A lovely escape in Hope Bay, Bruce Peninsula

Beautiful four-season cottage on Hope Bay, near Wiarton on the Bruce Peninsula, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. 1,800 square feet, 4 bedrooms, open concept kitchen/living room, another living space upstairs and 2 bathrooms (one of which is en suite). The house was built in the Cape Cod style and has all modern conveniences. The location is the small community of Hope Bay.

The cottage is directly on the Bruce Trail, and a 2 minute walk to the "hidden gem" public Hope Bay sandy beach with its pure turquoise waters. Just 5 minutes by foot is the trailhead to enter Hope Bay Forest Provincial Nature Reserve—a magical section of
the Bruce Trail that goes along the top of the Niagara Escarpment, including an extremely high diversity of ferns and orchids, scenic caves, glacial potholes, and stunning views of the bay.

This retreat-like setting with all the comforts of home has proximity to sandy beaches, canoeing, kayaking, boating, hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, and other activities. Nearby, a quaint (seasonal) campground shop sells ice cream and other necessities for hikers and also rents canoes and kayaks by the hour.

There is 1 queen bed, 2 double beds, and 1 single bed in four separate bedrooms. It has a fully-equipped and modernized kitchen, washer & dryer, and has both baseboard heaters and a propane fireplace. It also has a large front porch, back deck, and a second upstairs deck—plenty of room to entertain and enjoy the outdoors. Note that the cottage is not waterfront, but it is only a two minute walk to the beach.

Nearby sandy beaches include Sauble Beach (30 mins from the cottage) and Sandy Beach at Black Creek Nature Reserve (22 minutes from the cottage)--a hidden gem with shallow entry that is ideal for little ones. Wiarton is a 15-minute drive, as is Lion’s Head Provincial Park, including its sandy beach. Greig Caves is a 10 minute drive. Also nearby is the the 2 km Spirit Rock Conservation Trail where you can visit the ruins of an 18th century mansion and descend a spiral staircase from the top of the Niagara Escarpment to the Georgian Bay shoreline and get a close-up look at the escarpment face on your way down.

When booking, please tell us about your group and what you would like to do during your stay. And please note our cancellation policy.

Here’s more info about what is available in the environs:

The Bruce Peninsula is full of natural beauty and opportunities for outdoor activity around the year. With 2 national parks, several provincial nature reserves, and the Niagara Escarpment (a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve) as its base - there is no end to the worlds you can discover in this wondrous place.

NATIONAL/PROVINCIAL PARKS

Our 2 national parks have so much diversity, and so much to experience - you could spend days exploring the different landscapes, cliffs, caves and fauna. In Bruce Peninsula National Park, dramatic cliffs rise from the turquoise waters of Georgian Bay. In large tracts of forest, black bears roam and rare reptiles find refuge in rocky areas and diverse wetlands. Ancient cedar trees spiral from the cliff-edge; a multitude of orchids and ferns take root in a mosaic of habitats. Welcome to the magic of Bruce Peninsula National Park. Renowned for scuba diving, Fathom Five National Marine Park is Canada’s first underwater park and boasts 22 known shipwrecks! Regardless of your experience as a diver or snorkeler, the dive shops of Tobermory will introduce you to Canada’s premiere dive destination.

HIKING

The Bruce Trail starts it's journey in Tobermory, and travels 773 km following the Niagara Escarpment. The 150 kilometres of trails in the Bruce Peninsula are considered the best in Southern Ontario, and offer hiking for the beginner and veteran hiker. The Fall Colours our outstanding and not to be missed.

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING

Opportunities for cross-country skiing abound in the Bruce peninsula. Bruce County's various ski clubs offer multi-level trail networks, many of which are groomed. Town rail trails are also available for ski use with well-marked routes for backcountry exploration. Sauble XC Ski Club has 18 kms of groomed cross country ski trails with an additional 13 km of snowshoe trails starting that all begin from a warm chalet. The forest trail runs beside the Rankin River. Trail systems that range from beginner to expert capabilities. The chalet is open every weekend (weather permitting) all the way to march break every year offering free hot cider.

CANOEING and KAYAKING

The cliff and cove shoreline of the Niagara Escarpment offer an excellent paddle. River paddling is also a great sport on the Bruce Peninsula. The Rankin River route begins at Sky Lake on Red Bay Road and ends 18 km beyond at Sauble Falls.

BEACHES

The Bruce Peninsula beaches vary from tables of limestone rock on Georgian Bay to miles of sugar sand on Lake Huron. Sunsets on the beaches of Lake Huron are second to none! Although it’s on the Georgian Bay side of the peninsula, Lion’s Head offers a gorgeous sandy beach the entire family will love. Perhaps one of the area’s best-kept secrets, Sandy Beach at Black Creek Provincial Park is a step back in time to the rugged, untouched Lake Huron shoreline of years gone by. The closest public beach to Tobermory on the Lake Huron side can be found 10 kilometres south just off Dorcus Bay Road. Part of the Bruce Peninsula National Park, Singing Sands beach features a 3-kilometre trail system that runs along the shoreline and into a fen that’s full of rare plants and a dune ecosystem. If you prefer the comforts of a more urban beach setting with grocery stores, cafes and restaurants, and shops all at hand, head to Bluewater Park in Wiarton.

CHI CHEEMAUN FERRY TO MANITOULIN ISLAND

The trip across to Manitoulin passes through the Fathom Five Marine Park - with a great view of the Cove Island Light. Enjoy a sunset dinner cruise from Tobermory in the summer.