In summer 2022, I did some online research to find tourist attractions in southern Ontario. Basically, I was trying to find places to visit and activities to do. Here is a list of the places I found (and some that actually went to). I hope you can find something useful here.
Port Dover, ON
Port Dover is an unincorporated community and former town located in
Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada, on the north shore of Lake Erie. It has many
popular attractions, including Port Dover Lighthouse, Lynn River Falls, Port
Dover Beach, making it well worth a visit
Port Dover Lighthouse
Location: 2 Harbour St, Port Dover, ON N0A 1N0, Canada
Rating: 4.6 out of 5
Opening Hours: Open 24 hours
- The Port Dover Lighthouse is prominently located at the end of the west pier (breakwall), at the entrance to Port Dover Harbour, a resort
community on Lake Erie. - It is a sturdy, square, wooden lighthouse with a platform enclosed by a
pipe railing and crowned by a square metal lantern. - A simple pediment embellishes the entrance, while a window on the south elevation lights the interior. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.
Port Dover Harbour Museum
Location: 44 Harbour St, Port Dover, ON N0A 1N0, Canada
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Opening Hours: 10 am -4 pm
- The Port Dover Harbour Museum promotes and preserves the history of Port Dover, with focus on the community’s commercial fishing heritage along the north shore of Lake Erie.
- The museum connects with the community by actively collecting memories and material culture, while creating an engaging experience for all visitors.
Hay Creek Conservation Area
Location: 241 Port Ryerse Rd, Simcoe,
ON N3Y 4K2, Canada
Rating: 4.4 out of 5
Hours: 7 am-11 pm
- Hay Creek Conservation Area is Located just 5km west of Port Dover.
- Hay Creek Reservoir provides opportunities for bird watching and viewing a variety of plants. Hay Creek is also home to some Carolinian forest species.
- No camping or swimming allowed.
- This is an excellent place to take a short hike. Terrain is varied and the
scenery is peaceful.
Lynn River Falls
Location: 156 Prospect St, Port Dover, ON N0A 1N2, Canada
Rating: 4.7 out of 5
This is one of Port Dover’s hidden gems. Although it’s small, with around
a 5-6 foot drop, the falls is tucked away in a nice and clean forest setting.
Turkey Point, ON
Turkey Point is a village in Ontario. Turkey Point is situated southwest of
Normandale. With over 3 kilometres (2 miles) of sandy beach ,visitors to
Turkey Point can enjoy a variety of water sports as well as fishing, bird
watching, boating and hiking. Turkey point received it’s name because of large
amount of waterfowl that frequented the area.
Turkey Point Provincial Park
Location: 194 Turkey Point Rd, Turkey Point, ON N0E 1T0, Canada
Rating: 4.3 out of 5
Hours: 8am-12 am
- Turkey Point Provincial Park is located in Turkey Point, Ontario, Canada
and is part of the Ontario Parks system. It is the only Ontario provincial
park to include a golf course. - The Normandale Fish Hatchery is in the park, and is accessible via one of the hiking trails.
- For more information, visit the park website here
Port Rowan
Port Rowan is a town in Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada. It is located on
Lake Erie, adjacent to Long Point. The lakeside community has a population
of fewer than 1500 people.
Backus Woods
Location: Concession Rd 4,Walsingham,ON N0E 1X0,Canada
Rating: 4.6 out of 5
- Backus Woods in one of the highest quality
old growth hardwood forests in all of Ontario
and the best remaining example in the
Carolinian Life Zone. - Maintained walking trails guide you through
numerous habitats such as dry forested
ridge, wet slough, buttonbush swamp and
floodplain. - Some of the oldest living trees in
Ontario are found here, including Black
Gums that may have been seedlings when
Jacques Cartier sailed into the Gulf of St.
Lawrence in 1534.
Here is more information about it from the official website
Port Rowan Restored Wetland
Location: Norfolk County, ON N0E 1M0, Canada
Rating: 4.4 out of 5
Hours: 10 am-6 pm
- The Port Rowan Wetlands are located on
Hunter Drive North in the town of Port Rowan
within the Long Point World Biosphere
Reserve. This site is enjoyed as a recreational
trail and wildlife viewing area by the
community while providing habitat for
numerous species unique to the Long Point
Bay area. - Port Rowan Wetlands is in Ontario. Port
Rowan Wetlands is situated nearby to Port
Rowan Public School, and close to Doerksen Country Store.
Long Point Bird Observatory
Location: 13 Old Cut Blvd, Port Rowan, ON N0E 1M0, Canada
Rating: 4.7 out of 5
https://www.birdscanada.org/bird-
science/long-point-bird-
observatory/
- A trip to Long Point Bird Observatory
is highly recommended for anyone
interested in birds. It is one of the
most exciting places on the continent
to observe rich birdlife. - LPBO’s Old Cut Research Station
and Visitor Centre is open to the
public during spring and fall
migration (from April to mid-June,
and early August to mid-November).
More information can be found in their website here
Big Creek National Wildlife Area
Location: 96 Wolven St, Port Rowan, ON N0E 1M0, Canada
Rating: 4.6 out of 5
Hours: 10 am-7:30 pm
https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/national-
wildlife-areas/locations/big-creek.html
- Big Creek NWA is on the north shore of
Lake Erie, 3 kilometers (km) southwest
of Port Rowan, Ontario. The NWA is at
the base of the Long Point peninsula. It
is home to a wealth of wildlife ,including:
birds, frogs, turtles, amphibians. - The extensive marshes at the mouth of
Big Creek are undisturbed compared to
other Great Lakes coastal wetlands.
These marshes are a major staging area
for waterfowl and more than 200 bird
species. These species use the area
during their spring and fall migrations.
Long Point
Long Point is sand spit and medium-sized hamlet on the north shore of Lake
Erie, part of Norfolk County in the province of Ontario, Canada. Long Point is
sand spit formation, created by waterborne sediments swept eastward and
deposited along an underwater glacial moraine.
Long Point Provencial Park
Location: 350 Erie Blvd, Port Rowan, ON N0E 1M0, Canada
Rating: 4.7 out of 5
Hours: Open 24 hours
- Located along the shores of Lake Erie, Long Point Provincial Park was
established in 1921 and is the fourth-oldest provincial park in Ontario. - This area was designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1982 due to its biological significance as a Ramsar Site (an internationally important wetland) and for being the largest freshwater sand spit in the world. More info here
Long Point Wildlife Area
Location: Norfolk County, ON, Canada
Rating: 4.4 out of 5
- Hosting more endangered species per-capita than the rest of Canada, it
is home to the greatest number of plants and animals and the highest
densities of wildlife in all of Canada. - More than 80 bird species nest on the point and people have observed
75% of all migratory birds in Ontario in the NWA. In addition, one can
find over 60 species of fish and many rare plants, reptiles, and
amphibians here. - Long Point National Wildlife Area (NWA) is situated on Long Point, a sandy peninsula located in Port Rowan, Ontario. It is on the north shore of Lake Erie.
- Located along the Atlantic Flyway, the area is one of the most important staging grounds on the continent for waterfowl.
- Hundreds of thousands of migrating birds pass through Long Point every spring and fall. In addition, more than 300 different migratory birds species visit the peninsula.
So, if you love the outdoors and are looking for some new adventure, consider a trip to southern Ontario. With its many hiking trails, canoeing spots, camping sites and beaches, there is sure to be something to suit everyone’s taste. And, if you’re feeling really adventurous, why not try them all? Regardless of how you spend your time in southern Ontario, you’re sure to create lasting memories that will bring a smile to your face for years to come. So what are you waiting for? Start planning your trip today!Have any of these tourist attractions in Southern Ontario caught your eye? Or have you already been and have another favourite spot that we didn’t mention? Let us know in the comments below!