Georgian Bay is a different geology from the rest of Muskoka: bare pink granite, wind-shaped pines and a shoreline that breaks into a maze of channels. The best way to see it is from the water, and Honey Harbour is where that starts.
Cross to Beausoleil Island
Georgian Bay Islands National Park begins at Honey Harbour, and Beausoleil Island is its centrepiece. Trails run through the interior and along the shore, with swimming off flat rock where the water is deep enough. Day boat service is seasonal, so arrange the crossing with the operator in advance rather than turning up and hoping.
Paddle the channels
If the boat is not running, or you would rather make your own way, launch a canoe or kayak at Honey Harbour and stay inside the sheltered channels. The water is calm close to shore, the islands are close together, and the scale of the rock is more impressive from paddling height.
Georgian Bay does not look like a lake. Treat the open water with respect: wind arrives quickly and the shoreline is mostly rock, not beach.
The waterway detour
On the way home, stop at the Big Chute Marine Railway, where the Trent-Severn lifts whole boats over the ridge on a rail cradle, and then at Port Severn to see the waterway's last lock. Both are short visits and both are better than they sound.
Practical notes
- Fuel and supplies are limited; fill up before the shoreline roads.
- Cell service is patchy in places. Download what you need first.
- Check the park's own opening dates and boat schedule before planning the day around them.
