Bruce Peninsula National Park: unfounded concerns

In my July 16th post, I expressed concerns with the high number of tourists that visit Bruce Peninsula National Park during the summer months. I worried needlessly.

We spent two nights in Tobermory on the edge of Bruce Peninsula National Park and had lots of opportunities to visit the park without having to battle tourists. Mind you, we didn’t visit the Grotto or the Cyprus Lake Campground where, I understand, most tourists hang out. I hear the Grotto is amazing but we just couldn’t bring ourselves to reserve a 4 hour parking spot months in advance!

We preferred focusing on less touristy activities that would give us a sense of the park. We hiked a section of the Bruce Trail recognized for its beauty but less visited, partly because it is remote and challenging (see my last post).

To get a sense of Lake Huron (compared to Georgian Bay), we visited the popular Singing Sands beach later in the afternoon to avoid the crowds. As you can tell from the photo below, the crowd was very manageable. The view from this south side of the peninsula is very different with its beaches, dunes and forests.

It’s also a perfect for children as the water is shallow and warm for a very long stretch.

And finally, late in the day, we visited the park’s excellent interpretation center and trekked up the 20 meter (66 ft) tower for a view of Tobermory’s two harbours and the ribbon of escarpment cliffs that edge the shore.

Staying in Tobermory was a good decision as it gave us the opportunity to visit this pretty waterfront town which has a number of good restaurants – including a great ice cream place. Tobermory is the best jumping off point to visit the Fathom Five Marine Conservation Park which will be the subject of my next post.