Vacation Rentals - Manitoulin Cottage Activities

There are two types of activities to enjoy from our Manitoulin Cottages. First, are activities on the property. Second, are activities on the island in general. This is a very outdoor oriented area - there are a few very good restaurants, some art galleries, and antique shops to poke around in, but the majority of 'stuff to do' involves either, relaxing onsite, some sort of physical activity or driving somewhere to look at something. If you are hoping for a metropolitan experience this isn't the place. To put things in perspective, the islands deer population outnumbers the human population by at least 3 to 1.

Summer is high tourist season, but any time of year has something to offer. The tourist season slows down when the ferry stops its service for the year; therefore, some activities stop or slow down.

If you are traveling from or through Southern Ontario take advantage of your trip to the island. The Bruce Peninsula, North Bruce Peninsula is a fantastic area with plenty to see and do. See how many of the Top 40 list of activities for Bruce County you can complete.

If you are driving around (there is a bridge at the north east end of the Island that connects it to the mainland) and not taking the ferry across to the island then you can also check out these attractions. There is Science North, the giant nickel and plenty of other things to do, all explained at the Greater Sudbury District web site.

Antique and local craft shops/Galleries
Just down the street (in country terms anyway - about a 5 minute car ride) is Perivale Gallery.For a more complete list of places to go click here

Astronomy
Turn off the lights at the property and you'll notice that there isn't much light pollution. The property/island is a great place to observe the night sky. There is a book onsite called "Night Watch" that will point out the constellations and many interesting facts about the night sky. There is also "The Great Manitou Star Party" on the island every year.

Badminton (equipment on site)
There is a net, racquets and birdies on site.

Bicycle / Mountain Bike Trips
If you are coming here specifically for biking then you'll need to bring your own bike. With the low traffic volume and gorgeous scenery the island is a great place to cycle. A number of bike clubs across Ontario have annual trips here for the reasons mentioned above.

Bird Watching (binoculars on site)
With many different varieties there is always plenty to see. For recent sightings check out the Manitoulin Island, Recent Birding Reports

Canoeing (equipment on site)
There is a basic 15.5' Coleman on site. This is a tough, but fairly heavy canoe. It comes with two paddles and two life jackets. You can also rent canoes (and kayaks) in the town of Kagawong at Manitoulin Wind and Wave.

Cross Country Skiing
Ski on over 55 acres of property, or travel on some of the ski club trails.

Manitoulin Nordic Ski Club,
Honara Bay - 60-member, family-oriented club has 10 km of trails ($5 trail fee) and Jackrabbit program.

Fishing & Ice Fishing
The cottage is on the shore of Kagawong Lake. Lake Kagawong is best known for small mouth bass and perch. Many pike, and the odd catfish or pickerel can also be caught in the lake. A short drive away you can be at Lake Huron, The North Channel/North Shore, or a little further to Georgian Bay. The cottages proximity to so many bodies of diverse water acts as a great central location for catching brook trout, coho salmon, chinook salmon, lake trout, muskie, perch, pickerel, pike, small mouth bass, large mouth bass, splake, rainbow trout, whitefish and smelt.

For detailed information on what lakes you may catch what fish click here.

For detailed information on Ice Fishing click here.

Ministry of Natural Resources - Fish Ontario can provide full details on Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary. The Ministry is constantly changing around their web links and zone names so I'll apologize upfront if any of the links are broken.

The cottage is located in "Fisheries Management Zone 10"; however, Manitoulin Island itself is located in "Fisheries Management Zones 13 & 14". You can easily drive to zone 13 (Lake Huron) & zone 14 (North Channel/North Shore/Georgian Bay) from the cottage.

Ministry of Environment Guide to Eating Ontario Sport Fish, main sections:

Fish Consumption - Introduction, to find out how many fish the Ministry considers safe to eat over what period of time go to this link - and seach on "Kagawong Lake" - it was in the top left of page 147 the last time we checked in 2008 but it keeps moving.

There are a number of places that rent boats. For a 15 HP, 16' boat your cost is likely to be over $50.00/day +taxes during the summer. If you need a boat let me know and I can direct you to the people on the lake who rent them (one place is as close as 5 minutes away).

G eocache
At last check (March 9, 2005) there were 42 geocaches located within 80 km of the cottage. A lot are within a 30 minute drive and on some great hiking trails. See http://www.geocaching.com/seek/nearest.aspx?zip=P0P+2B0&dist=50 for details.

A Geocache is a hike with a GPS to find a "treasure chest" of items left behind by other geocache people. The cache could contain anything but normally includes things like key chains, or small knick knacks. The fun is definitely more with located the hidden treasure, more so than the items involved. The idea is that you leave a small item (usually of low worth) and take one. Some people leave disposable cameras and ask that you take a picture of your Geocache team and move the camera to another Geocache location - they ask the last person to mail them back the camera COD. All kinds of interesting things are done. To take part in a Geocache you need a GPS of some sort as you start off the geocache knowing just GPS (longitude and latitude co-ordinates and usually a rough area (such as a park, or hiking trail) to search. For more details click here http://www.geocaching.com/about/

Golfing
There are three courses, plus a fourth in nearby Espanola.

Gordon's Park
Made 'famous' by the Arrogant Worms' song "Mounted Animal Nature Trail", and with so much to see and do, Gordon's Park deserves to be mentioned. We'll let their web site explain who and what they are.

Hiking
The world's largest fresh water island, with the Niagara Escarpment running through it. The most popular hike is The Cup and Saucer, but there are plenty of hiking trails with stunning views. Here is an article about Manitoulin hiking trails from Hike Ontario Magazine.

Hunting
The deer, grouse and pheasants are plentiful in the area and on the property. To hunt on the property you need a signed authorization from the owner. If you wish to hunt you have to let me know so that you can get the proper signed form on checking in.

Ministry of Natural Resources Publications Web Site can provide full details on regulations for hunting.

Deer
Annual season is held Monday through Sunday of the third week in November.
The bow season begins the first Saturday in October and continues to the Friday before the gun hunt. Early in December, there is now a three-day black powder season, combined with an extended archery hunt.
The deer on the island have no natural predator and without the hunting season the deer population would get out of control. In fact according to Animal Planet deer are the most dangerous animal in North America to humans because of traffic accidents. The property is located within the Ministry of Natural Resources Wildlife Management Unit #43. If you look at previous MNR reports you will find that WMU 43 is one of the best deer hunting locations in Ontario and likely North America.

More details on the deer hunt

Moose
Moose are rare on the island and there is no hunting season for moose here.

Game Birds
The hunting season is generally end of September to mid December 15th. See MNR link below. The most popular bird on the property is the Ruffed Grouse.

For all other animals, and to verify that the information above is correct please see the MNR website.

Horseback Riding
Honora Bay Riding Stable in Little Current offers various types of activities.

Kayaking
You can rent a kayak (and canoes) in the town of Kagawong at Manitoulin Wind and Wave.

Mini Putt
Gordon's Park has an 18 hole mini putt with a natural theme.

Nature Study
There are numerous varieties of animals, birds, insects, right on the property. There are a number of books onsite about the local wildlife. Common animals that you will come across while driving on the island are White Tailed Deer, Fox, Rabbits, Mink, Fishers, Bald Eagles, Sandhill Cranes, Wild Turkeys, Osprey, Loons, Ducks, Merlins, Hawks, Pheasants, Cormorants, Herons, Turkey Vultures, Woodpeckers, Grouse. The property has various species of plants, and insects (too many to list here).

Off Road
There are open areas and trails on the property for the responsible use of ATVs etc,. There is also Wawashkesh Wilderness ATV Tours.

Pow Wow
With many First Nations and Canada's only Unceded Indian Reservation there are numerous powwows throughout the summer to enjoy.

POW WOW SCHEDULE 2005

For the Manitoulin Island and Sagamok Region

Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation

Traditional Pow wow June 4th -5th

Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve

Traditional Pow Wow June 18th -19th

Sheshegwaning First Nation

Traditional Pow Wow June 25th -26th

Sheguiandah First Nation

16th Annual Traditional Pow Wow July 2nd -3rd

Sagamok Anishnawbek

21st Annual Traditional Pow Wow July 9th -10th

Zhiibaahaasing First Nation

Traditional Pow Wow July 16th -17th

Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve

45th Annual Cultural Festival and Pow Wow July 30th-August 1st

Whitefish River First Nation

12th Annual Traditional Pow Wow August 20th -21st

M’Chigeeng First Nation

18th Annual Traditional Pow Wow September 3rd -4th

Sailing
The north channel is considered by many experts to be have the 3rd best sailing conditions in the world. There are many marinas. There are a few places to rent sail boats.

SCUBA Dive
On your way to or from the cottage you can stop and dive at Fathom Five National Marine Park, Ontario's only underwater park. It is one of Canada's best dive locations. The Bruce Peninsula in general offers a lot to offer divers between ship wrecks, under water forests, and other adventures. You can also SCUBA Dive in Lake Kagawong. The water is fairly warm in the summer, visibility is quite decent for an Ontario dive.

Sightseeing
The island has a number of hikes that are great for Sightseeing. There are the First Nations and Unceded Indian Reserves. You can also check out some of the first non native settled towns on the island, the main ones are Little Current, Gore Bay, Kagawong, Mindemoya, Providence Bay.

Snowmobiling
There are over 500 Km of well marked, well groomed trails on the island.
For more details click here.

Snowshoeing

Volleyball (equipment on site)
There is a volleyball net and balls on site. The net can be set up on site or taken to an area such as Providence Bay to play on the very large sandy beach there.

Water Sports
There is a canoe on site, or you can bring your own boat. There is a large private dock to moor to or to take a refreshing swim. The shoreline is at the edge of a fair size cove which leads in to the main lake which is quite large. You can also water ski, windsurf, SCUBA dive etc. (equipment not provided).

Winter Activities
Rainbow Country Winter Tourist Guide, plus activities right at the cottage (or close by), such as Snowmobiling, Snowshoeing, Cross Country Skiing, Ice Fishing, Horseback Riding, Nature Study, Satellite TV, DVDs, XBOX.