Attractions and day trips in Owen Sound

Inglis Falls @ Owen Sound

Last summer, we did our last hurrah before school started, in Bruce/Grey Country. We had our base in Owen Sound then did a day trip to Tobermory.

There are a few things which make Owen Sound a destination. It has trails, waterfalls and fishing. We did not have time to go fishing, highlighted at the end of August Salmon Derby, but we did get a chance to do some trails and check out Inglis Falls. If you are in the area during Fall, you can also catch the salmon run as Chinook Salmon from Georgian Bay scale the ladders to spawn on the Sydenham River.

There are four popular waterfalls which spill from the Niagara Escarpment near Owen Sound:  Inglis Falls, Jones Falls, Indian Falls and Weavers’ Creek Falls. Each is less than 10 kilometres from the downtown Visitor Information Centre, so you can tour all in a single day. Three of them (Jones, Inglis and Weaver’s Creek) are linked by the Bruce Trail.

We visited Inglis Falls and it was just beautiful! One other great thing was that you did not have to go through trails to get there. As we had some seniors in our party, it was quite difficult for them to walk long distances on rocky terrain. So, we were glad they were able to view the falls just steps from the parking lot! Inglis Falls is the main attraction in the area, in terms of waterfalls tours. Even in winter, we were told that spectacular ice formations can be seen. Within the conservation area, there was a beautiful forest which we explored. Surely it will be awesome for snowshoeing or cross country skiing!

Forest at Inglis Falls Conservation @ Owen Sound

We also picnicked and hiked in the Hibou conservation area. They had a couple of pavilions and lots of picnic tables for a nice family meal. There was a stretch of natural sandy beach where the water was clear and calm. The girls could not resist the shallow and cool waters and jumped right in after lunch. We then went hiking in some of the trails across the road from the beach. Lots of signs with information on tree species and beaver activities can be found along the trail. Also, the trails incorporate boardwalks to allow hikers to navigate the low-lying wet areas! How cool was that?

About 40Km from Owen Sound, you can get to the beautiful Sauble beach (Lake Huron) where you can also do your day trip from Owen Sound. You can even park your vehicle right at the beach. The waters were clear but cold! What was great was that it did not have the fishy smell of Lake Simcoe or the yucky green floating things from Lake Ontario. There were also plenty of shops and eateries across the beach.

Sauble Beach

All in all, Owen Sound was a good base with some attractions in the area and close enough to the rest of the places we wanted to see. It offers a lot for nature lovers and anglers!

Other things to check out: Harrison Park, Northern Lights festival in winter and on Groundhog day, Wiarton is close so you can see Wiarton Willie!