Fall in love with BruceGreySimcoe as you connect with the land and our communities on these sustainable family adventures. BruceGreySimcoe is home to vibrant towns, towering Niagara Escarpment cliffs and the shining waters of Georgian Bay. As a visitor to the region, we know you want to learn more about the environment, the wildlife and the unique geography that make this place so special. We’ve curated a list of fun family adventures led by amazing local guides that will have your family laughing and learning this summer. From caving to paddling to stargazing, BruceGreySimcoe is home to some great sustainable adventures.
Take an Eco Adventure on the Bruce Peninsula
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With a full slate of summer tours on tap and all proceeds going back to support the Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association, booking with Eco Adventures is an investment in fun that you can feel good about too! Their slogan says it all: Play, learn, make a difference. With experienced local guides who will help you experience the Bruce Peninsula in a whole new way, choose from the family-friendly outings below.
Brave the Caves
Description: Come explore the mysterious ancient sea caves of the Saugeen Bruce Peninsula! On this guided experience, you'll learn about the caves, the forest around them, and those who walked these trails long before us...
Ages: 6+
Cyprus Lake Forest Escape
Description: The clock is ticking at Bruce Peninsula National Park this summer! Get your team together to find clues and crack codes before time runs out in this one-of-a-kind outdoor escape room experience.
Ages: 13+ is recommended
Full Moon Over Georgian Bay
Description: Watch the full Buck Moon rise over Georgian Bay on this guided hike through the darkened forests, cobble beaches, and cliffside trails of the Saugeen Bruce Peninsula.
All equipment is provided. Just bring your sense of adventure!
Ages: 10+
See The Universe for Free at Bayside Astronomy!
How would you like to give your kids the universe for free this summer? Bayside Astronomy is a free program that lets the whole family look through telescopes and see planets, the moon, galaxies and other distant deep space objects. Their volunteer astronomers will tell you fascinating facts about the night sky and even take you on a guided laser tour of the night sky. Learn about why this will be the last summer to see Saturn's rings, watch hundreds of shooting stars/hour during the Perseids in August, catch the northern lights, see the Milky Way and you may even see a once in a lifetime star explosion. Look through Herschel, our 20" telescope and get up close and personal with some dead stars!
The program runs 5 nights a week from Canada Day through to Labour Day. On Fridays and Saturdays we operate at the Lions Head Marina just after sunset, on Sunday at Singing Sands Park, Mondays at Miller Family Camp and Wednesday at Summer House Park. Kids, dogs, seniors, and star lovers of all kinds are welcome. No need to register, just show up. Check their Facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/baysideastronomy for any cancellations due to bad weather. Meet Dante Hunter and Grace Jaklitsch, their summer university Program Managers who will give a brief star talk at the beginning of the night and will also operate some of the scopes. This summer they hope to have a couple of BYOT sessions (Bring Your Own Telescope) where you can bring that new telescope you just got, or the old one that's been sitting in your dad's attic, and we can help you get it going. They also have a small smart telescope that will take colour photos of some of the night's best objects and can be accessed from your smartphone so you can show your friends.
Explore the great outdoors with Free Spirit Tours
Perhaps one of the most established guiding companies in BruceGreySimcoe, a day spent with Free Spirit Tours is always an amazing experience. Whether you want to take the family paddling on the Beaver River or the Nottawasaga River, caving at Metcalfe Rock (ages 7 and up), or slow things down with some Forest Therapy, you will find yourself reconnecting with nature and each other. Want to learn more about the nutrition nature can provide? Sign up for one of Barefoot Brian’s Wild Edible Experience and learn how to forage sustainably.
Paddling adventures meet citizen science with the Big Canoe Project
Big Canoe Project is an all ages adventure enabler. They use big canoes to connect people to the incredible aquatic and shoreline ecosystems in Southern Georgian Bay, each other and citizen science. If you come paddling with the Big Canoe Project, you'll have a chance to collect water quality data, paddle your way into a memorable experience and get your whole crew together. Minimum 5 people per booking, maximum 25. They offer 1.5 and 2.5 hour tours on the waters of Lake Eugenia, Meaford, Owen Sound and Collingwood that range from $35 - $45 per person. Get all the details here.
Take a glow tour on a stand-up paddleboard with iSup Saugeen
Join iSUP Saugeen for an eco-friendly and family-friendly adventure on the water! Discover the thrill of LED SUPing at a variety of beach fronts, lakeshores, and river access points throughout our beautiful and diverse community with iGlow tours. In addition, guided SUP tours help educate your family on water safety and safe boating practices and are designed to prevent drownings thus saving lives through SUP recreation and their unique adventure-based learning program. Children 5 and under need to be on board with a legal guardian or qualified technician. iGlow SUP tours are sustained using 100% renewable energy! The paddle board's LED lights are powered by a portable solar panel that gets mounted on site.
Spend the day at Wye Marsh
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There’s no better way to connect with nature than a day at Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre. Whether you just choose a day admission to explore on your own or book one of their guided tours, you are sure to learn alot about this provincially significant wetland and the species living here. As always, going with a guide always offers great insight and great stories about the area you are exploring. Wye Marsh now offers guided kayak tours suitable for children 8 and up. They run daily at 10 a.m. for one and a half hours. Guided canoe tours run three times a day for 45 minutes and are suitable for all ages. Private kayak eco-tours, suitable for ages 13 and up, can also be booked. All three guided experiences have a fee on top of your daily admission. Included in your admission be sure to Meet the Naturalist daily at 11 a.m. and stop by Feature Creature at 1 p.m. to meet a new creature each day. Sunday’s are the Birds of Prey demonstration. Get all the info and plan your visit to Wye Marsh today.
Get to know the Dragonflies at Robert Bowles Nature Reserve
The Robert Bowles Nature Centre located in Ramara is a great palace to immerse yourself in nature. Their goal is to teach visitors how to be good stewards of the environment while enjoying their time outdoors. They offer some great family educational programs like Dragonflies and Damselflies running on Wednesday, July 24. In addition to their scheduled programs, you can visit on your own to hike the trails, experience a bush breathing session or sit quietly in their wildlife observation areas and wait to see moose, deer, turtles, frogs and even porcupines. Children 5 and under are free.
Explore the Caves and Caverns at Scenic Caves Nature Adventures
Experience nature through unique adventures year-round at Scenic Caves Nature Adventures. Situated within one of Canada’s eighteen UNESCO biosphere reserves and dating back 450 million years, Scenic Caves is steeped in rich history and heritage. Explore the caves and caverns, hike over the suspension bridge with epic views of Georgian Bay then walk through the forest and stop at the lookouts. Add some gemstone mining, a ride on Rocky the Train, mini golf and a picnic at the children’s playground to your day. Youth must be accompanied by an adult. Strollers are not permitted on the trails but carriers can be used. Find all of their warm season offerings here.