Southern Ontario - PDF

Comprising Canada’s southernmost limb, the southern reaches of Ontario contain the vibrant, cosmopolitan heart of Canada, boasting the populous city of Toronto, the sights of Niagara Falls, other major cities like London and Hamilton, plus natural attractions like Wasaga Beach, the world’s largest freshwater beach. Our southern Ontario backcountry map book guides your way through the region, including the Greater Toronto Area plus Ontario’s largest established trail network. In addition to urban attractions in Toronto, London, Hamilton and beyond, and the natural wonder that is Niagara Falls, southern Ontario provides a range of outdoor recreation activities.

Backroad Mapbooks’ southern Ontario backcountry map book details sites including hundreds of public parks and conservation areas, lush provincial parks and national parks, the popular Bruce Peninsula, and some of Ontario’s most accessible river paddling routes. In the backcountry outside of city centres like Toronto and London, you will find a surprising number of trails allowing you to absorb the best of Ontario’s wilderness – and all just a stone’s throw from Canada’s most populous region. From Toronto to Windsor to the beauty of Wasaga Beach, there is no shortage of things to do in southern Ontario. Let your southern Ontario backcountry map book show you where to hike, camp, fish, paddle, ski, snowshoe and more, for outdoor adventures that you won’t forget.

Backroad Adventures

Your southern Ontario backcountry map book details over 40 of the best of backcountry and man-made attractions in and around Toronto, London, and beyond. With miles of old logging roads dating back to Canada's earliest settlements, you can explore for days. Our map book highlights several stops along the way, including the world-renowned sights of Niagara Falls and Wasaga Beach, plus tourist attractions such as the African Lion Safari and London's magical Storybook Gardens. Those looking for natural attractions will find spectacular destinations such as the Elora Gorge, Grieg's Caves and several waterfalls including Albion, Eugenia and Sable Falls, many of which are close to charming rural communities.

Fishing Adventures

Southern Ontario is river country, with a maze of creeks and rivers winding towards the Great Lakes. Your Southern Ontario backcountry map book provides stocked fishing charts and details on over 140 lakes and 120 rivers with species identified for each on the maps. Popular river destinations for anglers include the Ausable, Bayfield, Grand, Humber, Maitland, Rouge and Thames Rivers, while salmon anglers can cast along the many streams flowing into Lake Ontario, Lake Erie and Lake Huron. In addition, several large lakes dot the Southern Ontario landscape including Conestoga, Couchiching, Eugenia, Guelph and Spry Lake. Regardless of your choice, we map the best places to fish for bass, muskellunge, trout, pike, salmon, steelhead, walleye and more.

Hunting Adventures

No other Ontario backcountry maps get hunters informed and out there like our highly detailed map book. Spanning the wilderness in the untapped spaces beyond Toronto, Waterloo, Guelph and Oakville, our maps detail southern Ontario's Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) that range from WMU 76 to WMU 95. The Hunting Adventure section, in addition to detailed WMU descriptions, includes big and small game, waterfowl and upland game bird descriptions, from black bear to woodcock, as well as tips for hunting these species in Southern Ontario. Throughout southern Ontario, both trophy and sustenance hunters will find a host of prime hunting opportunities.

Paddling Adventures

Those seeking outdoor excursions in the beautiful backcountry of southern Ontario should consider grabbing a paddle. This backcountry map book lists all the waterway hot spots prime for canoe, kayak and raft trips. With many lakes and rivers snaking through this part of Ontario, there is a host of opportunities on the water and we have included over 30 routes including lake circuits, river trips and multi-week tours on the maps. These are all fully described in the Adventures section with put-ins, take-outs, portages, difficulty, access and more. Great Southern Ontario destinations include kayaking around the Bruce Peninsula or travelling the Grand, Maitland, Nottawasaga or Saugeen Rivers. Those looking for flatwater adventure can explore Conestoga, Eugenia, Guelph or Heart Lakes. Regardless of your paddling preference, there is no shortage of adventure in southern Ontario!

Park Adventures

Southern Ontario boasts an elaborate portion of Canada's National Park System and Provincial Park System, designed to preserve the precious habitats abundant in areas outside of major cities like Toronto. By far the most popular National Park in this region is Bruce Peninsula National Park, which makes for a scenic camping experience. Southern Ontario is also home to Fathom Five, Rouge Urban and Point Pelee, all included in the Park Adventure section. From Ancor Park through Pinery to Wheatley Park, your southern Ontario map book lists all the Provincial Parks. There are over 60 National, Provincial and rural Parks featured, with labelled amenities and outdoor recreation opportunities.

Park Conservation Area Adventures

The region of southern Ontario is blessed with one of Canada's most expansive conservation area systems, designed to protect the natural habitats scattered throughout the populous areas of Toronto, London, Hamilton, and other cities. Unique to the Southern Ontario Backroad Mapbook, we highlight over 220 of these beautiful conservation areas, along with County Forest Tracts found in the southern part of Ontario, with amenities and recreation activities marked to show you where to go, how to get there, and exciting points of interest. Year-round spectacular destinations include Devil's Punchbowl, Felker's Falls, Mount Albion and The Glen Conservation Areas.

Trail Adventures

This southern Ontario backcountry map book is a must-have for hikers, bikers, horseback riders and outdoor lovers exploring this part of Ontario, where the province's largest number of trails fill the wilderness throughout the region. Over 350 multi-use trails can be found on these maps, including the world-famous Bruce Trail, an 885 km (550 mi) trail that takes at least 30 days to complete, The Trans Canada Trail, Ganaraska Trail and Great Lakes Waterfront Trail. In addition, we have included countless descriptions of local, long-distance, and rail trails spread across this part of the province. These include the Caledon Trailway, Elgin Trail, Goderich to Guelph Trail and the Ore-Medonte Trail. From city trails in the Greater Toronto Area to abandoned rail lines in the backcountry, southern Ontario is your wilderness playground for hiking, biking, horseback riding and winter adventure.

ATV Adventures

ATV riding in Southern Ontario continues to grow in popularity and our mapbook, bolstered by our partnership with OFATV, offers descriptions of over 43 trails or riding areas. From the Niagara Falls area west towards Windsor along with Lake Eire, north through the heart of Southern Ontario and along Lake Huron, visiting communities including Mount Forest, Hanover and Owen Sound, up the Bruce Peninsula and through Wasaga Beach and the Barrie area, riders will find routes on old railbeds, through County forests and along dirt backroads. This Southern Ontario Mapbook provides information on staging, trail distance, difficulty, highlights and more along with contact details for local ATV clubs. For the best of ATV riding, we put it on the map!

Snowmobile Adventures

Thanks to the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC), Ontario boasts the most impressive snowmobile trail system not only in Canada but worldwide, with over 30,000 km (18,640 mi) of designated trails. While there are fewer backcountry routes in southern Ontario, you will still find snowmobile hot spots in farmer's fields, through dense bush and across frozen lakes, including the Great Lakes. Our Snowmobile Adventures section features details including information on staging, trail distance, difficulty, elevation gain and more for over 70 trails spread over OFSC Regions 4, 5, 8 and 9 along with local club contact information. From the Greater Toronto Area and beyond, your southern Ontario backcountry map book gets you out on that snowmobile.

Wildlife Adventures

Even in the face of major city centres like Toronto and London, southern Ontario hosts a rich wildlife population, most notably the thousands upon thousands of migrating birds that appear along the shorelines of the Great Lakes each spring and fall, especially at Point Pelee National Park. With opportunities to spot hawks, a large variety of waterfowl, and Ontario white-tailed deer, the southern region of the province draws wildlife enthusiasts year-round. Our Wildlife Adventures section offers close to 45 great wildlife viewing locations, from conservation areas to provincial parks to nature reserves. Highlights include Bongor Marsh, Fathom Five Marine Park, the Hawk Cliff area near St. Thomas and Tiny Marsh. Grab your binoculars and let our backcountry map book show you where to go to spot the best of Ontario's wildlife.

Winter Adventures

Southern Ontario offers excellent opportunities to satisfy your winter adventure cravings. The area in and around the Bruce Peninsula and the upper Lake Huron shoreline receive enough snowfall for prime skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling. With established Nordic centres including Blue Mountain, Horseshoe Valley and Mount St. Louis Moonstone as well as conservation areas such as Albion Hills and Copland Forest, there are plenty of places to cross-country ski, snowshoe and fat bike within this region. With 80 trails or winter-specific routes described in our Winter Adventures section, each offering information on access, trail descriptions, difficulty and more, our southern Ontario backcountry map book shows you the best winter adventure opportunities.

Topographic Maps

In your durable, heavy-duty, spiral-bound 21.5 cm x 28 cm (8.5" x 11") southern Ontario map book you will find 65 detailed topographic maps spanning the region, complete with labelled recreation sites, amenities, highways, backcountry roads, trails and other points-of-interest. New to this edition is labelled Crown land in the northern region, countless new County Forest Tracts, and labelled fish species for lakes and rivers. Not only are these Ontario maps user-friendly, but they boast a level of cartographic sophistication unparalleled even by government resources making them the maps of choice for search-and-rescue and other organizations.

Adventures

Our detailed adventure section is one of the features that makes your Backroad Mapbook so much more than a map of southern Ontario. In addition to comprehensive listings with map coordinates, you will find a trip planning section for making notes on your desired adventures! No matter what your favourite outdoor activities are, we have you covered with hundreds of trail descriptions, ATV and snowmobile routes, lake and river fishing details, conservation areas and parks, backroad attractions, wildlife viewing destinations and plenty of spots to strap on ski or snowshoes come winter.

Index

Our handy index makes the Southern Ontario Backroad Mapbook a leading Ontario map in terms of functionality as well as quality. Divided into Map and Adventure sections to make it even easier to use, you will find page numbers and map coordinates for each Adventure activity to help locate cities and towns, parks, trails, lakes, rivers and attractions. There is also a section for Important Numbers and an Advertiser list for easy referencing.