Day Trips from Hartley Bay Cottages

Hartley Bay Cottages makes a great home base for exploring some of Northern Ontario's best scenery, and several worthwhile day trips are within easy driving distance.

Killarney Provincial Park is the headliner, and for good reason — its white quartzite ridges, clear lakes and hiking trails (the Crack Trail is a local favourite for the view alone) make for one of the most beautiful day trips in the region. We've written a full guide to planning a day there if you want the details.

Closer to home, the French River Visitor Centre and the trail down to Recollet Falls are worth the stop, especially if you're short on time — the falls are an easy walk from the parking area and make for a great picnic spot. The French River Trading Post nearby is a fun stop for local goods and a bite to eat.

For families or anyone wanting a quieter day, Grundy Lake Provincial Park and Restoule Provincial Park both offer sandy beaches, calm swimming, and easy trails without the crowds of the bigger parks.

The small communities of Alban, Noelville and Monetville are worth a slower drive-through too — good for picking up supplies, grabbing a coffee, and getting a feel for life along the French River outside of cottage country. If you make it as far as Killarney village itself, Herbert Fisheries right on the water is a local institution — fresh fish and chips eaten on the dock is about as good as it gets.

If you want a bigger day out, Sudbury is about an hour and a half away and has family attractions like Science North and Dynamic Earth, plus a wider range of restaurants and shopping if you need a change of pace from cottage life.