Ontario is the perfect playground for outdoor adventurers. With 330 parks covering more than 9 million hectares and 400,000 lakes and rivers to explore, adrenalin junkies won’t be disappointed.
There are many ways to enjoy the great outdoors in Ontario. Witness our magnificent landscapes by water or with your feet firmly on the ground. Observe the diversity of wildlife on expert-led guided tours and cast for more varieties of fish than you ever imagined. Visit countless spectacular parks and golf where the scenery is way above par. Warm up in winter with a flurry of pulse-raising activities and cool down in the summer with a plunge into the water at one of our freshwater beaches. With so many opportunities to tap into your inner explorer, Ontario has just the adventure that you were looking for.
Experience: Canoeing & Kayaking More Water Adventures Land Adventure Rail & Air
Canoeing and Kayaking
Ontario is one of the top destinations for canoeing and kayaking. With 400,000 sparkling lakes and rivers and the longest network of canoe and kayak routes in the world, Ontario offers something for everyone from the absolute beginner to the seasoned paddler. Come empty handed and Outfitters situated near parks throughout the province will supply you with all of your kit, including food, equipment and boat rental; they can teach you the basics or take you on guided tours.
For an interesting day out, explore the Heritage Rivers of Ontario, steeped in history with earlier uses by Aboriginal peoples, voyageurs and fur traders. For pure pleasure, go up a lazy river through rolling countryside and rare Carolinian forests on the Grand River, only an hour west of Toronto, with stretches that will appeal to every level of canoeist or kayaker. Take on Northern Ontario’s mighty Mattawa River with a backdrop of soaring black granite cliffs jutting from the shore. Or thrill to the rushing rapids and narrow chutes along the French River which flows through the rugged Canadian Shield.
Kayak on Georgian Bay with the rugged beauty of the 30,000 Islands as a backdrop. Witness the timeless beauty of the wild and rocky coast of Lake Superior, which has quickly become one of North America’s sea kayaking hot spots. Challenge a tangled network of over 500 crystalline lakes and rivers in Quetico Provincial Park – once water routes for the Ojibwa and fur traders, and considered one of the world’s greatest canoeing and camping wilderness adventures.
Ontario's preferred canoe and kayak companies form the Paddling Ontario Alliance. Together, they offer an incredible variety of experiences, from weekend getaways to wilderness expeditions.
More Water Adventures
All over the province, in cities and in the countryside, you will find narrated cruises where you can enjoy the scenery and learn about history. Marvel at the magnificent 1000 Islands in the St Lawrence River in Eastern Ontario or the equally resplendent 30,000 Islands in Georgian Bay. Board the R.M.S. Segwun – the oldest continually operating steamship in North America – for a voyage on the beautiful lakes in Muskoka where you’ll sail past the palatial homes and cottages on Millionaire’s Row. Cruise into the past on historic canals, like the Rideau and Trent-Severn, representing some of the greatest engineering feats in the world. Learn of local legends and days gone by on the MS Kenora in the Lake of the Woods in Northwestern Ontario. Many more choices await you.
Experience the spine-tingling rush of whitewater rafting on the Ottawa River; child-friendly tours make rafting a great option for families. In the Kingston area, dive among century old shipwrecks. Near Tobermory, explore sea caves and shipwrecks in the crystal-clear waters of Fathom Five National Marine Park - or view the sunken ships from a glass-bottom boat tour. Be exhilarated on an hour-long ride on a Niagara Whirlpool Jet Boat, taking you right to the edge of the rumbling, tumbling Whirlpool Rapids.
Land Adventure
Ontario offers a multitude of ways to play in our spectacular outdoors – from hundreds of hiking and cycling trails to beaches, spelunking adventures and guided eco-tours.
Take a leisurely stroll or pedal along our urban waterfront trails or the Toronto Islands. Lace up your boots and trek the spectacular Bruce Trail - Canada’s oldest and longest footpath, which winds all the way from Queenston to Tobermory along the Niagara Escarpment – designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Region. Take a more rugged route on wilderness trails in Muskoka, Georgian Bay and further north, where guides are often available. Follow historic canals like the Rideau on foot or bicycle. Go on Hummer tours at Blue Mountain Resort or a Segway Tour at Horseshoe Resort. Or bask away the day on one of our spectacular beaches like Sandbanks Provincial Park and Wasaga Beach – the longest freshwater beach in the world.
Delve into Ontario’s geological and natural history on an eco-adventure tour at the Scenic Caves Nature Adventures near Collingwood. Go deep into caverns. Get a bird’s-eye view of Georgian Bay along the tree tops of a suspension bridge, and fly back to earth on a 300-ft. zip line. For more eco-adventures, try the Haliburton Forest and Wildlife Reserve, Horseshoe Resort north of Barrie, Bonnechere Caves near Eaganville, and many others.
ATVing is a popular and exhilarating experience in Ontario. Well-maintained trails and all-terrain vehicle recreational networks operate in the Eastern Ontario, Mattawa, Elliot Lake, Parry Sound and Cochrane areas of the province.
Rail and Air
Whether you want to experience the incredible beauty of Ontario by rail or fly above it all, Ontario can offer you a whole array of train and aerial adventures.
Discover rugged landscapes and pristine wilderness on the Agawa Canyon Tour Train from Sault Ste. Marie – a magnificent rail excursion, even in winter when it’s called the Snow Train. View fall’s showy colours aboard the Dream Catcher Express train as it journeys from North Bay to Temagami, where you can tour an Aboriginal village and sample native culture. Board the Polar Bear Express in Cochrane and journey through the Arctic watershed. Arrive in Moosonee and ferry over to historic Moose Factory where you can learn about its first peoples at Cree Village. And if you simply want to travel around Ontario by train, many of our cities and towns are connected by Via Rail or Ontario Northland.
Float like a cloud on a hot air balloon voyage over scenic areas like the Hockley Valley and Elora Gorge, or drift silently over Ottawa’s Parliament Hill. Get a birds-eye-view of Toronto, Niagara Falls, Ottawa and many other places on a helicopter tour. Fly-in directly to a resort or soar high over deep, clear waters and thousands of pine-clad islands on a float plane tour of Georgian Bay.
