Dorset is a small village on the narrows of Lake of Bays, where Highway 35 crosses the water between Trading Bay and Little Trading Bay. It is one of the few communities that sits in two municipalities at once. Part of the village is in the Township of Lake of Bays, in the District of Muskoka, and part is in the Township of Algonquin Highlands, in Haliburton County. A Lake of Bays planning study describes Main Street as the boundary between the two. You won't notice the line when you visit, but it explains why village information can come from either township and why the lookout tower is run by Algonquin Highlands.
Dorset is quiet in November. The lookout tower has closed for the year, cottages are being shut up, and the village belongs mostly to the people who live here year-round. This guide covers what is open now, what reopens in spring, and how to fit Dorset into a wider Lake of Bays trip.
The Dorset Scenic Lookout Tower
The Dorset Lookout Tower is the village's best-known sight. The Township of Algonquin Highlands says the current steel tower was built in 1967 and stands 30 m (100 ft) tall. It replaced a 25 m tower from 1922 that served as a fire lookout until 1961. The observation deck stands 142 m (465 ft) above Lake of Bays, and the township's trail page says the view takes in about 800 km² of forest and lakes.
The park is at 1191 Dorset Scenic Tower Road, off Highway 35 just north of the village. Besides the tower, the township lists picnic sites, washrooms, a tourist information kiosk and a gift shop, and it says more than 10,000 vehicles come through each year. Leashed dogs are welcome in the park and on the trail but not on the tower.
2026 season status
The 2026 season opened on Friday, May 15. On October 29, 2026, the township announced that the tower is closed for 2026 and will reopen on Victoria Day weekend 2027. Until then you can watch the township's Tower Cam, which runs 24 hours a day. Hours and fees for 2027 had not been posted when we wrote this. Check the township's tower page before you plan a spring visit. The fee schedule there has separate fall-colour rates, and season passes are sold for household use.
The tower trail
The Dorset Scenic Lookout Tower Trail is a 1.5 km loop that the township rates as challenging. You can start at the bottom, at 1038 Main Street in Dorset by the Dorset Museum, or at the top, off Dorset Scenic Tower Road. Starting from the top is only possible from May to October, and you pay a fee to drive up to the access point and picnic area.
Fall colours at the tower
From mid-September to the tower's closing in late October, Dorset is one of the busiest fall-colour stops in the region. The township notes that more than 600 vehicles can arrive on a peak autumn day. Fall-colour pricing starts the first Saturday after Labour Day, and large vehicles need two parking spaces. Arrive early on a weekday if you can. For other places to see the colours, read our Muskoka autumn colours guide.
Robinson's General Store
Robinson's General Store has stood on Main Street by the bridge since 1921, and it is still the centre of village life. The store's website says it is open seven days a week, year-round, with hours that change by season, so check its posted hours before a winter trip. Under one roof you'll find a Foodland grocery, a Home Hardware, gifts, housewares, clothing and footwear (moccasins are a specialty), plus an upstairs ladies' boutique. Parking is free, and boaters can tie up at the store's docks on the narrows in season.
On the water
Dorset grew up around the narrows that join Trading Bay and Little Trading Bay. That's still the easiest place to get a feel for Lake of Bays, whether from the Highway 35 bridge or the public docks along the channel. In summer, boaters come into the village from all over the lake. For more on the lake as a whole, including boating, beaches and the other villages around its shores, see our guide to things to do on Lake of Bays. Out on the lake, Bigwin Island is one of its best-known landmarks.
Frost Centre trails
The Frost Centre trails sit along Highway 35, about 12 km south of Dorset. The trailhead is at 20130 Highway 35. Algonquin Highlands describes the hiking trails as stacked loops of 1 to 11 km, ranging from easy to challenging. They run through forest beside St. Nora Lake, past bogs and cliff faces, with climbs and lookouts along the way.
Winter skiing
In winter, the township grooms cross-country ski trails at the Frost Centre. The trailhead is across the road from 20130 Highway 35. Last season the trails opened in mid-December 2025, with 21 km open at first, and closed for the season on April 1, 2026. Passes are sold online through the township's trails site (ahtrails.ca) or at the self-registration shelter at the trailhead. The township posts opening dates and grooming updates on its news page. Nothing had been posted for the 2026-27 season when we wrote this, so check before you go. For more ski and snowshoe options in the region, see our cross-country skiing and snowshoeing guide.
Anishinaabe history at the narrows
In 2017, the Ontario Heritage Trust unveiled provincial plaques at Cedar Narrows Heritage Park in Dorset, together with the Chippewas of Rama First Nation and the Township of Lake of Bays. The plaques recognise the Anishinaabeg as the original people of the region. For thousands of years they camped seasonally at the narrows of Trading Bay to fish, trade, hunt and gather. The plaques also record that treaties took away their territory and harvesting rights. Their descendants belong to the seven Williams Treaties First Nations, and the nearest is the Chippewas of Rama First Nation. The plaques are a good place to start, and our Indigenous Muskoka guide has more context.
Pairing Dorset with Baysville and Huntsville
Dorset works best as part of a loop around Lake of Bays rather than as a stop on its own.
Baysville
Highway 117 leaves Highway 35 just south of Dorset and runs west to Baysville, at the southwestern end of Lake of Bays, and on to Highway 11 north of Bracebridge. Baysville is the other main village on the lake. Driving Dorset to Baysville takes you along the southern side of the lake.
Huntsville
North of Dorset, Highway 35 runs back into Muskoka and ends at Highway 60 in Dwight. From there, Highway 60 heads west to Huntsville and east toward Algonquin Park. A day that starts with the tower or a ski at the Frost Centre can end with dinner in Huntsville. In November, many seasonal businesses along these routes are closed or open shorter hours, so check before you count on a stop.
Planning notes for November
- The Dorset Scenic Lookout Tower is closed until Victoria Day weekend 2027. The top-of-hill access to the tower trail is only open May to October.
- Robinson's General Store is open year-round, but hours change with the season.
- Frost Centre ski trails depend on snow. Watch the Algonquin Highlands news page for the opening notice.
- Highway 35 is the main road in and out. Plan for winter driving conditions from late fall onward.
