3 Ontario destinations worthy of a road trip in summer 2018

Road trips are for when you just want to get out of the city, hit the road, and see something you’ve never seen before. Whether you’re planning a road trip across  Canada, or one just for the weekend, packing in some good music and snacks are essential.

Here are some non-traditional road trip options to check out in Ontario this summer, if you live in the province or if you’re just passing through, we guarantee there’s a few on this list you’ve never seen before!

Hamilton Waterfall Tour

Hamilton isn’t just a land of steel production, payday loans, and Tiger-Cats; it’s actually home to some of Ontario’s best-hidden hiking trails and waterfalls. The Hammer is a great recommendation for an Ontario road trip, coming in at a little over an hour’s drive from Toronto.

One of the best reviewed waterfalls – because apparently you can review waterfalls now – is Albion Falls, a 19-mile classical-cascade style waterfall that flows down the Niagara Escarpment over a series of natural steps in Red Hill Valley, Hamilton.

Other popular Hamilton waterfalls include Devil’s Punchbowl, Tews Falls, and Chedoke Falls. The best thing is, there are dozens of Hamilton waterfalls to choose from, so you can and should really make a day of it.

Sauble Beach

Venture towards the eastern shores of Lake Huron and you’ll find this unincorporated beach community in Bruce County’s Bruce Peninsula, also home to a bonafide National Park.

Sauble Beach is 11km long and is said to be the second longest freshwater beach in the world, behind Wasaga. This western-facing beach gets gorgeous sunsets and has shops along the boardwalk, perhaps mimicking Wasaga, but failing to achieve its rowdiness level.

Visitors call Sauble one of the best and cleanest beaches in Ontario but also warn summertime drivers that finding a parking spot here can prove a bit tricky.

Bogle Seeds Sunflower Field

Remember that Beatles’ song, Sunflower Fields Forever? No? Well, we made it up, but it’s a song you’ll be singing up and down the aisles of Bogle’s insane sunflower field. This family-run farm grows and sells wild sunflowers, along with wild bird seeds and farm feeds.

Their standout attraction is their 75-acre crop of sunflowers, which comes into their best and brightest bloom in late July and early August (a recommended time to visit). Photographers, newlyweds, and painters alike flock to Bogle Seeds to capture the spectacle, one that’s on this writer’s personal bucket list.  

A handsome $7.50 admission fee comes with access to the enormous sunflower field, parking, washroom facilities, “and all the sunflower pictures you can take.”