Nestled near the Beaver Valley River near the quaint village of Kimberley, Beaver Valley is still off the beaten path, but not for much longer. If you’re looking for recommendations of what to do in Beaver Valley, this curated itinerary features my top picks for what to do and where to stay to make the best of your visit.
If Beaver Valley was not on your radar before, I’m sure it is now that The June Motel has made it the home for it’s newest baby. Since it’s opening in the Spring of 2024, Beaver Valley has become one of the new hot spots to visit in Ontario. But new destinations means that if you google “What to do in Beaver Valley”, you won’t find much… yet.
So why is Beaver Valley worth a visit? The June Motel in and itself is worth the trip. But more than that, Beaver Valley is a great escape from the hustle and bustle of the city and offers a perfect nature gateway in all seasons. With a ski hill in the Winter and numerous hiking trails in the summer, it is definitely going to please the outdoors lovers out there.
Beaver Valley is also the perfect base to explore the Georgian Bay. You a short drive away from places like Blue Mountain, Collingwood and Thornbury.
I’ve put together this itinerary to help you hit all the highlights, taste the best food, and make the most of your time here.
Don’t forget to check out all of my Ontario blog posts to make the most of your adventures!
YOUR ULTIMATE WEEKEND GUIDE TO BEAVER VALLEY
What to know before visiting Beaver Valley?
- Beaver Valley is located in southern Ontario, Canada, at the southern end of Georgian Bay.
- It’s a thriving agricultural region, known for producing a large share of Canada’s apple crop.
It’s located 2 hours from Toronto, 6 hours from Ottawa and 2 hours and a half from London. - The main towns in the valley are Flesherton at the south end, Kimberley, and Thornbury.
- If you are a hiker the Bruce Trail winds around the edge of the valley, taking hikers past notable natural landmarks such as Old Baldy, the Duncan Crevice Caves, and Eugenia Falls.
- In the Winter, it is home to the Beaver Valley Ski Club.
Where to Stay?
I’ve already mentioned it in the intro, but I’m almost 100% that if you are visiting Beaver Valley you will be staying at the very new June Motel. Am I right?
The June Motel is the dream of two best friends, April and Sarah, who, in 2016, left everything behind to purchase their first rundown motel in Prince Edward County. Since then, they’ve become household names in Ontario and even got their own Netflix series, Motel Makeover which documented the renovation of their second location in Sauble Beach. In the Spring of 2024, they opened their third motel in Beaver Valley.
Situated amidst nature along the Beaver River, this motel has 8 rooms all uniquely decorated. Each room has a king bed, robes and a full bathroom with shower.
On site, you also have access to the Parlour with stone fire place and tables, a studio perfectly equiped for all of your yoga sessions, a large patio with two fire pits and a barrel sauna. A small breakfast – cakes and coffee – is served every morning between 7am and 10am. And in the evening, you can serve yourself to their S’mores kits!
Travel Tip // Unlike traditional hotels, there is no staff present on site (except for the maintenance crew that comes every day). For your check-in you will need to text the number given with your reservation and they will give you the code to enter your room and the Parlour. Someone is always available to answer any of your question via text.
THE DETAILS
Where | Find The June Motel Beaver Valley here on google map.
Price | 380$ a night (sleeps 2)
Reservations | Book your room here.
What to do in and around Beaver Valley
Hike to the Old Baldy Lookout
Located just 5 minutes from the Motel, Old Baldy Conservation Area is an absolute must do if you love hiking. The lookout is absolutely stunning! It quickly took a top spot in my favorite Ontario lookouts.
Read More // Top 11 Best Lookouts in Ontario
Travel Tip // The trails are dog friendly, but all dog must be on leash.
THE DETAILS
Where | The trail heads are located on Sideroad 7B. Find it here on google map.
Parking | There is a parking lot at the trail head. The fee is 10$ + Tax. Pay with your phone (no cash).
Difficulty | The trail is easy to moderate depending on your fitness level.
Trail | You can find the trail details here.
Do a Kayak Tour
Free Spirit Tours offers many paddling tours and guided tours around Beaver Valley. If you want to experience the best of Beaver Valley, they offer 1 to 5 hours kayak tours on the Beaver River. These tours are perfect for everyone, from beginners to more advanced paddlers.
Travel Tip // If you want to mix adventure with good food, they offer an Apple Pie Trail Paddle which includes a 1 hours paddle on the Beaver River followed by a drive to Georgian Hill Vineyards to taste different wines and snacks.
THE DETAILS
Where | You meet at the Free Spirit Tours base Find it here on google map.
When | The kayak tours run from mid-May to mid-October
Price | The kayak tours start at 40$ per person
Reservations | Make your reservation here.
Check out Euginia Falls
Euginia Falls is tallest waterfall in the area . It drops 30 meters from the edge of the Niagara Escarpment into the bottom of Cuckoo Valley. Discovered in 1852, the falls got their name from Princess Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III of France.
The lookout for the Falls is just a few steps away from the parking lot through a large gravel path. Unfortunately, access to the the bottom of the falls is prohibited, but you still get to them from a distance.
Travel Tip // The parking is closed during the Winter but walking in the Conservation Area is still permitted.
THE DETAILS
Where | Find it here on google map.
Price | 10$ + tax per car (no cash)
Visit a winery, a brewery or a cidery (or all of the above!)
You might be surprised (or not!) to learn that there are a lot of wineries, breweries and cideries in and around Beaver Valley.
Here are a few names to keep in mind for your visit:
Wineries : The Roost Winery, Coffin Ridge Boutique Winery, Georgian Hill Vineyards
Breweries : Still Fields Brewery, Mudtown Station, Neustadt Springs Brewery, Black Bellows, Maclean’s Beer
Cidery : Spy Distillery, Windswept Ciders, Greygold Cider Company
Foodie break // For those with a sweet tooth, try the homemade pies at Blackbird Pie Company.
Travel Tip // The Grey County Tourism Board, has crafted 3 bike routes that will bring you to different wineries and cideries. One of the route is specifically for Beaver Valley.
Where to eat?
Believe it or not, Beaver Valley is also a great foodie destination! Here are some of my favorites:
Hearts | This is definitely the most popular spot in Kimberley. It was actually named “Canada’s Top New Restaurants in 2022” by Enroute Magazine (Air Canada’s magazine).
Justin’s Oven | Next door to the Hearts, you’ll find Justin’s Oven. They make a ginormous bison burgers and they serve fire oven pizza every Friday.
Good Grief | A cute coffee shot in Thornbury
Bento Taco | Located a bit further in Collingwood, I’ve heard from good sources that these are some of the best tacos out there!
Gibson & Company | Also in Collingwood, this is a coffee shop that serves delicious sandwiches (try the smoked trout sandwich… trust me!).
* P.S. I was invited The June Motel, but all opinions (and obsessions) are 100% mine!”
READ THESE BEFORE VISITING MORE OF ONTARIO
ONTARIO GUIDES | The Ultimate Fall Weekend in Calabogie; The Best In and Around Niagara Falls : A Complete Guide; How to spend the Perfect Weekend in Bracebridge
ONTARIO TOP 10 | Top 11 Best Lookouts in Ontario
WHERE TO STAY IN ONTARIO | Tiny Stays: A Unique Stay in Prince Edward County; Spend the night with Alpacas at Haute Goat Farm
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I almost made a very different version of this reel.
Last time I posted about Smiths Falls, the comments surprised me and a lot of them seemed to come from people who actually live there. There’s nothing to do here. It’s boring. My first instinct was to make a whole clap-back video, screenshots and all.
But honestly? I get it. Nobody is a tourist in their own town. The canal is just the thing you cross on your way to work. The museum is where you went once on a school trip in grade four. When you see a place every single day, it goes invisible.
I grew up near the Bay of Fundy – home of the highest tides on the planet – and as a kid I thought it was the most boring place on earth. It took moving away to realize people cross oceans to see what was in my backyard.
So this reel is me being a tourist in your town for you. The 1912 bridge you’d paddle under if you hadn’t stopped noticing it. The museum where you can climb into the trains, and even sleep in one. The thrift trail. The mural. All of it.
To everyone who’s never been: this is your sign for an easy day trip from Ottawa or Kingston.
And to Smiths Falls locals: I dare you to do one thing from this list this weekend. Report back. 😌
What’s the thing in YOUR town that you’ve stopped noticing? I want to hear it.
🇫🇷 La version française est dans les commentaires.
#SmithsFalls #RideauCanal #OntarioDayTrip #ExploreOntario #smalltownontario
I have a confession: half my road trips are reverse-engineered.
I don’t pick a destination and find a coffee shop nearby. I pick the coffee shop, then build a whole day around justifying the drive. A hike here, a beach there, some antiquing, all very respectable cover stories for the fact that I drove two hours for an iced latte.
Because here’s what I’ve figured out after years of crisscrossing Ontario: the best coffee shops are never just coffee shops. They’re the unofficial welcome centre of every small town. The barista knows which trail is muddy this week. The regulars will tell you where to park for free. The bulletin board has better local intel than any travel blog, mine included.
So this list isn’t really about coffee. It’s about the 12 places I use as an excuse to keep exploring this province. Swipe through, every single one comes with what to pair it with so you can build your own cover story.
From Thunder Bay to the County, consider this your permission slip to drive unreasonably far for caffeine.
Which one’s closest to you? And more importantly, what’s YOUR coffee shop worth driving for? I’m always taking notes. ☕
🇫🇷 La version française est dans les commentaires.
#OntarioCoffeeShops #OntarioRoadTrip #DiscoverOntario #OntarioTravel #SmallTownOntario
For over a hundred years, the men who lived in this house woke up, looked at the lake, and went to work captaining the Wolfe Island ferry. Three generations of them. Same water, same crossing, every day.
I thought about that a lot during my stay at @themullinhouse_ (mainly from the bathtub, because the tub faces the lake and once you’re in it there’s no reason to be anywhere else.)
The Mullin House just opened as a stay, and those who brought it back to life did it in the best way that possible. Keeping the soul of the place.Places with an actual story make my job as a photographer easy. I just have to pay attention.
And if you want to stay here too: It’s a free 20-minute ferry from Kingston, 5 bedrooms, sleeps 10. So this is your sign to plan the group trip you keep talking about.
Save this for when you book it, and be honest, would you make it out of that bathtub by checkout?
Thank you to @themullinhouse_ for having me!
🇫🇷 La version française est dans les commentaires.
#wolfeisland #kingstonontario #thousandislands #exploreontario #ontariotravel
I grew up an hour from the Bay of Fundy. And every few years, my school would pile us onto a bus and take us to Hopewell Rocks or Fundy National Park. And every single time, as a kid, I thought : ‘okay, cool. Rocks. Trees. Can we go home now?’
I had absolutely no idea what I was standing next to.
It took me leaving New Brunswick, travelling across the country before I came back to the Bay of Fundy as an adult and genuinely had my breath taken away. I grew up next to one of the most extraordinary places on the planet and completely took it for granted. And I think a lot of Maritimers probably feel the same way.
This carousel is my attempt to fix that, for myself, and for anyone who’s never made the trip. Scroll through and I’ll show you exactly how I’d plan a road trip along the New Brunswick side, from the tidal flats to the coastal cliffs to the little fishing towns that feel completely frozen in time.
And if you have extra days to spare, Saint John is absolutely worth a stop, underrated city, great food scene, and it sits right on the bay.
I’m also heading back this summer to try a stay I’ve had my eye on for a while, I genuinely cannot wait to tell you all about it. 👀
Save this for your New Brunswick road trip. 🙌
👇 Have you ever been to the Bay of Fundy? Were you as underwhelmed as I was at 10 years old? 😄
🇫🇷 La version française est dans les commentaires.
#BayOfFundy #NewBrunswick #ExploreCanada #CanadaTravel #FundyNationalPark
I’ll be honest, when I pulled up to @whispering_springs I didn’t know what to expect. I’d seen the photos, I’d read the website, but nothing really prepares you for the moment you walk into your safari tent and realize this might actually be nicer than your apartment.
We’re talking a king bed, more space than I expected, and an actual bathtub, in a tent. I took a bath. In the woods. And I would do it again without hesitation.
Oh and the s’mores bar? Someone thought really hard about what would make people unreasonably happy at the end of a summer night and they nailed it.
Save this for your summer planning because at 90 minutes from Toronto there is really no reason to wait.
Now tell me have you ever gone glamping? If not, what are you waiting for!
🇫🇷 La version française est dans les commentaires.
#OntarioGetaway #GlampingOntario #OntarioTravel #WeekendGetawayOntario
ExploreOntario
