Muskoka, known for its stunning landscapes and abundant outdoor activities, offers an abundance of outdoor adventures for every type of explorer. From the adrenaline-fueled to the serenely scenic, family-friendly activities, this guide covers Muskoka’s top outdoor activities to enjoy. With more than 35 Muskoka area rental cottages on our roster, CottageLINK Rental Management is here to help you choose the perfect accommodations for your trip. Book your Muskoka cottage rental today, and start planning your adventure-filled time in Muskoka!
Muskoka’s Top Outdoor Activities | Family-Friendly
Muskoka’s Top Outdoor Activities | Treetop Trekking, Huntsville, Ontario
For those with kids 5 and over, Treetop Trekking is the place to go! For the older children, 9 and up, they have several options, from zip lining, aerial game trek, and even a night trek!
For kids from 9 to 9, the Treetop Explorers Program is tailored just for them! Go on a Polaroid camera scavenger hunt in the forest, participate in group challenges at the Call-of-the-Wild games, and try your hand at tie-dying your very own t-shirt – allowing them to create their own special souvenir of their trip to Muskoka!
Muskoka’s Top Outdoor Activities | Santa’s Village, Bracebridge, Muskoka, Ontario
It’s always Christmas at Santa’s Village in Bracebridge! Kids will be delighted by this park, full of rides and attractions, and they can even visit Santa and Mrs. Claus too, in their Muskoka home! There are 60 acres of family fun and this park is suitable for even the youngest of children.
Muskoka Heritage Place, Huntsville, Muskoka, Ontario
Tour the heritage village, visit with farm animals, ride the historic Portage Flyer train, visit the Steam Museum, and for those 16 and up, you can arrange to be an Engineer for the Day! The train ride is a scenic trip along the Muskoka River onto Fairy Lake Station. Children of all ages are encouraged to come and sit in the cab, poke their heads in the firebox and talk to the train’s engineer and fireman.
Muskoka’s Top Outdoor Activities | Boat Cruises
There are plenty of options if you wish to take a boat cruise in Muskoka, the Island Queen Cruise in Parry Sound, the Lady Rosseau and Sunset Cruises in Port Carling, Muskoka Gaga cruise along the Muskoka River, the SS Bigwin in Dorset, and Muskoka Steamships in Gravenhurst.
For those traveling with children, Muskoka Steamships offers an interactive pirate adventure for kids, and kids at heart, where costumes are encouraged. Be sure to plan some time to visit the Discovery Centre as well. Discover Muskoka at this one-of-a-kind museum, inspiring curiosity and feeding the imagination for persons aged 1 to 101. Kids will love the Kidzone!
If your kids are not into pirates, perhaps they’d prefer an Ice Queen and Snow Princess Cruise, or an Intergalactic Adventure Cruise for Space Cadets cruise instead!
Muskoka’s Top Outdoor Activities | Back of Beyond Equine Centre, Huntsville, Ontario
Visit this farm sanctuary for rescued and retired horses that also offers farm tours, fall wagon rides, pony rides for the kids, a sleigh ride to see Santa, winter sleigh rides for the whole family, and private evening romantic sleigh rides.
Georgian Bay Islands National Park, Honey Harbour, Ontario
Georgian Bay Islands National Park, accessible only by boat, is the best way to experience the famous 30,000 islands, the world’s largest freshwater archipelago. If you don’t have your own boat, take the DayTripper out of Honey Harbour. Bike rentals can be arranged at the park, and we recommend bringing a lunch with you too, so that you can fully explore before catching the boat back to the mainland.
SWS Muskoka, Port Carling, Ontario
In addition to water skiing and wakeboarding, which have been around for many years, this ski school offers lessons in two new summer sports. If you’re new to water skiing and wakeboarding, lessons are a great idea! Check out the Cable Park to practice your skills without the aid of a boat.
Fliteboard efoils are the newest addition to the world of water sports, and they’re not yet widely available. They are sleek, quiet, electric surfboards meant to be used without the need for wind or waves. Flyboarding has been available longer, but is still not available everywhere. At SWS Ski School you can try out your water sport of choice before investing in the equipment.
Muskoka’s Top Outdoor Activities | Low Cost or Free
Scenic Lookouts in Muskoka
There are many scenic lookouts throughout Muskoka, and most are free to visit including Walker’s Point Lookout, Lions Lookout, Echo Rock Lookout, Huckleberry Rock lookout, Gravenhurst Lookout Park, Peninsula Trail, and the Barron Canyons trail. Here’s our guide to the top lookouts and scenic viewpoints in Muskoka, Ontario.
Hiking Trails in Muskoka
Most of the hiking trails in Muskoka are accessed at no cost, with the exception of those within provincial parks and conservation areas, which require day admission. One park to try, with free admission, is at Limberlost Forest and Wildlife Reserve. This is a beautiful property east of Huntsville, comprising over 10,000 acres of wilderness. The park offers free access to the trails for the public.
Waterfalls of Muskoka
Muskoka is an amazing place to see waterfalls, and there’s no admission charge! Here are the top waterfalls to explore during your Muskoka cottage rental. If you wish to visit a waterfall where you can also enjoy a dip, head to White’s Falls, a little south of Muskoka, just north of Port Severn and South of Six Mile Lake Provincial Park. It’s a waterfall created by damming the upper portion in order to maintain water levels, making it unique. It’s possible to take a dip in the water and enjoy the natural waterslide that has formed. Please note that because this is a natural swimming hole, lifejackets are recommended.
Swimming, Fishing, and Watersports in Muskoka
Of course, if you’ve booked yourself a Muskoka cottage rental, your rental cottage most likely has its own private waterfront that’s perfect for swimming and other watersports. Most cottages provide some type of non-motorized watercraft, such as paddleboats, kayaks, canoes, and stand up paddleboards that are free for you to use as well.
If you’d like a change of pace though, why not visit one of Muskoka’s many public beaches instead! Here are the top beaches in Muskoka, most of which are free of charge, and great for a day trip.
If you brought a motorboat to your cottage, then water skiing, fishing, tubing, and wakeboarding might be your activities of choice, for even more adventurous fun on the water.
Muskoka’s Top Outdoor Activities | Extreme Adventures
Perhaps the above outdoor activities are too tame for your taste? For more extreme, challenging adventures, those are available too! In the summer, learn to flyboard, waterski, wakeboard, barefoot ski, or wakesurf at Muskoka Extreme. In the winter, learn to ride a snowmobile, ride a UTV or an adventure bike. Learn to ice climb at Liv Outside in Bracebridge.
Year round activities are available at Muskoka River Adventures, a 145-acre adventure camp just south of the Town of Baysville on the South Muskoka River. Try the river tubing adventure!
Muskoka’s Top Outdoor Activities | Winter
What is there to do in Muskoka during the winter? The sky’s the limit! Muskoka is a winter wonderland during the winter months, and outdoor activities abound. Options include skating along an award-winning ice trail, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, fat biking, sleigh rides, ice climbing, dog sledding, ice fishing, and much, much more! Take the winter snowshoe and off-grid hot tub tour at Muskoka River Adventures. Here are the top winter activities to do in Muskoka, Ontario. Choose from our many winter cottage rentals to use as your home base for adventures!
Muskoka is an amazing destination all year round, with stunning natural beauty in all seasons. With its abundance of clean, clear lakes and heavily forested landscapes, It’s an outdoor lovers delight. Muskoka is a very popular destination too, so there’s an abundance of options for outdoor activities you can enjoy there, everything from family-friendly farm tours to skiing, heritage villages, boat cruises, and more. Book your waterfront cottage rental today and start planning your vacation to remember!
