7 Best Family Resorts in Ontario for Exploring the Great Outdoors

Located on Muskoka’s stunning Lake Joseph, Rocky Crest Golf Resort
will bring the family together with a range of activities including tennis, billiards and basketball. During summer months, the lake becomes your playground with inflatable climbing walls, slides and a trampoline for launching yourself into the brisk, clear water. Parents can work on their swing and practice their putting at the award-winning Rocky Crest Golf Club, or soak up some rays on the lakeside sundeck.

For some downtime, set up a board game in front of your loft’s fireplace. If you’ve booked a villa, you can fire up the barbecue on your private patio area come dinnertime. There are also restaurant options on-site if you don’t feel like cooking. Savour prime Canadian beef while gazing over Lake Joseph, or enjoy a plate of mouthwatering baby back pork ribs at On The Green Bistro, which overlooks the 18th green of the golf course. Afterwards, you can warm your muscles with a Hot Stone Massage designed to relieve stresses, or rejuvenate with a Sea Scrub Exfoliation.

With the Blue Mountains on one side and Georgian Bay on the other, Living Water Resort & Spa offers the best in outdoor adventures. In the summer, rent pedal boats or take a stand-up paddle board out onto the water, or explore the mountains by snowshoe or cross-country skis in the colder months. Back at the resort, you can soak in your luxurious Jacuzzi tub or gather in front of the warming fireplace in your self-catering family suite.

The Lakeside Seafood & Grill serves local specialities like Manitoulin Island Trout accompanied by spectacular views over the Georgian Bay. It’s great fare for working up an appetite for some activity around the resort: you can swim year-round in the indoor pool with its own whirlpool, or in summer make a splash in the family pool with slide. When you want to slip away for some “me” time, make your way through water-based therapies like a Swiss shower, mineral bath, waterfall bench and glacier shower at the on-site day spa.

Based in the heart of Ontario cottage country, Deerhurst Resort
offers innovative and exciting experiences for the whole family. From Muskoka’s only Escape Cabins to treetop trekking with ziplines and Tarzan ropes, there are plenty of ways to get your pulse racing. For something more low-key, you can glide across the lake in a canoe or kayak, or pet the animals at Stoneleigh Farms.

Condos, hotel rooms and suites are dotted around the 760-acre grounds, combining rustic charm with modern comforts. When you’re not napping in a cloud-like mountain of feather duvets and pillows, you can pop to the enormous Amba Spa for a quick mani/pedi at one of the specialist stations. There’s always the pool option too, grab a deck chair to work on your tan in the summer months, and in winter head to the indoor pool with hot tub and wading shallows.

On the shores of the Lake of Bays, you’ll find Blue Water Acres Resort
for that traditional Canadian cottage experience. Sit out on your wooden deck and keep your eyes peeled for deer moving through the sun-dappled forest. In winter, you’ll appreciate the crackling coziness of your wood-burning fireplace. With a large annual snowfall here, you can go skating, ice fishing and snowshoeing all within the resort grounds.

When the sun is shining and the air is warm, head down to the lake to explore in a paddle boat or canoe. Visiting in spring? Take a walk among wildflowers in search of the resident moose at Algonquin Park. Back at the resort, you can keep up your fitness routine with a session at the on-site centre, or get the family involved in a game of tennis or basketball. End the day with a few leisurely laps overlooking a panoramic view of the lake, or steam up and destress in the sauna.

Just an hour north of Toronto, Horseshoe Resort is the ideal place for a winter family escape with 28 downhill ski and snowboard runs. Experienced skiers can head straight out onto the slopes while beginners learn the basics at Snow School. If cross-country skiing is more to your taste, you’ll have over 32 km of groomed trails to discover. During the green season, explore Copeland Forest with a hike or bike ride, or shoot down one of the world’s largest Slip n’ Slides.

After an active day, settle in with a draught beer at Crazy Horse Sports Bar & Grill or a delicious, premium cut at Inn Steakhouse. Your plush hotel room at The Inn will be waiting when you want to turn in—rooms here even welcome the family pup! You can also enjoy a slopeside view if you’ve booked a suite in Copeland House for an authentic Old Ontario stay. Drift off into dreams of the spa treatment you’ve reserved for the following morning—the Magic of Plants facial combines fragrant herbs, flowers and plants with a relaxing massage.

Beachwood Resort boasts direct access to the shores of Lower Buckthorn Lake and 330 acres of mature forests and woodland walking tracks. You can amble through meadows and country paths, or stretch out on the resort’s open lawns with a book or family picnic overlooking the lake. Toast marshmallows over an open campfire once the sun has set, sharing favourite family stories as you make new memories.

You can host full family reunions here, with rustic cottages sleeping up to 12 people. You’ll feel good about your stay, too—recycling facilities and an on-site apiary and vegetable garden have earned the resort an Environmental Award from the local Chamber of Commerce. Celebrate the occasion with a decadent meal at Frederick’s. You’ll feast on cider-braised baby back ribs or lobster risotto, then snuggle up in front of the fireplace with a glass of wine and view over the sparkling lake.

Just moments from the soft sands of Wasaga Beach, Saga Resort
is an escape for all ages on the shores of Georgian Bay. You can build sandcastles on the longest freshwater beach in the world, then cool off with a swim out to the sandbars. Run back to the hotel after your plunge and warm up in the bubbling hot tub. Parents can top up a tan on a poolside lounge chair, or splash in the shallows with the kids.

Spoil yourself in a romantic Jacuzzi Suite complete with king-sized bed with canopy, or bring the whole family to a four-season, self-contained cottage. For some time alone, enrol your little ones in the Kidz Klub for daily activities like sandcastle building competitions, crafts and ice cream parties. You can reunite later for a game of basketball or ping pong before firing up the barbecue or fire pit for a family feast. Don’t forget to pack your flashlight and remember your best ghost story for the evening campfire!