 10
• Right on Muskoka Road 10, through Port Sydney and out to Highway 11
• North on Highway 11 to Highway 60
• East on Highway 60 to Muskoka Road 9
• Right on Muskoka Road 9 to Muskoka Road 23 (A nice detour: keep going straight on Highway 60 instead of turning at Muskoka Road 9 – it will take you to Dwight and then on to the Western gates of Algonquin Park – take some time to explore Canada’s oldest provincial park. Upon your return along Highway 60, turn left at Muskoka Road 9)
• Right on Muskoka Road 23 back to Highway 60
• Left on Highway 60 back to Huntsville

Tour Highlights:

• The Rapids in Port Sydney
• North Portage & South Portage – once the terminuses of the worlds shortest commercial operated railway, the Portage Flyer
• Muskoka Heritage Place in Huntsville, where the Portage Flyer lives today alongside an authentic pioneer village and excellent museum

Lake of Bays Circle Tour
Start & End @ Baysville
Approx. 80 km / 50 miles
About 1 ½ – 3 hours depending on number of stops

Click here for a Map with Points of Interest

Directions:

• Follow Muskoka Road 117 east from Baysville to Dorset (Don’t forget to detour along Old Hwy 117 to Norway Point where you can make arrangements for a water taxi to Bigwin Island.)
• Left on Highway 35 in Dorset to Highway 60
• Left on Highway 60, through Dwight to Muskoka Road 9
• Left on Muskoka Road 9 to Muskoka Road 2
• Left on Muskoka Road 2 back into Baysville

Tour Highlights:

• The waterfront and shops in Baysville
• The view from the Dorset Fire Tower
• A dip at Dwight Beach

The Group of Seven Outdoor Gallery is an inspiring and dramatic mural collection featuring over 80 world-class reproductions of famous artwork by Tom Thomson and Canada’s renown Group of Seven artists.

The Gallery is a free public art experience that is designed to engage the community, residents, visitors and tourists alike. The murals are hand painted by select mural artists from across Canada, and are displayed on the exterior walls of businesses and public buildings throughout the Huntsville, Lake of Bays, and Algonquin Park region.

The public is encouraged to view the works at their own leisure through self guided tours. This year round attraction makes for an educational, fun and fascinating adventure for the whole family.

This outdoor gallery is a fun take on a driving tour. Most of the murals are in downtown Huntsville and can be explored on foot. You will then want to hop in your vehicle to explore the rest of the murals in surrounding communities and in Algonquin Park. Happy exploring!

For more information, visit their website

Finally, a self-guided Muskoka chair tour has emerged along the lakes and rivers of our charming towns. The iconic Muskoka chair is undoubtedly recognized around the world and is the perfect place to sit back and relax while taking in the fresh air and sounds of nature, while falling into a state of serenity.

Brought to you by the Township of Muskoka Lakes, this one-of-a-kind chair tour highlights the very best (and most comfortable) views in Muskoka Lakes. There are 10 chairs scattered throughout the beautiful region, just waiting for you to find them and take a seat. Most of the locations are dog friendly for those of you with furry friends (but please be courteous and keep those lovable fluff balls on their leash).

Bring a camera to capture those picture perfect moments you will find along the way. Share your picture on social media using the hashtag #viewthelakes #thisisthelife to be featured. Keep reading to see the 10 Muskoka chair destinations.

For more information, visit their website