Summer is here, and I feel guilty for every second I spend that’s not outside, enjoying this gorgeous weather. Instead of hanging around Detroit this weekend, I decided to head off to the Bruce Peninsula in Ontario.
The Bruce Peninsula is flanked by the Georgian Bay to the east, and Lake Huron to the west. It’s a designated UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, and once you enter you can absolutely see why. The blue waters of the Georgian Bay make you feel like you’re in the Caribbean (the temperature quickly brings your mind back to Canada), and the forests and cliffs along the water feel like a whole other world.
Admiring the blue waters of the Georgian Bay.
For accommodation, we decided to get an Airbnb in Wiarton, which is at the base of the Bruce Peninsula. From there, you can make your way up to the numerous National and Provincial Parks along the Peninsula. If I could do it again, I would stay somewhere in the middle. It takes around an hour to drive from Wiarton to the tip of the peninsula (Tobermory), which meant we couldn’t do as much as we wanted to on Sunday.
We decided to spend our Saturday up in Lion’s Head. This is a small town that has an access point to the Bruce Trail. The Bruce Trail runs along the Georgian Bay all the way up the peninsula. Lion’s Head is a great place to get a feel for the trail with a 10-mile loop that goes along the coast, and comes back in through the forest.
The trail was absolutely beautiful. We started off going through the forest first. The trees were tall, and so wonderfully green. We started off this way so we could save the best for last. After about an hour in the forest, we broke out and were able to catch a first glimpse of the Georgian Bay. As we walked along the coast, the views kept getting better and better from the multitude of lookout points. Seriously, it felt like every 100 feet there was another cliff to stand on and admire the water. We walked for another few hours along the coast, and eventually made it back to the car.
The start of our hike led us through this beautiful forest. Beware of the bugs, however!
One of the many pit stops we took along the Bruce trail. It was hard to resist those views!
Cliffs everywhere!
The loop itself takes around 6 hours to finish, and the trail head is located on Moore street in Lion’s Head. It’s not very difficult (minimal elevation gain), but you definitely spend a lot of time admiring the views. The rocks can get slippery, so make sure to bring shoes with good grips! There were also so many bugs in the forest, and we instantly regretted not bringing bug spray. There’s nowhere to stop and refill water bottles along the way, so make sure you bring enough to last you the six hours. I would also recommend long pants, as there was so much poison ivy along the path.
Once you’re done, make sure to head over to Marydale’s Family Restaurant in Lion’s Head. The food is delicious, and the service is amazing!
If you want to spend some time exploring Lion’s Head, they have kayaks available for rent to go into the Georgian Bay, and beach that you can relax on. They also have a lighthouse to see, and an observation deck. Lion’s Head is a dark sky reserve, so if you’re out at night and want to see the stars (including the Milky way), I would definitely check it out. We didn’t have the opportunity to go because it was cloudy, but we’ll be there next time!
This lighthouse is in the town of Lion’s head. It’s a small town, but definitely worth it to explore!
I would highly recommend this trail in the Bruce Peninsula! It’s a beautiful way to spend the day, and so so so worth the drive.
-nina
Buffalo Nina 