WORDS BY ANDREW HIND

Summer is almost upon us. Soon, many of us will be answering the loon’s call and heading to cottages and resorts in Muskoka. Here’s some family-friendly suggestions for enriching your summer escape to Muskoka.

Stay

Muskoka offers an abundance of riches when it comes to accommodations–cabins, motels, boutique inns, chain hotels, and resorts. Deerhurst Resort (deerhurstresort.com), in Huntsville, embraces families like no other, with an unrivaled range of activities for all ages. The resort’s 760 acres is home to fresh air fun that ranges from swimming and boating on Peninsula Lake, golf on verdant greens, ATV tours and mountain biking among the forested hills. Rainy days are perfect for enjoying in the indoor pool, treehouse play space, and rock-climbing wall.

Play

One can’t use the words ‘kids’ and ‘Muskoka’ in the same sentence without mentioning Santa’s Village (santasvillage.ca), the venerable–and venerated–theme park that has been welcoming guests for seven decades. Much updated and expanded in recent years, the park retains the charm of yesteryear but captures the thrills and fun expected by modern youth. There are over 30 attractions in all. No visit to the park would be complete without a ride on Candy Cane Express train and Santa’s Summer Sleigh jetboat. Don’t forget a visit with the Jolly Old Elf in his summer cottage.

Time travel

Travel back in time to early cottage country at Muskoka Heritage Place (muskokaheritageplace.ca) in Huntsville. Learn about First Nations and settler experiences in the excellent museum, then head outside to explore the heritage buildings that form a recreated pioneer village. Make sure to take a ride aboard the Portage Flyer, a historic train that once chugged along the world’s shortest commercial rail line.

Muskoka Lakes Museum (mlmuseum.com) in Port Carling is also worth a visit. The exhibits–ranging from First Nations lifestyle to wooden boat building–are first class. Kids enjoy the fur trade scavenger and traditional cottages games (bocce and croquet) on the lawn.

Savour

There’s nothing like ice cream on a warm summer day. Watch boats – including steamboats if you’re lucky–passing through the historic locks at Port Carling and then head for a cooling cone at Muskoka Chills (121 Medora Street). The ice cream, your choice of soft serve or scooped, is great and the chalkboard humour refreshing (why do ice cream cones carry an umbrella? Because there’s always a chance of sprinkles!), but what sets Muskoka Chills apart is the fact it is run by cottaging teenaged cousins.

Sail

The steamships RMS Segwun and Wenonah II (realmuskoka.com) are iconic to Muskoka, keeping alive a tradition of steamboating on the lakes dating back 150 years. With a range of scenic cruises, children will love the interactive Pirate Cruises–costumes are encouraged for this freebooting adventure–and the Noah’s Ark Cruises, where they meet and learn about native mammals, reptiles, and birds, courtesy of the team at Speaking of Wildlife.