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Goin'6 Ontario's National & Provincial Park Loop

The "Golden Horseshoe", the wide swath of civilization that wraps around the western tip of Lake Ontario, contains close to a quarter of Canada's entire population. With Toronto at its commercial and cultural center, the horseshoe encompasses communities from Niagara Falls on the U.S./Canada border all the way up and around to Oshawa, east of Toronto. To the north, the horseshoe extends to Lake Huron's scenic Georgian Bay, a favorite summering destination for many of the area's residents. In fact, the entire region is blessed with convenient access to an assortment of National Parks, Provincial Parks and other natural wonders just waiting to be explored – one of the many considerations that help make this such an attractive place to visit.

Because the Golden Horseshoe represents such a tiny fraction of the Province's overall area, we've focused our attention on those Ontario points of interest just a few hours drive or less from Toronto. Along the way, we've identified some popular things to do, places to eat, and, of course, Motel 6 locations where you can get a good night's rest as you travel along this memorable loop.

Niagara Falls

Long before trans-oceanic flights whisked newlyweds off to tropical destinations from Barbados to Bali, Hollywood helped turn Niagara Falls into the original honeymooner's paradise. These days, it would be easy to dismiss this spectacular stretch of the Niagara River as some antiquated destination. But don't be fooled. Thanks to its raw power and sheer beauty, this natural wonder retains its full ability to leave even the most jaded adventurer standing in awe, as nearly 20 million visitors a year will attest.

Located on the U.S/Canada border about an hour-and-a-half drive southeast from Toronto and a mere 17 miles from Buffalo, Niagara Falls is divided into two main sections. The aptly named American Falls reside on the American side of the border, while the taller, wider and generally more spectacular Horseshoe Falls rest mostly on the Canadian side. A recent change in policy now requires you to have a passport if you wish to cross the border, so be sure to plan accordingly.

On the Canadian side, Niagara Falls, Ontario caters to a tourist audience with a wide range of draws. For starters, there's Queen Victoria Park – a favorite vantage point for visitors looking to enjoy the impressive Horseshoe Falls section from dry land. Skylon Tower is another crowd pleaser because of the elevated vantage point it provides. Bustling Clifton Hill is the area's main nighttime tourist hub thanks to its proximity to the Falls and its lively assortment of shops, restaurants and themed attractions. Now, If you've had enough water activity, you can always cozy up to a table at one of the area's two Casinos, Niagara Fallsview or Casino Niagara. Either way, it's a safer bet than the one that's lured a handful of daredevils to test their luck at going over the Falls in the customary barrel.

On the U.S. side of things, you can view the American Falls from Prospect Point Park, but better views of the Horseshoe Falls are found by making the journey by foot or by car to Goat Island, part of Niagara State Park. The Cave of the Winds tour is another highlight for many visitors. This elevator ride to the base of what's known as the Bridal Veil Falls section of Niagara Falls allows visitors to observe the cascading whitewater up close from a series of redwood decks.

The other Niagara Falls experience not to be missed is the legendary Maid of the Mist boat tour, which runs from late April through late October. On a hot summer day, there's no better way to experience the majesty of the Falls than with a drenching journey to within a stone's throw of its thunderous base. The Maid of the Mist operates from both sides of the border, making this an equal-opportunity thrill ride.

Georgian Bay Islands National Park

Two hours north of Toronto, in the southeast corner of Lake Huron's massive Georgian Bay, a collection of glacier-formed islands provides visitors with a geology lesson masquerading as a visual feast.

Accessible only by boat, Georgian Bay Islands National Park may lack the ready accessibility you desire, but it more than makes up for the inconvenience with its diverse wildlife and majestic stands of windswept pines towering above the rocky footholds that emerge from the Bay's cobalt blue waters.

For most, the adventure begins in Port Severn at the Park's Welcome Centre. From there, you'll have to find your own transport to the islands. If you're a visitor who doesn't have their own boat in tow, you'll rely on either a private water taxi service (of which there are many) or you'll want to make a reservation to use the Park's Daytripper service.

Departing from Honey Harbor, Daytripper service takes you to dazzling Beausoleil Island, the largest in the Park and also its finest example of the differences in geology created by the presence of the Canadian Shield. No, it's not some special unit of The Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The Canadian Shield refers to a massive plate of largely exposed bedrock that covers much of north central Canada, defining the landscape and the types of life it can support.

On Beausoleil, the edge of the Shield passes through the Island, dividing it into two distinct landforms. The north end is characterized by familiar rock outcroppings laced with a thin covering of topsoil that allows the Park's signature Pine groves to flourish in a harsh, windy area that might otherwise seem barren. Trek along the Cambrian Trail to enjoy an excellent view of this terrain. To the south, the section of Beausoleil Island that lies beyond the reach of the Shield is blanketed by a lush hardwood forest that becomes a major tourist draw come Autumn, when the seasons change and an explosion of fall colors ensues.

While Georgian Bay Islands National Park is open year round, summer is its busiest season and boat traffic in the area can become considerable, especially on weekends. Still, with more than 60 islands to choose from, there's always an opportunity to enjoy some portion of the Park in relative seclusion.

Bruce Peninsula and Fathom Five National Parks

Travel four hours by car heading northwest from Toronto and you'll reach a spit of land that separates the Georgian Bay from the rest of Lake Huron – the Bruce Peninsula.

Like the Georgian Bay Islands 100 or so miles to the southeast, the Bruce Peninsula boasts its own National Park that's both a place of enduring natural beauty and an excellent location for witnessing evidence of the geologic forces that helped shaped the region, in this case the mighty Niagara Escarpment.

After providing the elevation differential that helps create Niagara Falls, the Niagara Escarpment is hardly finished. It arches around the southern edge of Lake Ontario, before continuing northward up through Lake Huron to form the Bruce Peninsula. Here, bursting forth as sheer-faced ribbons of limestone covered in deep evergreen forests and old-growth cedars, the Escarpment greets the waters of Lake Huron in a succession of dramatic cliffs and rock-strewn beaches. The visual impact of this unique landscape is enough to justify the Escarpment's lofty nickname, "Ontario's Great Wall", and Bruce Peninsula National Park provides some ideal viewing opportunities.

Enjoying the area's scenic beauty is a feat easily achieved on foot or by boat. Kayaking and canoeing are both popular activities within the Park's boundaries, and hiking along trails that connect to Ontario's 500-mile Bruce Trail is another favorite way to savor the Peninsula's intoxication mixture of beaches, forests, wetlands, wildflowers and migratory birds.

The Visitor Centre in the village of Tobermory provides reception services for both Bruce Peninsula National Park and Fathom Five National Marine Park, which occupies a small portion of the Peninsula's extreme northeast tip and the adjoining islands just offshore.

Appealing largely to scuba enthusiasts who come to dive the shipwrecks that this mostly underwater park is charged with preserving, Fathom Five still has plenty to offer a non-diving audience. With glass bottom boats leaving regularly from Tobermory, you don't have to dip so much as a toe to discover the secrets of the depths – sights like Sweepstakes, the turn-of-the-century schooner whose nearly in-tact condition makes it the Park's most celebrated wreck. Flowerpot Island, named for the evocative rock pillars that line its shore, is another highlight for Fathom Five visitors who'd rather not suck their oxygen from a tank. But enjoyed wet or dry, the Bruce Peninsula and Fathom Five Parks are certain to leave you breathless.

Algonquin Provincial Park

Approximately 3 hours north northeast of Toronto, Highway 60 carves a path through the southern section of one of Ontario's most cherished nature preserves, Algonquin Provincial Park.

Designated Canada's first Provincial Park back in 1893, the Algonquin wilderness enjoys a long and storied history. Created to protect and manage the area's wealth of natural resources, Algonquin has been an active and important part of Ontario's lumber industry for more than a century. Logging activity continues today, albeit in a way that rarely intrudes on the enjoyment of visitors who flock here to kayak, canoe, camp, fish, mountain bike, horseback ride, cross country ski or hike the Park's majestic interior in relative seclusion.

In the north, the Park is characterized by rugged coniferous forests, while the south is largely deciduous, turning it ablaze in color each fall. Adding to the Park's brilliant foliage, you'll find more than 2,400 lakes and countless rivers, brooks and streams – a wilderness that inspired famed Canadian landscape artist Tom Thomson to make Algonquin his base of operations right up until his mysterious death on the Park's Canoe Lake back in 1917. Whether it was a canoeing accident or murder is still open to speculation. What's not debatable is the impact that Algonquin had on Thomson's work, or on the art of the famed Group of Seven landscape impressionists who would continue Thomson's love affair with Algonquin and create their own Canadian impressionist movement.

Nowadays, the vast majority of Park access comes through the Highway 60 corridor, where you'll find visitor facilities that help enhance your stay by recounting the rich Human and Natural History of the Park. Accessible all year long, Park activity peaks in summer with August's weekly wolf howls, a popular Natural Heritage Education program, providing a truly memorable outdoor experience, assuming that these elusive packs are in a cooperative mood and can be located by Park staff.