Review: Algonquin Provincial Park. Drive Through

Estimated Drive time from Toronto: 3 hours 30 minutes.
Map:

View Algonquin Provincial Park. Drive through in a larger map
Description: It is definitely not the best option to experience Algonquin by rushing through. But you can get a glimpse of what you will experience when camping in Algonquin during one of the beautiful summer long weekends. This post is about driving from Toronto to Ottawa or from Ottawa to Toronto through Algonquin Provincial Park. The point is that if you try to make the route using google maps between these 2 points then driving on the highway of Heroes "401"
Ottawa - Toronto:
450 km – about 4 hours 38 mins
Move the route to highway 60 through Algonquin Provincial Park and you get:
567 km – about 6 hours 22 mins
So as a matter of distance it is 120 km, which is much less than if you decided to drive through Algonquin Provincial Park, and you had to drive all the way to the park and back. If you ever researched a great autumn drives in Ontario, then you probably stumbled upon this one as being one of the finest. To tell the truth Algonquin is amazing in summer too. I would probably caution to drive through Algonquin in winter though, as those roads are probably not plowed too frequently.

Activities: So if you decide to drive through Algonquin instead of Highway of Heroes, what can you do there besides driving. 6 hours drive is a long one, so you probably need to stretch a bit along the way.
First of all if you decide to stop anywhere in Algonquin then you need to ensure that you stop at either gate and buy a vehicle permit. A vehicle permit will cost you around 15 CAD, but it will avoid you a ticket of around 150 CAD, in case you park anywhere in Algonquin and you fail to leave a valid vehicle permit on your window shield.

• For children: One of the stops should probably be the Algonquin Visitor Center located at kilometer 43 in the park. (km 43 is clearly marked on the road and it shows the distance from the west gate.)
Visitor Center is a nice museum along with good book store focused on Algonquin Provincial Park history, vegetation and animal life. The museum has natural size moose, bears, an exhibition where you can see how the beavers live and has lots of informational documentaries about the animal life that is completely forgotten when you are somewhere in a city and all you hear about is that stocks are going up or down.

 
• Hiking:
If you decide to go on a trail, pick up an "information guide" at the gate. You will find a list of all the trails, their length and their difficulty on the back of the paper. Beaver Pond trail (km 45) and Algonquin Logging museum (km 54.5), are relatively easy and small. Either of the trails will only sparkle a glimpse of Algonquin beauty and wilderness. If you are luck, you may spot a beaver at the beaver pond.
• Fishing:Fishing is allowed in Algonquin following the Provincial fishing regulations. Fishing probably is out of question for a drive though though Algonquin though.

• Photography:Even in the short time in Algonquin, you will find enough scenery to shoot, so definitely take the camera along.
• Camping:Camping for a few days along the highway 60 corridor will give you the opportunity to fish, hike, ride the bike, take a canoe trip or just enjoy yourself in one of the wildest places in south Ontario. The highway 60 corridor, presents around 20 hiking trails of various length and difficulty level and 10 campgrounds to choose from. There are a couple of lakes that allow motor boats with limited power, but most of the lakes will require no type of engine to be started on the lake. They are quiet and splendid in the early mornings. For most information on Algonquin camping stay tuned, as a separate post will be submitted.
• Picnicking:There are plenty of picnic tables along the highway 60 corridor. I would suggest to stop by the lake of 2 rivers as it opens a splendid scenery and it is right on the highway 60. You need to have a vehicle permit to stop anywhere in Algonquin.
• Canoe rental: There are a couple of companies operating canoe rentals in Algonquin. They would also rent out mountain bikes and would offer water taxi to Algonquin interior. If you are camping on the highway 60 corridor, they will offer you discounts and may even bring the rented canoe to your campsite. Phone coverage is limited to none in Algonquin, but there are paid Bell phone boths at the entrance in the campgrounds.Opeongo lake and Canoe lake offer canoe, bike rentals, and gasoline. You could also get some snacks at Opeongo lake or at lake of Two Rivers. For Canoe Routes check out the book from amazon.com

Verdict:

• Children: Children may get tired during such a long trip.
• Camping: Camping is definitely great in Algonquin. One thing that you may experience is that even a few days are not sufficient to cover even 10% of what is available along the corridor only.
• Day trip: To make this as a day trip from either destination, makes it a trip that is too long for one day. Having this planned along something else that had to be done anyway (like a trip to Ottawa and then returning back) is probably a good option if you catch good weather.

Official website:
Algonquin Provincial Park Algonquin Provincial Park's 7,630 square kilometres of forests, lakes, and rivers have assumed an almost incalculable importance as a living link with a vanishing past.
Photos:



Do your own research:



Any comments, suggestions or questions, add in the comments area.

Review: 1000 Islands Cruise with Gananoque Boat Line. Call of the wild 1 hour cruise.

Estimated Drive time from Toronto: 3 - 4 hours.
Map: There is no map on the web to summarize all the routes of the available cruises from different starting points in 1000 islands area. When you google 1000 islands, you will find cruises from Kingston, Gananogue, Ivy Lea and Rockport. So what is 1000 islands? Where does it start? What do I need to visit in order to experience 1000 islands?
Below I have tried to summarize the routes of the cruises from different starting points.(Kingston is on the left/west)  There are many assumptions in the map, as it is based on the descriptions of the routes provided on various web sites. If you find that the map could be improved, add a comment or send me a message.The main purpose of this map is to give you visibility of what the routes look like and choose the one that fits best be cruise length and what it offers.

View 1000 Islands Cruises in a larger map
Description: So what is 1000 islands?
The 1000 Islands Region is an international tourism destination, encompassing communities on both sides of the US and Canada border along the St. Lawrence River and the eastern shores of Lake Ontario. The region takes its name from the more than 1000 islands that dot the lake and Lawrence river along this international waterway. You can find the shortest international bridge, castles, and million dollar properties along the cruise. The interesting historical fact is that most of the islands have been sold for a symbolic price of 1 -2 dollars, and their value has risen significantly since then.
When I visited 1000 islands I was always confused about which option would give you the best value. In the end I took the 1 hour cruise on the Gananogue boat line. I took this cruise, not because it is the best cruise out there, but it fit best in my schedule. So what is 1000 islands cruise and how many are out there? What would be the best boat line or what is the best value? The answer is not simple as each cruise or boat have specific options that may be better than the other boat line. If you definitely want to see the castles, then you have to take the long cruise from Ganannogue, or either of th cruises from Ivy Lea or Rockport. On the other hand you can only get the "Call of the Wild" cruise from Gananogue. I mostly read about the cruises from Kinston, and they did not seem to be too impressive, as they mostly reveal Kingston from st Lawrence rive angle.  There are plenty of historical attractions in Kingston area, but they can also be reached by car, in my opinion.
Here is an introduction of what may be expected on the 2.5 hours cruise from Ganagoque.

Activities: If you plan to take a longer vacation around 1000 islands then you will have to research what other activities are available in 1000 islands area. This post is solely focused on the 1000 islands cruises. Here are a few links for additional research:
CRUISE AND DISCOVER ALL THE ISLANDS! Gananoque IS the 1000 Islands!
1000 Islands Cruises Gananoque Boat Line Ontario boat cruises and tours including Boldt Castle
Kingston, Ontario Tour 1000 Islands Cruise Lines

• For children:
Although the cruise is called Call of the Wild, the cruise itself will take you in places that are not so wild. It takes you mostly around million dollar properties (even an island without any property would be valued in millions of dollars). The cruise is relatively monotonic from the children perspective. A shorter cruise may be more suitable for families with toddlers and preschool aged children.
• Photography:
There is plenty of natural attractions and nice properties along the cruise route. Definitely take the camera along.
• Picnicking:
There are cruises starting off from Ganagoque or Rock port that would offer a sunset dinner on board of the ship. Other lunch options are also available. Check out the official web site for the latest lunch offers.

Verdict:

• Children:
The cruise is usually boring or children. If you think that this may be the case with your children then you may want to choose shorter cruises. If you want to see the castles on your cruise, check out the 1 and 1.5 hours cruises from Ivy Lea and Rockport. The destination castles are very close to the points where you start from. I think that base on the descriptions, the 2.5 hours cruise from Ganagoque mostly overlaps with 3 hour cruise from Rockport, so depending on which port is closer to you would could choose either of the boat lines.
• Day trip:
It may be a little tiring to drive 4 hours one way and 4 hours the other way and be on a cruise for 2 - 3 hours. Besides if you happen to get in a traffic jam along the way, you may miss the cruise or you may have to take a different cruise (shorter or longer). Plan to be at destination at least an hour before the cruise to allow some time for unforeseen events. The cruise is definitely worth it, but it is probably best if you could plan it to be over a period of a weekend.

Official website:
Gananogue/Ivy Lea Boat Line Ontario boat cruises and tours including Boldt Castle
Kingston Boat Line
Rockport Boat Line
Boldt Castle
Other attractions in 1000 islands area


Photos:


Here are coupons for the cruises:
Rockport cruise coupons
Ganannogue boat line coupons
Look for other coupons or offers in the area when you plan to visit the area over a longer period of time.

Do your own Research:

Any comments, suggestions or questions, add in the comments area.

Review: Webster's Falls and Tews Falls

Estimated Drive time from Toronto: 1 hour 30 minutes
Map:

View Webster's Falls and Tews Falls in a larger map
Description: If you happen to search on Hamilton Waterfalls you will find at least a dozen waterfalls in Hamilton area. Some of the waterfalls in the list may get dry during the hot summer months. The largest of them is the Webster's waterfall. At a hiking distance from the Webster's waterfall the Tews waterfall is dropping its water from a height close to the well known Niagara Falls. There is plenty of parking when you arrive to the falls. You usually have to pay for the entrance and then you are guided to a parking spot which could be somewhere on the grass in case the main parking lot is full.

Activities:

• For children: There are various games organized throughout the day at the falls. But the main attraction probably should not be the games that could easily be played somewhere in the back yard or on a public court. People come here for the roar of the falls, that though can not be compared to Niagara falls, gives you a completely different experience.  The part that I liked about these falls is that you can enjoy the falls from a relatively close distance, whereas the power of Niagara falls gets you scared even at a reputable distance.

• Hiking:The parking lot seemed to be closer to Webster's falls, so we visited this waterfall first. There is a trail that leads to the bottom of the waterfall on the right side of the waterfall. The steps are pretty abrupt as it should be expected from a descend at a waterfall, so please be extra vigilant. When you are at the bottom of the falls, don't drop you guard as most of the rocks are very slippery. There is lot's of moist in the air so you will need something to clean your lenses in case you want to snap a few pictures.The trail does not end at the bottom of the falls. For complete trail information and what state it is in, ask for a guide when you arrive at the falls. When you are done with this fall, you have to go back up to the top of the fall and walk back to the parking lot. Do not stick too much to the right as you will miss the trail to the Tews fall. The Tews fall is about 15-20 minutes walk from Webster's fall. It has less water volume, but is much higher. There is a great lookout at the Tews fall.

• Photography:Both Tews fall and Webster's fall open scenic lookouts and amazing views. As mentioned before, being at the bottom of Webster's fall may require you to have something to keep cleaning the lens.

• Picnicking: There is a wide open area at the top of the Webster's falls. There are fast food booths in the area. Most people bring some snacks from home and find some shady place for lunch. I do not remember to have seen picnic tables, so you may want to bring something to substitute a table along.

Verdict:

• Children:Some children may find the falls a great place to visit. Others may prefer other attractions like Ontario Place or Centreville Amusment Park from the Toronto Island. However visiting the falls is a great family experience in general.

• Day trip: Being so close to Toronto and not getting dry in the summer months makes Webster's falls a great destination for a sunny summer weekend. There are other waterfalls in the area, if you have time for more sightseeing. We got tires after visiting 2 waterfalls, so we headed back to Toronto.

Official website:
Webster's falls web site provides a lot of historical facts an information on the trails around the waterfalls. You can also find a list of links to the other waterfalls in Hamilton area.
Photos:

Any comments, suggestions or questions, add in the comments area.

Review: Riverdale Farm, Toronto

Estimated Drive time from Toronto: 0 hours
Map:

View Riverdale Farm in a larger map
Description: Do you feel that it is difficult to explain what the animals look like based on children books or pictures? Even if the pictures are realistic, does he or she realize what is the size of that cow compared to that rabbit? Riverdale farm gives the opportunity to see various animals absolutely free in a farm environment. You could take your child to see when the cows are milked, or to see small piglets. You could also stroll along the naturally preserved ponds and catch a glimpse of turtles warming up in the sun in a early sunny spring day. What's best is that you do not have to leave the city to visit the farm.

Activities:

• For children: Children can mostly observe animals, pat them and be active. This could be an weekend when children could have fun and learn something new about the friendly animals from the Riverdale Farm.

• Hiking: The farm is not extremely large, but not small either. The size of the farm will give a little opportunity to hike, although it can not be measured in miles.
• Photography:This could probably be a great opportunity for children to learn taking pictures. There are many cuddly animals that they could pat and then shoot a few pictures of. Later on they could enjoy watching the picture at home on the large computer monitor.
• Picnicking: You may get hungry if you spend half a day at Riverdale farm. I have not noticed any food booths or coffee shops in the area. If you look at the map, the farm is located in a residential area. You could probably grab some snack along.

Verdict:

• Children:This is an absolutely free attraction right next to Don Valley Parkway. Children would definitely enjoy visiting the farm, although most children brought to the farm are in toddler and preschool age. I would expect little fun for teens at the farm.
• Day trip: Riverdale farm makes a great day trip even if you decide to visit to go later in the day.

Official website:
I do not know if an official web site exists. Friends of Riverdale Farm seems to be a decent web site to obtain additional information about the farm and the schedule.
Photos:

Any comments, suggestions or questions, add in the comments area.

Review: Toronto Island

Estimated Drive time from Toronto: 0 hours
Map:


View Toronto Center Island in a larger map

Description:
Toronto Island can be reached only from the city core (or by private boat from anywhere). You need either to drive to downtown and park your car in a green parking lot, or take TTC and exit at Union station. You may also take a tram for a few stations more south from the Union station, or you could hike. Expect the lines to be long at the ferry during the hot months of summer especially during the nice weekends when the weather of most previous weekends was bad. Most of activities on Toronto Island include the fun at the centreville amusement park, splashing in the warm shallow water on the beach or building sand castles. Other people prefer to rent a bicycle and ride it all around the island. There are mostly special bicycles on the island which can be ridden by 1, 2, 3 or 4 people. The are a few food courts too, in case you get hungry.



Activities:

• For children: Amusement park is the primary attraction for children. I could say that there are plenty of attractions for 36 inch children at centreville which contrasts with most of the attactions available at its neighboring Ontario Place where most of the attractions start at 42 inches. If you wonder what am I talking about, it means that you probably haven't visited any attractions in Canada. In Canada, for any attraction there is a minimum and sometimes a maximum height at which a child is permitted on the ride.
  
  
  
  The attractions in Centreville are so various that they should please any toddler or pre-school aged child. There is probably not too much thrill or fun for older 7 - 9 years old children in the centreville.
  
   The centreville access is free and you pay per attractions only. Please take into account that even if a ticket is a few cents, there is no attraction that requires one ticket only. Many attractions require 3, 4 or 6 tickets for a ride. Centreville also has all day passes that can be bought individually. The best value is to buy a all day pass for your children and 10-15 rides worth of tickets for an accompanying adult for the rides that require an adult in case the child is under a certain height, if you are not too much into all the chu - chu train rides. For the most part the attractions do not require an adult and may be limited by the upper height, so an adult would not be permitted on the ride even with a all day pass.
  
  If you happen to be on the beach, then there are sprinkles and a large playground a little bit north from the shallow water beach. There are also plenty of picnic tables in that area and a pleasant shade coming from the old trees on stifling sunny days.
  

• Hiking:There are a few hiking trails along the lake shore and in the park. The lakeshore trails have to be shared with bikes that are only allowed along the lake shore trail.
• Fishing: I heard people go fishing in the channels of the Toronto island. From what I understand most of the fishing is catch and release, not because of the regulations, but because people do not want to test how the city pollution affects the fish, which in turn affects consumer health.
• Photography:Most of the photography will be focused on the little ones in the Centreville in case there is a little one around. Otherwise there are a few scenic landscapes, that may still require you to take the camera with you. For example there are few places in Toronto that would allow you to take a picture of the downtown from somewhere on the lake. CN Tower and the downtown look amazing from the Toronto Island.

• Camping: There is a small village on the east side of the islands. There is an airport on the west side of the island. People do not tend to camp on the island and there is no official camp site.
• Picnicking:There are plenty of picnic tables in the shade, and there are also plenty of people using them. I have a feeling that there are plenty of people coming to the island for a picnic only.
• Bikes rental:Riding a bike on Toronto Island makes you feel in 18th century. You ride the bike and there is no motorist honking and noone cutting corners rushing somewhere. You can ride your own bike or rent a bike on the centre island. If you decide to take your own bike to Toronto Island, you should check with the ferry schedule. There are times when bikes are not allowed on the ferries going to center island.

Verdict:

• Children: It is a lot of fun for children whether to visit the centreville amusement park or just to jump and splash under the sprinles. Teens may prefer other attractions aroumd Toronto and centreville amusement park is mostly focused on toddler - preschool ages with few attractions for teens.
• Camping: No Camping.
• Day trip: It is a good place to visit when you wake up one sunny weekend and realized that you had no plans for such a great day.

Official website:
Center Island official web site.


Photos:




Any comments, suggestions or questions, add in the comments area.

Review: Rockwood Conservation Area

Estimated Drive time from Toronto: 1 hour 30 minutes
Map:

View Rockwood Conservation Area in a larger map

Description: Rockwood gives you the opportunity to feel close to being in Algonquin provincial park and at the same time having to drive a little more than an hour away from Toronto. Rockwood provincial park is on the Grand River and as most conservation areas on Grand River, it is also on Niagara Escarpment. The splendid trail gives you the opportunity to see the glaciers at work millions of years ago. One amazing thing that you may find is that the beauty of the Rockwood trail quickly fades as soon as you reach the its end at the old mill. It is as if by magic all the cliffs and rocky areas change to fields, that have no smallest resemblance of the beauty that is within the conservation area.

Activities:

• For children: There is playground area right next to the parking lot. Giving the fact that it is fairly away from the beach and the fact that it is in the almost opposite direction when walking from the parking lot, it is empty most of the time. The playground has no trees around which makes it really hot to be around in the middle of the day. Children however have plenty of activities on the shallow beach. The usual activities are playing ball, splashing in the water, frees bees and building sand castles.
• Hiking: Rockwood opens one of the most majestic hiking trails to an avid hiker. The trail has a couple of entry points. One entry point starts at the bottom of the parking lot and leads directly into the wilderness of the trail. The second entry point is right next to the canoe rental booth. This second entry point will take you on a steep hill and then down on a similarly abrupt cliff. For the most part of the trail you will find green water lagoons, lookouts with ragged horizon and an opening that resembles a cave. You will also find an abandoned mill at the end of the trail. The trail is not circular, so for the most part of the way back you will be on the same trail

• Fishing:Most of the people fishing at Rockwood, fish on the opposite bank of the lake.
• Photography: Take your camera when you go hiking. There are splendid scenic lookouts throughout the trail. The woods also provide you with enough scenery to keep a photographer busy.

• Camping: being fairly close to Toronto, I would rather drive in the morning and come back in the evening. The location however is great even for a couple of camping nights.
• Picnicking: It gets fairly busy in the picnic area giving the proximity to Toronto. If you would like to have a picnic table in high season, you should rather wake up early in the morning. You should be prepared to share your area with many other people who may arrive later and "park" right next to you.

• Canoe rental: On the left side of the beach there is a canoe rental. Canoes give you an extra opportunity to enjoy the scenic landscape from the lake. Given the fact that it is a fairly small conservation area, a couple of hours should be sufficient for anyone to roam the entire area.

Verdict:

• Children:Children may require assistance when on the trail over the abrupt cliffs. The beach area is fairly shallow, and gives plenty of opportunities to keep them busy all day long.
• Camping: I haven't been camping to Rockwood, but some of the campsites seemed to be fairly close to day use area. There should be some more private campsites further away. I would choose a location further away from Toronto for camping in order to enjoy some quiet time. As Rockwood is meerly 1 hour away from Toronto and it gets fairly busy during the day, it may not be the best bet for a long weekend camping trip.
• Day trip: I would definitely recommend going on a all day long trip to Rockwood, of course if you are prepared to share some of the picnic area with strangers. If you prefer privacy however, you should pick up a nice day later in the fall. The beauty is just the same, but you will probably not go swimming.

Official website:
Rockwood Conservation Area
Photos:

Review: Elora Quarry Conservation Area

Estimated time from Toronto: 2 hours.
Map:


View Larger Map

Description:
The most striking thing when visiting Elora Quarry is that one would always expect a conservation area to be somewhere away from an inhabited area. While driving towards Elora Quarry we thought that we missed a turn or probably are heading in the wrong direction. The best thing could be that out GPS maps were outdated. The point that I am trying to make is that the GPS may still be saying that there are 500 m left to your destination, but you are still driving somewhere in Elora and you have buildings on both sides of the road.

Elora Quarry is a small quarry with vertical cliffs all around and a small beach between Grand River and the quarry. I have never read the history of the quarry, but the vertical cliffs looked artificial.



Activities:

• For children: There is little activity for children at Elora Quarry. We did not see and playground in the area, and the quarry was fairly deep. There is no patrol on the beach, and the beach itself is small. The beach is around 30 -40 meters wide with cliffs on both sides.

• Hiking: As I mentioned the quarry is in Elora. You could rather go shopping or to a museum after plunging in the quarry than go hiking. There is however a little hiking opportunity that can be done around the Quarry. It started raining cats and dogs when we visited to Elora Quarry, se we had no chance to actually hit the trail.
• Fishing: The grand river is right next to the quarry and the catch and release restrictions are in effect when fishing in the grand river in this area

• Photography: The best pictures are probably  the ones from the official site. Some pictures from the air would probably be amazing too. Usual photographer is usually limited by the fact that you need an extra wide angle lens to take a picture of the quarry
• Camping: No camping is available
• Picnicking: Picnicking is limited to the area around the beach.

Verdict:

• Children:It is worth visiting the quarry one time or two even with children. You have to be extra careful however when visiting with children and the cliffs are high and the quarry is deep. Although officially it is not permitted to jump from the cliffs, many teens would keep jumping in the deep water from the nearby cliffs. Many would also climb the cliffs which looked risky.
• Camping: No camping
• Day trip: I would rather prefer to visit Elora Gorge which is right next to the quarry if swimming is not intended to be the primary activity when visiting the conservation area. The time on the road would be approximately the same

Official website:
Elora Quarry Conservation Area

Photos

Elora Quarry

Please add correction and suggestions in the comments area

Review: Elora Gorge Conservation Area

Estimated Drive time from Toronto: 2 hours

Map:
View Larger Map

Description: Although I have only visited Elora Gorge in early fall, I found it beautiful in this season. The colors of the ever greens mixed with maple sugar reds and yellows give you the feeling that this is one of the most beautiful and spectacular natural area in the Grand River valley.

Activities:

• For children: There is a nice, but fairly dusty playground right next to the picnic area. There are basketball hoops a few meters away. The picnic area is an open area and ball games, frees bees and other children activities are common.

• Hiking: Although there are hiking trails away from the gorge, the most popular and the most spectacular trails are right on the edge of the gorge or even in the gorge. The gorge is high and although it is fenced, extra care is suggested if visiting with children. There are many lookout points where you would feel hanging right on top of the gorge. If you are on the left side of the gorge while visiting (where the picnic area is and the children playground), and you have enough energy to hike to the right side of the gorge then you have to walk down the river until the first bridge, then you could hike back up the river. This could be very rewarding when the water is low, as the trail will take you right into the gorge. The experience is different looking up from the gorge at the vertical cliffs around you, than looking down from the edges of the cliff from the other side. The rapids in some areas are pretty fast, and the edges could be slippery, so keep an eye on the children.

• Swimming: Although the official site cites swimming, I have never been swimming in the area. I would rather expect people to come here for hiking end picnicking than swimming. If you visit one day and think that still have time for swimming then you could drive to the nearby Elora Quarry for swimming.
• Fishing: Fishing is allowed under catch and release program in attempt to preserve the trout population.
• Photography: Elora gorge is great for photography enthusiasts. Whether from the top of the cliff or from the bottom of the gorge the views are spectacular and an avid photographer will not be disappointed. Make sure that the batteries are charged before you visit Elora gorge and that you have enough extra storage just in case you decide to take extra pictures.

• Camping: Elora gorge has many camping sites. I have walked past the campsites in fall and they were all empty. The reason may be that you could have a great time during a one day visit, so there is little reason to camp there. The privacy of the campsites seemed to be really limited as the hiking trail is right next to camping sites.
• Picnicking: There are many picnic places and there is plenty of activities for children right next to picnic places to define this place as one of the best picnic areas.

• Tubing: You could rent tubes from up the river and go for a thrill ride for about 2 km.

Verdict: This is an marvelous place to visit during a weekend. It is best for hiking, photography and picnicking.

• Children: The conservation area picnic area is very good if you visit with children. On the trail, however, parents or guardians must keep a close watch on children at all times.
• Camping: There are other great places for camping close to Toronto.
• Day trip: The conservation area is a good place for a one day trip. It takes 2 hours to drive from Toronto and 2 hours to drive back. To make most of it, you should plan to head to Elora Gorge early in the morning.

Photos



Official website:
For detailed information on pricing, open season or address visit:
Elora Gorge Conservation Area





Place activities suggestions or corrections in the comments section.

Support us. Link to us

Thank you for choosing to support and promote tourism in Ontario. If you like the contents of this blog and would like to support it add a link to us in your webpage.

Ontario Explorer

<a href="http://www.ontarioexplorer.blogspot.com" title="Ontario Explorer">Ontario Explorer</a>

Ontario Gems Reviews

<a href="http://www.ontarioexplorer.blogspot.com" title="Ontario Gems Reviews">Ontario Gems Reviews</a>

Ontario Parks Reviews

<a href="http://www.ontarioexplorer.blogspot.com" title="Ontario Parks Reviews">Ontario Parks Reviews</a>

<a href="http://www.ontarioexplorer.blogspot.com/"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0I38VCstD0pJGWEunW3fwHVGR2Yhn1BdZJSzwXulwCtN3qopBgpPEJ3n8Yt70bgvh3VeANS4RuGxifnTbiFbvoMxWkc3kV1iwEbBdWU4uLVmGR-04snXxJYs2kucrtnofKmnonLn04gx/s800/OntarioExplorer-100x100-whi.jpg" style="border:none;" title="Ontario Parks Reviews"/></a>

<a href="http://www.ontarioexplorer.blogspot.com/"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4lPvuU3akwG61YQ_FfClTi3pCWZCPkI8HjflGg6aYVVr-OklSCr9e2FRenolOZPmqhQVCKvF3mMqg0DzF_KGzSLs3twPOpzrxR7XxLAot80JMWk1_AipqpAYOhc2vFvC1OyNZulRq7Y1Y/s800/OntarioExplorer-64x64-white.jpg" style="border:none;" title="Ontario Parks Reviews"/></a>

<a href="http://www.ontarioexplorer.blogspot.com/"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibNbpiNxGTbF2aceGTwxui22zMJw_Z5dDtZfukhpGufHo9LtmgUnWd0NU5Y_Ggwm71aK7zTaQVU9pGUNLTlDkmlWGxD-3OgIFihAc8im9wPiPcAbkgc9zBWlezoeMbVm6lmyza6irNyoQ5/s800/OntarioExplorer-32-x-32.jpg" style="border:none;" title="Ontario Parks Reviews"/></a>

<a href="http://www.ontarioexplorer.blogspot.com/"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxkigWRSUHQszsHA_u3VSQlBfPP3488BIzfhyphenhyphenCGa6WDVKh8oDTz5P7S3oFYsV2BcTlxA5Uf6_G0Zhq0wjALbJ_0QyprROGv7olQJasnHtzqlJ_J30JqOiapmrcKoGSEJZDE_3wrq5mVZ2v/s800/OntarioExplorer-16-x-100.jpg" style="border:none;" title="Ontario Parks Reviews"/></a>

<a href="http://www.ontarioexplorer.blogspot.com/"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWKgxn8VJYgFmZvGms6uY8Vf-UnmQm0TnXeuGNDt9UaDeL9WQ2itK-M2eBxRwGdu9Kk0YjpsFL3XI4HO6mBqW1DyGNTpfBOKV3x_5rdX1vq5LR8QJfpC-onZoxyMNpKpRC61qR6gcT1kCd/s800/OntarioExplorer-140%20x%2044.jpg" style="border:none;" title="Ontario Parks Reviews"/></a>

<p style="margin-top:10px; margin-bottom:0; padding-bottom:0; text-align:center; line-height:0"><a target="_blank" href="http://ontarioexplorer.blogspot.com"><img alt="Ontario - yours to discover!" style="border:0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/Ontario-YoursToDiscover.1.gif"/></a></p>