The Top Things To Do Near Owen Sound During a Day Trip
We thought we had explored every part of southern Ontario (anything south of Sudbury), but it seems that we hadn’t done a day trip to Owen Sound. So it became our next destination on our ongoing tour of place in Southern and Central Ontario.
There are things to do near Owen Sound, a city of about 21,000 residents, located on an inlet of Georgian Bay.
In this post, we’ll share some of our experiences, and provide you with some tips for your day trip to Owen Sound.
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Heading Out For Our Day Trip To Owen Sound: Early Morning Experience
On Labour Day weekend in 2012, we headed out on a short day trip to Owen Sound.
My husband Frank woke me up early and we were hopping into our car in the wee hours of the morning. Try a 4:30 a.m. wake-up and hitting the road at 5:15 a.m. Ouch!
Grabbing a Tim Horton’s coffee from a delightful older lady, we headed north on Highway 6 for about two hours to Owen Sound.
Frank was driving. I was taking photos along the way. Like this one of horses grazing in a misty field:
Driving Through Farm Country To Owen Sound
Our early morning departure meant that there were few cars on Highway 6. It’s often one of the busiest roads during the summer period.
We didn’t have a conga line in front or behind us, as is usually the case later in the day on a long weekend.
The early morning start also meant we were seeing some interesting things on the road. We saw a red fox bounding across to the other side.
Further on, we saw a momma deer with baby walking through farm fields. In the fields, we saw cows grazing.
Dew blanketed the countryside and occasionally the road. Since the cool air was hovering over the ground, it was also trapping the smells that naturally come with cows grazing… methane… i.e. farts!
We took our time getting to Owen Sound, stopping in one of my favourite towns – Elora. Not much had changed with the exception of the historic Elora Inn being closed for renovations. The beautiful Grand River waterfront view from the bridge continues to be the highlight of every stop we make in this town.
We passed through other small towns such as Fergus, Arthur and Mount Forest. All of them were covered with a morning mist, eerily quiet and devoid of any movement except for the occasional car passing through.
Taking Sideroads To Explore
Heading up through to the Owen Sound area, we veered onto several side roads to explore the area of Georgian Bluffs and the Grey and Bruce Counties.
We fell in love with the shoreline of Grey Road 1, between Kemble and Wiarton.
Along this road, we stopped at Colpoy’s Bay Scenic Lookout to check out the view. This is a perfect spot to stop, stretch your legs and have an impromptu picnic.
In the distance, you see the Blue Mountains, which are part of the Niagara Escarpment, running all the way from Niagara Falls, north to Tobermory.
| RELATED: Four Winter Day Trips North Of Toronto
Exploring Bruce Caves Conservation Area
Just a bit further west along Grey Road 1, we stopped at the Bruce’s Caves Conservation Area to check out the largest caves we’ve seen to date in Ontario.
The caves are carved out of the Niagara Escarpment – according to the Grey Sauble Conservation website they are very unique:
“Bruce’s Caves Conservation Area derives its greatest significance from the unique cave formations found along the escarpment face. These caves were formed by the wave action of post-glacial Lake Algonquin, 7,000 to 8,000 years ago. The significance of the cave formations lies in their dramatic illustration of past weathering processes and impresses upon us the magnitude of the post-glacial lake levels. The caves also illustrate the different physical and chemical weathering rates of various sections of the escarpment (soluble limestone and Amabel dolomite).”
Visiting Inglis Falls
Our next stop on our visit was Inglis Falls. This waterfall is probably the most gorgeous one in the area.
One of the most popular attractions for a day trip from Toronto is Inglis Falls near Owen Sound. Located just south of Owen Sound, the 18-metre high cascade falls are spectacular, particularly after heavy rainfall.
Cascading over limestone that’s part of the Niagara Escarpment, Inglis Falls is very impressive. And in the wintertime, it’s spectacular as well, creating a thick ice shelf.
Things To Do At Inglis Falls In Summer
Located at Inglis Falls Conservation Area, Inglis Falls is visible from a viewing platform. The cascade is created by the Sydenham River meeting the Niagara Escarpment.
It’s extremely dangerous to be at the base of the falls, so walking down to the bottom is strictly prohibited.
Taking a beautiful photo is not worth your life!
The falls is the home to a historic mill, once owned by a fellow named Peter Inglis. He purchased it in 1845 and expanded on it.
Unfortunately, there were a series of fires that destroyed the mill. However, the remains of the industry still exist today and you can see the 80-plus years of work under the Inglis family in existence still today.
For those who can’t stand still for too long, there’s access to The Bruce Trail at Inglis Falls. We enjoyed exploring the potholes and taking in the rocky, rooted trail.
It’s great for a walk if you’ve been driving for a few hours, day-tripping.
The woods are also a bird watcher’s delight. Since this is a fairly quiet area, you can see many birds that aren’t found too close to the Toronto area.
When we visited in the summertime, unfortunately, there was a bit of drought happening, so the falls weren’t overly impressive. Nevertheless, you can still see the beauty of the landscape and the power of the water, eroding the rock.
Exploring The Falls In Winter
I have to add this little side note about Inglis Falls in the winter. It’s spectacular, completely covered in snow and ice. Even in a deep freeze, there’s the rush of water, just under the icy crust.
We’ve seen not-too-smart people walk over the ice shelf that grows over the river at the base of the falls. We highly recommend that you don’t do this for safety reasons.
Hiking the Bruce Trail in the winter is also not an easy thing. You definitely need the right gear to keep from slipping on icy patches or falling into deep drifts.
So in the wintertime, there are fewer people who venture to Inglis Falls.
However, winter day trips from Toronto can be a fun way to get away from slushy roads and the onset of cabin fever.
Meaford And Eugenia Falls
Moving on from Inglis Falls, we continued eastwards through the small, pretty town of Meaford, Ontario.
This is a good place to take some time to stretch your legs. In recent years Meaford has grown, due to a growing population of retirees from the Toronto area. Little restaurants and shops are popping up.
Meaford Harbour is still a lovely spot for a stroll at sunset and to look at boats.
Our last stop on our road trip was Eugenia Falls. Here we had a good view of the falls from a little distance away. Unfortunately, due to little rain over the past few weeks, the falls were more of a trickle.
We can only imagine what they would be like after a good rainfall.
Wrapping Up The Day Trip To Owen Sound
We ended our meandering mini-road trip by heading back via county roads, through Bellwood. We bypassed Guelph to crisscross through Campellville and into our hometown of Burlington.
While it wasn’t a long trip, we saw many areas to explore in South Bruce County and Grey County. We’ve had several day trips into the area since then, proving there are many things to do near Owen Sound.
TIP: Ensure that you are ready for any road trip. Bring at least some snacks and a bottle of water. We’re using our LARQ self-cleaning reusable water bottles these days.
| RELATED : Top Day Trips From Toronto
Need some more ideas for a trip near this area? Check out these spots just northwest of Owen Sound:
- Exploring Tobermory During A Day Trip From Toronto
- Highlights Of Visiting The Bruce Peninsula National Park
- Hiking The Trails At The Grotto And Cyrpus Lake
- Exploring the Scenic Caves Near Collingwood
QUESTION: Where do you want to explore near Toronto? Have you ever done a day trip to Owen Sound?
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