Summer is here and the wait is over. Shutters are being flung open as resort owners begin to unlock their doors, ready to welcome guests who, after months of isolation, are anxious to enjoy a home away from home and wide-open spaces in a safe, restorative and healthy environment that respects safe-distancing protocols. It’s time to head off to Ontario’s cottage country and kickstart the economy by supporting local businesses. 

In Canadian culture, few symbols are as iconic as the family cottage. A summer home in the country signifies what the good life looks like. It represents escape from the cares of the world and immersion in a natural landscape dedicated to pleasure, relaxation and tranquility. 

Of course, not everyone can afford a second home in the country. Luckily, Resorts of Ontario features a number of comfortable, fully equipped, family-friendly housekeeping cottage rentals so anyone can experience the joys of cottage life without the cost or hassles of ownership. 

 

FIND BLISS IN ALGONQUIN PARK

Experience the peacefulness and tranquility of Algonquin Park, an area known for wildlife and world-class birdwatching. Eight fully equipped, self-catering seasonal cottages are available for rent at Parkway Cottage Resort & Trading Post on Oxtongue Lake. On-site, enjoy a private sandy beach, a playpark for kids and various activities. Use of canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, pedal boats and safety gear is free for all guests.

On Halls Lake in the Algonquin Highlands, lakeview cottages at Sandy Lane Resort are like mini homes, complete with satellite TV, wood-burning fireplaces, air conditioning, queen-size beds, large sundecks, propane BBQs and more. Pick your style—alpine, cabin, cathedral or lakeside—and get ready to spend your days waterskiing, tubing, fishing or biking. 

 

LAID-BACK IN THE KAWARTHAS

Hosts Gerry and Joanna Ebel welcome you to enjoy their Beachwood Hollow Resort on the west shore of Stoco Lake in Tweed, where comfortable, fully equipped housekeeping cottages, ranging from one to three bedrooms, are conveniently within walking distance to shops and restaurants. Spend days lounging on a groomed sandy beach or enjoy nature walks along the Trans Canada Trail and in Vanderwater Conservation Park. Other activities include a children’s play area, kayaks, paddleboards, sport fishing, birdwatching and more.

Nestled on Lake Kasshabog in Lakefield, six modern, fully equipped cottages at the small, secluded Blue Mountain Lodge in the Kawarthas feature warm pine interiors and all the comforts of home as well as free use of paddleboards, canoes and kayaks. Join in on a Friday evening tradition during July and August, when the Blue Mountain Lodge licensed lakefront restaurant and patio serves “all you can eat” fish and chips and other specialties.

More fun awaits you on Clear Lake at Clearview Cottage Resort where the Harrington family has treated guests to warm, personal service for 54 years. Choose from 22 cottages, equipped with an automatic propane furnace, a screened-in porch, a picnic table and a BBQ. Dock fishing, beach volleyball, a children’s playground and canoeing are just a few of the activities available here.

Golden Beach Resort has been welcoming families to the sunny south shore of Rice Lake since 1948. The resort has grown over the years to include 44 cottages and condos, 45 full hook-up campsites, unlimited no hook-up campsites and 300 seasonal trailer sites. A favourite haven for seasoned and weekend anglers, this family fishing resort also features a licensed restaurant, a children’s program and phenomenal recreation facilities.

Southview Cottages features waterfront rentals, RV park amenities and marina slips on Rice Lake. It’s the perfect place to escape to simpler times of picnics and relaxing by the water’s edge as you soak up the sun or fish from the pier or along the boardwalk. Other complimentary activities include paddleboards, kayaks, canoes and pedal boats.

Also on the south shore of Rice Lake, owners Gail and John Andersen invite you to spend a relaxing and pleasant time at Tower Manor Lodge, which offers modern housekeeping cottages, trailer rentals, seasonal RV sites as well as a trailer park and campgrounds spread over 6.5 acres that slope gradually to a natural shoreline and some of the best fishing in Ontario. Facilities include a boat launch, marina supplies, a screened-in fish cleaning hut and a heated inground pool. 

Plug into nature and recharge as you experience cottage life at Lakefront Hideaway Resort on Shadow Lake, where 11 two- and three-bedroom cottages provide all the conveniences of home. Whether you like to curl up with a book by the beach, spend the day fishing or play a game of beach volleyball, there are endless opportunities to keep you as busy as you like.

On Pigeon Lake, the three-season Pigeon Lake Resort, owned by Wayne and Karen Haagsma, offers everything you need in well-appointed two-, three- and four-bedroom cottages on 15 acres of green space. Roast marshmallows and share stories over your own bonfire pit after a day of canoeing, kayaking, swimming or fishing. 

The four-star, four-season Pine Vista Resort on Stoney Lake offers a choice of accommodation in completely self-contained and tastefully decorated traditional, deluxe or superior cottages and resort townhouses. On-site attractions include a multi sports pad, a heated outdoor pool, indoor and outdoor hot tubs, a games room, a fitness room, nature trails, a boardwalk, spa facilities and a beach area. Later, relax with a glass of wine as you barbecue dinner on your own private deck.

At Scotsman Point Cottage Resort on Upper Buckhorn Lake, accommodation choices range from a studio cabin to one- and two-bedroom deluxe cottages. Known for its warm hospitality, popular activities at this century-old, three-season resort include a kids’ program, tubing, morning stretches on the dock, movies under the stars and leisurely cruises.

Eighty kilometres north of Belleville in Eastern Ontario, you’ll find Limerick Lake Lodge & Marina on a chain of five lakes. A variety of accommodation ranges from queen and twin rooms in the lodge to housekeeping cottages and primitive or RV campsites. Fishing boat and canoe rentals are available and boat owners are welcome to rent a slip. The area is also popular with ATV enthusiasts.

 

MUSKOKA BEAUTIES

On Otter Lake at the edge of Muskoka in Parry Sound, Sunny Point Resort Cottages & Inn offers waterfront deluxe, super deluxe and premium accommodation in nine pet-friendly cottages on 84 acres property. To ensure privacy and tranquility, well-maintained three- and four-bedroom cottages feature full modern kitchens, a screened-in porch with patio furniture, a BBQ and a private dock.

Billie Bear Lodge Housekeeping Cottage Resort features 24 accommodation choices, ranging from a one-room studio for one or two people to a five-bedroom lodge with a capacity for 12. Steps from your cottage, there’s swimming, boating, fishing, volleyball, tennis, daily family programs as well as 5.5 kilometres of nature trails.

Appreciate the amazing natural wonders of Georgian Bay from your spacious, lavishly equipped, lakefront cottage at Halls Cottages in beautiful Honey Harbour. Owners Rick and Diane Vanderwal invite you to participate in a wide variety of free recreational activities available on-site throughout the year as you spend quality time with family members or friends. 

The waterfront Muskoka-style Logpointe Housekeeping Cottages on the shores of Gloucester Pool have been a vacation tradition for more than 90 years. From the covered veranda of your hand-crafted log cottage, take in the breathtaking sunsets, the majestic pines and the crystal-clear waters after a day of boating, fishing and swimming. 

Just bring your groceries and move into the award-winning Lone Pine Inn in Gravenhurst, where your accommodation choices include a tiny cottage, a one-bedroom patio suite, a king cabin and a two-bedroom cottage. It’s a two-minute walk to Gull Lake Park where you can enjoy a beautiful sand beach, public tennis courts and picnic areas. 

Conveniently close to downtown Huntsville,  Walker Lake Resort is the perfect location for a pleasant, relaxing getaway. Each one of the seven newly renovated cottages exudes its own sense of charm and character and is equipped with all of life’s essentials. The resort supplies canoes, kayaks and a small fishing boat at no extra cost so you can explore the tranquil surroundings.

Nature-loving guests have been returning year after year to this little slice of paradise owned by Lorey and Scott West. Situated on the north shore of Jack Lake, between Huntsville and North Bay, Lakeside Cottage Resort is comprised of eight two- to four-bedroom cottages.

 

A HALIBURTON HIGHLANDS RETREAT

Situated on crystal-clear Mountain Lake, Ogopogo Resort’s architecturally designed cottages are steps from a sandy beach and within 15 minutes of five golf courses, hiking and biking trails, live theatre, local artists’ studios and white-water kayaking. On-site, you can canoe, kayak or paddleboat, fish, go tubing and waterskiing—or just relax.

Isn’t it time you experienced Ontario’s cottage-country lifestyle?