Sturgeon Bay Provincial Park: the vacation spot for experiencing Georgian Bay’s hidden treasures

Are you in search of an insider’s information to exploring the serene views alongside the shores of Georgian Bay through boat? Do you wish to catch a glimpse of some “must-sees” off the overwhelmed path? Effectively, you’ve come to the appropriate place!

Allow us to introduce you to Sturgeon Bay Provincial Park, a gem of a park tucked throughout the coronary heart of the Thirty Thousand Islands.

Situated roughly three hours north of Toronto, let Sturgeon Bay be your start line for having fun with Georgian Bay’s pristine waters and diving into the wealthy heritage surrounding Pointe au Baril.

We’ve highlighted seven must-see routes that lead boaters to lighthouses, a 150-year-old island resort, breathtakingly slender passageways, and extra.

Exploring by boat

To absorb the next sights, you have to start your journey by launching your boat on the park’s boat launch or launch/hire a ship from a neighborhood marina.

We’ll spotlight seven factors of curiosity that may be explored individually or mixed right into a select your personal journey tour of breathtaking taking views and wonderful heritage.

These embody (in no specific order):

The Pointe Au Baril Lighthouse and Whiskey Barrel
Ojibway Island
Hemlock Channel
Shawanaga Inlet
Gap within the Wall
Metamora Wreck
Shawanaga River

Pointe Au Baril Lighthouse and Whiskey Barrel

The 135-year-old pink and white lighthouse sits proudly on the headland the place the Pointe au Baril Channel meets Georgian Bay.

Now appearing as a historic constructing, the lighthouse holds a wealthy and galvanizing historical past. In the summertime months the lighthouse is dwelling to Emmaline Madigan, retired lighthouse keeper, native historian, and museum curator.

Emmaline and her accomplice, Invoice Pugsley, open the lighthouse doorways for guests to view historic pictures, artifacts and revel in a guided tour.

Locals swear by Emmaline’s baked items… you’ll be able to’t go to the lighthouse with out getting certainly one of her well-known butter tarts!

Simply past the lighthouse, you’ll be able to catch a a whiskey barrel as soon as a makeshift lighthouse utilized by fur-traders and anglers.

Pointe au Baril means “Barrel Level” in French, named for the whiskey barrel positioned on the purpose to assist information these on the water to protected harbour.

Ojibway Island

Ojibway Island is the 42-acre dwelling of the Ojibway Membership, a big constructing donning weathered cedar-shingles containing almost 120 years of historical past.

Constructed as a resort in 1906, this was a well-liked vacationer vacation spot for people from each the USA and southern Ontario.

The resort additionally started to play a necessary function in the summertime Shawanaga Inlet cottage group. It grew right into a hub for the water-based group of cottagers, offering a location to choose up and ship mail, purchase groceries, do laundry, buy presents, and revel in a Saturday-night dance.

Though the resort closed its doorways to in a single day friends within the Sixties, it nonetheless supplies a spot for the summer season cottage group to come back collectively. Immediately, the Ojibway Membership welcomes members, their friends, and guests to its amenities.

Hemlock Channel, Shawanaga Inlet, Gap within the Wall

Windswept pines dotted alongside uncovered granite with water so clear it makes you suppose you’re within the Caribbean – that is what’s ready for you at Hemlock Channel, Shawanaga Inlet, and Gap within the Wall.

When visiting Shawanaga Inlet, be conscious of the wind that swept the pines — the waves can get somewhat massive!

Each Gap within the Wall and Hemlock Channel are slender passages with towering cliffs lining both facet of the crystal-clear channel. When water-levels are proper, small pure sand seashores sit alongside the perimeters of Gap within the Wall, awaiting those that are fortunate sufficient to safe a spot on this (considerably) hidden gem!

When you’re on the water for the day, these two spots are additionally the right place for a picnic.

Metamora wreck or “The Wreck”

Inbuilt 1864, the picket tugboat Metamora was used to move passengers and items in and round Georgian Bay.

The ship caught fireplace and finally sank after operating aground in shallow waters on July 30, 1907.

Fortunately, all the crew and all passengers survived by swimming a comparatively brief distance to shore.

Guests can catch a glimpse of what’s left of the Metamora — the boiler nonetheless sitting above the water’s floor! The Metamora wreck is understood domestically as “The Wreck” and is used as a hazard warning for boats to be conscious of shallow water and shoals.

That is additionally a well-liked location for scuba divers who take pleasure in exploring shipwrecks.

Shawanaga River

The Shawanaga River is a well-liked angling vacation spot, notably for Walleye and for good motive.

The Shawanaga River is and has at all times been stewarded by Shawanaga First Nation. The inhabitants of Walleye spawning at this location was described as “arguably the up to date flagship Walleye inventory of Georgian Bay” (James, 2016; State of the Bay, 2023).

Shawanaga First Nation operates a fish hatchery creating alternatives for stewardship, schooling, and meals safety inside their group and past.

To study extra, try this video: We’re the Fishing Folks. When passing this location, notably within the spring and fall, you’ll be greeted by anglers chasing Walleye.

The tip to an ideal day

Sturgeon Bay is actually the right dwelling base for exploring the Thirty Thousand Islands, the world’s largest freshwater archipelago.

After coming back from a day on the water experiencing distinctive and intriguing sights, you’ll be greeted by Sturgeon Bay’s sandy seaside and the candy odor of pine timber.

A soothing night at certainly one of Sturgeon Bay’s cottages or waterfront campsite is ready for you.

If all that adventuring wore you out, make sure to attempt one of many native chip stands for dinner.

Alternatively, Sturgeon Bay can also be an ideal vacation spot for a day journey from Grundy Lake Provincial Park, Killbear Provincial Park, Parry Sound, and even Sudbury.

Moreover, there’s extra to Sturgeon Bay than fishing and picturesque views. The realm surrounding Sturgeon Bay has a wealthy cultural heritage simply ready to be explored!

No matter the place you keep, you’ll be able to head dwelling and relish the day’s newly created recollections.