Vacation rentals in Huntsville

Gateway to Ontario’s “Cottage Country,” Huntsville is one of several communities comprising the Muskoka region north of Toronto. Forests, lakes, and provincial parks surround this town of about 20,000 residents, long popular as a weekend getaway from the city. The early-20th-century Canadian landscape artists known as the Group of Seven famously captured the Muskoka region in numerous paintings. Today, more than 90 murals in the Group of Seven Outdoor Gallery – replicas of the original artworks – decorate buildings throughout Huntsville and nearby communities. You can learn more about local history at Muskoka Heritage Place, which has a museum, a pioneer village, and a historic train. The best reasons to visit Huntsville, though, are to hike the trails, canoe the inland lakes, and explore the wilderness outside town. In winter, you can tackle a modest downhill ski slope, or navigate miles of cross-country skiing or snowshoeing routes.

Getting away to “the cottage” is a summer tradition in Ontario, which makes the warm summer peak season in the Huntsville area. Autumn colors are vibrant across the Muskoka region, so visit late September through mid-October to enjoy this vivid fall display. Huntsville and the provincial parks are especially busy on summer and fall weekends, so a midweek getaway is often a good alternative. Mosquitoes and pesky black flies can plague visitors in May and June; bring repellent or protective clothing if you’ll be outdoors here in the spring. For cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or other snow-season activities, visit between December and March. Algonquin and Arrowhead Provincial Parks stay open year-round, although park services are limited in winter.

Algonquin Provincial Park

Algonquin Provincial Park became Ontario’s first provincial park in 1893, and today, it’s one of the province’s most-visited outdoor destinations, whether you’re paddling the 1,200 miles (2,000 kilometres) of backcountry canoe routes or day-hiking the park’s trails. Distances along Highway 60, the main east-west road across the park, are marked in kilometres beginning at the park’s West Gate. The Algonquin Visitor Centre, which has a small exhibit area detailing the history of the park, is on the park’s east side at KM 43. For a break from your outdoor adventures, stop into the gallery at the Algonquin Art Centre, or learn about the importance of the logging industry to the region at the Algonquin Logging Museum.

Arrowhead Provincial Park

Closer to Huntsville, family-friendly Arrowhead Provincial Park is another wooded destination for hiking, canoeing, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, or swimming in one of the park’s lakes. When the weather turns cold, head off on cross-country skis or follow a groomed ice-skating trail through the forest.

Haliburton Sculpture Forest

To pair your outdoor adventures with a dose of culture, visit this sculpture park in the village of Haliburton, 60 miles (95 kilometres) southeast of Huntsville. Follow the trails through the woods to see the three dozen artworks across the grounds.