As a covering of snow envelopes our yard and also the fish pond ices up over, I am beginning to prepare our winter months trips for the coming weeks. I enjoy the period leading up to Christmas. The roads are lit and also embellished, the stores are abuzz with vacation songs and also the children are heading outside to play. As grownups, we enjoy to play in the snow as well! Ontario might not have the Rocky Mountains of Alberta or the famous ski hotels of British Columbia, however we do recognize exactly how to maximize the outdoors.
If you are trying to find something various to do this weekend break, take a look at our checklist of the best points to do in winter months in Ontario.
Winter in Ontario, Canada
Before you prepare an experience in winter months in Ontario checked out these ideas for remaining cozy:
Snowboard or Ski Blue Mountain
Our preferred Ontario winter months location is Blue Mountain in Collingwood. We’ve been mosting likely to Blue Mountain for greater than a years. When we lived up north near Barrie, we had a periods pass and also went snowboarding every possibility we had. Blue Mountain is Ontario’s leading ski hotel with 365 acres of skiable surface. There are 3 surface parks, glade runs, and also some high and also enjoyable black ruby runs. At 220 upright meters, it’s not as well shoddy by Ontario criteria.
Spend the day on the inclines and afterwards publication a space in Blue Mountain town to loosen up in the evening. There are lots of dining establishments, stores, and also cafés, and also throughout the cold weather, there’s lots of occasions and also celebrations. We enjoy remaining at Mosaic Boutique Suites to appreciate their exterior jacuzzi, sauna, and also year-round exterior swimming pool right in the heart of Blue Mountain Village. Read extra: Things to do in Blue Mountain and also Collingwood
Scandinave Spa Blue Mountain
When in Blue Mountain, make your method to the Scandinave Spa. This lovely sanctuary in the timbers is the ideal location to relieve your hurting muscle mass after a day on the tracks. There is absolutely nothing much better than being in huge jacuzzis as the snow drops around you. With hydrotherapy circuits, exterior fire places, and also Muskoka chairs forgeting the UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve Niagara Escarpment, it is a little piece of harmony in the woodland. Another exceptional location to remain at Blue Mountain is The Westin Trillium House Blue Mountain.
Skate the Rideau Canal
It’s the container checklist thing for anybody taking a trip to Canada in winter months and also it lies right below in Ontario. The Rideau Canal is the globe’s biggest skating rink and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. When the temperature level dips listed below no, the water ices up, and also the Rideau Canal river is changed right into a skating rink. Read extra: 20 Adventurous and also enjoyable Things to do in Winter in Canada
We recommend remaining at The Westin Ottawa, which lies right in the heart of Ottawa straight throughout from the Rideau Skateway. The Rideau Canal Skateway winds its method via the city for 7.8 kilometers. The ice is swamped and also kept throughout the winter months and also there are heating terminals and also huts offering syrup, warm delicious chocolate, and also Beavertails in the process!
Winterlude
Speaking of the Rideau Canal, the most effective time to skate on it is throughout Winterlude. Winterlude is a 3-week lengthy winter months celebration that happens in Ottawa. Canada’s funding city comes to life with celebrations from ice sculpture competitors, every night enjoyment, cheery lights, and also tasks. We recommend remaining at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier for Winterlude. It is really wonderful.
Across the river in Gatineau Quebec, the winter months park remains in full speed with snow tubes, zip-lining, and also huge jobs of ice art. Plus don’t fail to remember the dragon watercraft races on the icy Dows Lake. Read extra: Winterlude Itinerary – The Ultimate Guide to Ottawa
Go Dogsledding
If you intend to go dogsledding in Ontario, among the premier puts to go is to Winterdance in Haliburton. Hank DeBruin is an Iditarod and also Yukon Quest finisher with his all-husky group. He’s Canada’s response to Lance Mackey. He and also his better half Tanya run Winterdance with love and also regard for their household of pet dogs. Read extra: Dogsledding Ontario – Your Ticket to Adventure in Canada
It’s a whole family-run procedure with their boys entailed also. We’ve done a number of dogsled excursions with them and also they have half-day and also full-day excursions right into the Ontario wild. You can likewise reserve a comfy winter months home with them and also remain the week! Check excursions, prices, and also accommodations at their site. Also read: The Misconceptions of Dogsledding
Skate The Ice Trail in Arrowhead Provincial Park
If you can’t make it to Ottawa this winter months, an additional impressive location to go skating outdoors is along the Ice Trail in Arrowhead Provincial Park. The 1.3 kilometres lengthy ice route weaves via the Muskoka Forest. What is impressive regarding skating the Muskoka Ice Trail is that you can invest the day delighting in exterior enjoyable in Arrowhead. There’s snow tubes and also go across nation winter sports at Arrowhead also. When going to Muskoka in winter months, remain at Cedar Lodge for a charming retreat or at Deerhurst Resort for an enjoyable for the entire household hotel really feel.
Snow Tubing
Speaking of Snowtubing, the most effective location that we have actually been snow tubes goes to Snow Valley in Barrie, Ontario. It has 14 snow tubes chutes that are rapid and also angry. Stand on the magic rug, get on television and also allow gravity do the job. We constantly like to joke that snow tubes is the utmost lazy person excitement flight. Read extra: Things to do in Muskoka in Winter
There are lots of areas to go Snowtubing in Ontario, Horseshoe Resort has the lengthiest tube hillside in Ontario, Boler Mountain in London has a snow tubes park. My old ski hillside as a youngster, Chicopee Ski Hill and also Tub Park in Kitchener, and also also Blue Mountain has a snow tubes park.
Snowshoeing in Algonquin Park
When making a decision where to go snowshoeing in Ontario, the skies is the restriction. Just discover a rural park or a sanctuary, band on some snowshoes. You can acquire them at Costco, Walmart or on Amazon right here and also head to the timbers. But we such as to recommend Algonquin Park with Algonquin Outfitters. Algonquin Outfitters leas all the equipment you require to snowshoe or go across nation ski in the park and also bordering locations and also can provide you maps and also suggestions on where to go.
Take An enchanting Sleigh Ride
If you are trying to find something a little much less physical for winter months in Ontario, publication a charming sleigh flight with the one you enjoy. Or take the entire household! Back of Beyond Equine Centre in Muskoka supplies small trips where you can reserve personal winter months sleigh trips with a campfire via an enchanting winter months paradise. You after that finish at a campfire where you’ll drink warm delicious chocolate while delighting in the outdoors. They likewise supply household trips to see Santa! Check sleigh flight excursions right here.
When in Muskoka remain at Cedar Grove Lodge for a charming hideaway or head to Deerhurst Resort for the entire household. Other puts to take a sleigh flight in Ontario are St. Jacobs Horse Drawn excursions north of Waterloo,
See the Frozen Niagara Falls Waterfalls
Niagara Falls is Ontario’s leading destination in the summer season, however going to Niagara in the heart of winter months is really wonderful. When the temperature level ices up for days straight, the magnificent Horseshoe Falls freeze over creating big ice developments. Spend the evening at the Marriott Fallsview Resort and also struck the online casino to remain cozy and also completely dry. Read following: Snowshoeing Wine Tour Niagara Falls
When you remain at the Marriott Fallsview, Hilton Niagara Falls, or Raddison Hotel and also Suites publication a Fallsview space so you can absorb the lovely sights all evening long. Eat at the Keg for the very best sights of Niagara Falls. Read extra: Romance in Niagara Falls, Ontario’s Best Weekend Getaway
Frozen Waterfalls
Speaking of icy falls, Ontario is full of falls and also our pal Katheryn of KatherynAll over enjoy to go after falls. Hamilton is the falls funding of the globe! Located on the Niagara Escarpment, the city of Hamilton has 100 falls within its city restrictions. These falls are shocking. Some of the most effective falls to see icy in the Hamilton area are Tiffany Falls, Webster Falls, Tews Falls, and also Albion Falls. When discovering falls around Hamilton, remain at the Pearl in Burlington.
Niagara Ice Wine Festival
If you are intending on visiting Niagara Falls when it is iced up, why not time it with the Niagara Ice Wine Festival? The Niagara Ice Wine Festival is a two-week celebration that occurs in the last fifty percent of January. Before you go, obtain the Niagara Icewine Discovery Pass to discover the white wine path, Niagara on the Lake’s Ice Wine Village, and also Jordan Village’s Winter Winefest. Ontario’s ice white wine is world-renowned and also this is a fantastic weekend break trip in the heart of winter months. Read extra: 15 Amazing Things to do in Niagara on the Lake – Canada
Go Ice Climbing
If you intend to up the adrenaline element, go ice getting on falls. This isn’t an experience to do if you don’t have experience, so see to it to employ a firm and also overview to take you to an icy falls and also attempt your hand at climbing up. There is ice climbing in Muskoka and also Haliburton, Elora Gorge, Lake Superior, and also Sault St. Marie.
Companies to take a look at for ice climbing are Superior Exploration in Lake Superior’s Batchawana Bay, LivOutside in Muskoka, and also Haliburton and also One Axe Pursuits for ice climbing in Elora. See our Ice Climbing in Banff – The Ultimate Winter Adventure
Ice Fishing
Our pal Chris of Road Trip Ontario when Ice Fishing in Port Perry. Read even more of his Ice Fishing journey right here. I enjoy what he claims regarding Canadians in winter months on our Crazy Canucks in Winter video clip ” Canadians like to take summer season exterior tasks and also transform them right into winter months tasks. Why wrong?
Ice angling is an Ontario practice. Normally, everybody I recognize loads a colder of beer and also dress to go being in an ice hut on an icy lake to capture some fish. While Chris mosted likely to Port Perry, there are plenty of areas to go ice angling in Ontario consisting of Lake Simcoe
Hit the Snowmobile Trails
Snowmobiling is as Canadian as syrup and also hitting the road is just one of our much-loved activities in the winter months. Muskoka is just one of the most effective areas to go snowmobiling. When you direct north in Ontario, you can be certain to have great snow and also brushed tracks. We’ve leased snow sleds to discover Haliburton Forest and also Muskoka. Muskoka has 1600 kilometres of OFSC tracks with loopholes that you can discover consisting of the Muskoka Magic Loop, Lake of Bays Watch and also the Round Algonquin Park Tour. Haliburton Highlands and also Muskoka actually do have a few of the most effective snowmobiling tracks with simple rental alternatives. We scheduled with Backcountry Tours.
Lake Superior Ice Caves
Exploring the Lake Superior Ice Caves is an additional Ontario winter months journey that need to not be done without experience. Dave and also I constantly suggest employing an overview to do experiences and also this unique experience is finest fit on a scenic tour. This experience likewise doesn’t occur every winter months. But on uncommon celebrations like a polar vortex, the Lake ices up over and also as the waves celebration versus the coast, ice caverns are developed as the temperature level plunges. As the water maintains relocating and also the temperature level maintains going down, ice caverns full of Stalactites and also Stalagmites are developed. you by snow sled to ice caverns with
Go Fat Biking
Fat Biking is a lot enjoyable! Fat cycling is a great deal like hill cycling, however as opposed to cycling on rough and also sloppy surface, you bike on snow! You can fat bike throughout Ontario actually. Just discover a bike route and also go. But opportunities are you don’t have a fat bike, and also opportunities are you won’t intend to ride all winter months long, so rather look for fat cycling tracks and also services. Some of the most effective fat cycling tracks are likewise the most effective hill cycling tracks. Here are a few of our suggestions. Hardwood Hills near Barrie, Albion Hills north of Toronto, Horseshoe Resort likewise near Barrie, Highlands Nordic in Collingwood, and also Bracebridge.
Go on a Winter Trek
If you intend to do something severe this winter months, sign up with among the History Channel’s last 3 survivors of “Alone” on a winter months Trek. Kielyn and also Dave Marrone are Ontario’s leading winter months journey pair and also Kielyn climbed to popularity making it through virtually 100 days in the winter months wild all alone. Join them on a trip and also see what you are made from. We did a 10 outing with them on the Missinaibi and also it was grueling and also life-altering simultaneously. You don’t need to do 10 days however, take a look at their site to see what this right for you. Read regarding our experience at Expeditions are Glamorous in Retrospect
Stay in a Yurt
If that seems like way too much, invest an evening in a yurt rather. Before Dave and also I selected taking a trip full-time as our profession, we were considering buying a yurt and also living in the timbers. Strange, however real. Ontario Parks has lots of winter months outdoor camping where you can see what you are made from remaining outdoors in winter months. We have actually remained in a Yurt with Lure of the North and also we remained in a Yurt in Mongolia. It’s outstanding!
There are yurts offered in numerous Ontario parks consisting of Algonquin Park, Killarney, McGregor Point, and also the Pinery Provincial Park. This is an excellent method to discover winter months in Ontario. You can go snowshoeing, fat cycling, or treking throughout the day and afterwards head back to your comfy yurt in the evening. Check Ontario Parks for information. Read regarding our experience with Lure of the North A Day in the Life – An Extreme Winter Expedition
So there you have it, women and also gents. The finest points to do in Ontario in Winter. The past 2 years have actually been up in the air for traveling, however that doesn’t imply you can’t discover your very own yard. Winter can be enjoyable! All you require to do is outfit for it, attempt something brand-new and also have an open mind for a feeling of journey.
