The Group of Seven were among the first to publicize the sublime beauty of Georgian Bay’s Thirty Thousand Islands, a vast paradise of blue water, wind-bent pines, and undulating pink granite islands stretching from Severn Sound to the French River. It didn’t take long for cottagers to see the area’s potential, especially in the mix of protected water next to open stretches of Georgian Bay. Boating options range from sea kayaking or canoeing among tiny islands to big-water cruising, although low water levels have made some cottage docks inaccessible to large boats. An endless vista looking west across the bay has made sunset cruising a favourite pastime here.
As highways 400 and 69 are widened, cottagers have been coming here in increasing numbers and pushing prices up, especially as the area takes in spillover cottagers from Muskoka. Attractive shoreline abounds since so many cottages are on islands—but getting to these cottages in winter can be challenging.