Summer has come and gone. And now, with the temperatures starting to cool off and the kids going back to school, it’s time to put the toys away and get back to regular life. But if you’re anything like me, you’re going to want at least one last kick at the can before the long winter sets in. And of all the destinations to do a late-season motorsports trip in Ontario the best has got to be the spectacularly scenic town of Parry Sound.
Close enough that you can get there easily—with all the cottage traffic done for the year it’s just a 2-hour drive from the Greater Toronto Area and a touch more from Kitchener-Waterloo—but far enough that you really feel like you’ve got away from it all, Parry Sound is the place to get your last hurrah of the season.
And the best part? By September all those throngs of tourists have disappeared, leaving a beautiful powersports-playground wide open to the adventurous few. We've assembled a comprehensive list of all the great things to see and do there this fall. Ready? Let’s go!
Guided ATV tours in the Parry Sound area are the best way to experience autumn—the colours, the crisp cool air, and the natural scenery. Professional guides ensure that you have everything you could possibly need—from safety equipment to the ATVs themselves, and a deep knowledge of the trails and local ecosystem. Bear Claw Tours in Parry Sound is at the top of the list, but you can find a complete list of all guided tours and trail systems in the Explorers' Edge region here. We've also included a list of all the best accommodations and attractions at the bottom of this article.
A few years ago, TV show "Destination Polaris" visited the area just south of Parry Sound with their crew. You can check out a video about ATV riding in Explorers' Edge above, or read about their trip here. ATV.com also visited the area a while ago—their story and video are pretty epic.
Easily one of the most romantic and inspiring ways to explore the area is by motorcycle—zooming through the fall canopy here shows the best of the Great Canadian Wilderness. A few years ago, four motorcycle journalists and Motorcycle.com visited the area in fall, and this video captures just how vivid the experience is.
Pre-planned motorcycle routes can be found here, on the Explorers' Edge website. If you want to put together your own route, a list of the best roads in the region can be found here. Explorers' Edge even goes so far as to do a "Ride Check" at the beginning of every year to make sure the roads are still in good condition.
Dustin Woods rode the region a few years back, and his story covers just about every activity you can undertake in fall. He also wrote a list of the motorsports friendly accommodations throughout the region. If you're a female rider, this story by Liz Jansen captures what it's like to ride in the area from a woman's perspective. There's even a video from their trip, which you can see below.
Our top recommendations for this trip are Bear Claw Tours and Back Country Tours for ATV touring for guided tours, and the Park to Park trail system for self-guided ones.
For places to stay, we highly recommend the JW Marriott Rosseau resort, which has a stunning lakeview along with several outdoor fall activities.
To get up in the sky and see the fall foliage from a completely different angle we highly Georgian Bay Airways.
And if you're looking for a place to unwind from a long day of riding and enjoy a local craft brew you've got to check out the Trestle Brewery Taproom and Patio.
Other spots that make the trip to Parry Sound so irresistible are the taking in some hockey history at the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame, touring the waterways with the Island Queen 30,000 Islands Cruise Line, or doing it yourself with Sail Parry Sound. And for a really sweet time, check out the Parry Sound Apiary at Canadore College.
