I received a lot of great road trip ideas from many people around Ontario Canada, and one of them was from a woman named Nancy, who suggested a road trip north, to Killbear Provincial Park. I was intrigued and quickly gathered some info and planned the trip. Thanks so much Nancy, excellent suggestion!
If you want to take a break from the city for a day and experience some incredible nature, then Killbear Provincial Park is worth a visit. If you’re a camper and want the chance to see black bears and White-tailed deer while you experience the great outdoors, then Killbear is worth an extended stay.
This small park is about 2 1/2 hours north of Toronto. For those who have driven north of Toronto and have reached as far as Muskoka, you know all too well how beautiful the scenery gets. Highway 400 becomes a very small portion of the Trans Canada Highway and the landscape becomes more rugged, rocky and hilly. The air, fresher and cleaner.
Killbear offers 4 hiking trails that are easy to moderate in difficulty, including a 6 km recreational trail that runs parallel to the main road. Besides hiking, you can bike, swim (in some picturesque beaches I might add), windsurf, sail, boat and canoe on one of the many spots within the park. After all, Killbear is located in the middle of the 30,000 islands. We hope that these pictures inspire you to experience a compact park that has everything that you will need to take a break from the big city.
Hungry?
We know you are after a day at the park. We were starving! On the way back, we stopped in Parry Sound and found a small Italian eatery called Maurizio’s Pizzeria. Easily one of the better places to eat in the area. And believe me, I’m skeptical when it comes to eating decent food outside of the city. I’ve had some pretty crappy food in small town Ontario and that includes something as simple as pizza.
But Maurizio and his Partner (who’s also his Mom, Sina), know what they’re doing here.
Maurizio is a Certified Pizza Maker and a volunteer fire fighter. He takes both very seriously. I have to be honest, I was really surprised that a small town Restaurateur would put in so much effort into making really great food, including pizza. He could easily get away with doing things sub-par but he chooses the higher road. He’s won several awards to prove it.
There’s no compromise on quality and flavour here. The flour and tomatoes are imported from Italy, the ingredients are fresh, the basil and rosemary are grown in-house and the pizza is ready to go in 4 minutes. It’s a local favourite and a recognized favourite from visitors as well, who usually hit it when they arrive at the start of the weekend and re-visit on their way out of town. Give it a try next time you’re passing through Parry Sound. It’s worth the detour.
There you have it y’all. Great day of hiking topped off with a great local food discovery. Can’t get much better than that.
Do you have a suggested location that we missed in this article? Know of another great place to hike and eat along Georgian Bay? Let us know about it. We’re always up for hearing from locals who know best.
Jim Bamboulis has held several posts over the past 12 years, including National Sportscaster, Food Host and Writer, Talk Show Host, Olympic Researcher and Travel Film-maker.
Born and raised in Toronto, Jim learned early on that the combination of travel and food meant ultimate living. Combining his insatiable creative spirit and desire to document his travels, Jim took his unshakable travel bug and set off to explore. Add the fact that Jim also grew up in a Greek household and he learned that not only does Mom always make the best meals, but as importantly learned the importance of understanding and appreciating the countless beautiful cultures and the integral role food plays in every corner of the World.
In August 2009, Jim founded Travel Mammal, a site that brings together his travels and experiences (both good and terrifying) with the hope that others are inspired to share their own. We are all storytellers, especially when it comes to travel and food. He urges everyone to be inspired, explore and love the world and the people that share it with us. Or in other words, Live to Travel and travel to live!
