Lagoon City
Approximately 40 minutes away from Marina del Rey on the east shore of Lake Simcoe is Lagoon city. This man made community of waterways is described as Ontario’s Venice with more than 9 miles of canals meandering through the community. Every household has access to Lake Simcoe through the waterway and residents enjoy two private beaches.
There is a hotel/resort of 40 rooms with a fantastic patio overlooking the entrance to Lagoon City that has stunning sunset views. Open most days for lunch and dinner, we recommend phoning ahead for updates on hours of operation and menu availability. Pieroneresort.ca phone number 249-881-0002
The beaches are private but anyone with a boat is welcome to anchor off shore and enjoy the shallow sandy base for swimming, picnicking boat side and water activities such as volleyball and socializing. Water quality is generally good for swimming at the beach but not in the canal system. Fishing is available from the pier or from your watercraft throughout the canal system.
Further in to the canal system is Lagoon city Marina and Variety where boaters can pick up snacks, beverages or fuel for the return trip if necessary. You should call ahead for fuel however as their hours of operation are inconsistent. While visiting the Variety feel free to use their clean, large washroom facilities before heading back out. There is also a restaurant operating at the Marina. Fin’s Fish and Chips serves great value lunch and dinners.
Enjoy cruising the entire canal system and allow for a maximum of two hours to see most of it. Special note is that the waterway is speed controlled as a no wake zone so for most boats that is 5-9 kilometers/hour and for personal watercraft that is below 5 kilometers per hour. There are a number of bridges that may require avoiding or taking down bimini tops to go under.
Your return trip to Marina del Rey is about 40 minutes and take special care not to pass between Strawberry Island and the mainland as sea monsters and rocks are a plenty and the depth is as low as 1’.
Your day trip could include use of a side console Lund or Tracker as low as $249/day (plus tax and fuel) for as many as 3-5 occupants or a pontoon boat with as many as 8 occupants at $449/day (plus tax and fuel). The pontoon boats are slower generally than a side console but can take more occupants in a more relaxed environment.
Insert You tube video lagoon city, links and photos
Beaverton
Approximately 90 minutes away is the Town of Beaverton nestled on the south east corner of Lake Simcoe. As you leave McPhee Bay and make way around Strawberry Island in a Westerly direction you will be able to see Thorah Island to the South. Take a heading between Thorah Island and the mainland to make your way to Beaverton. As you pass the midpoint of the island you should be able to see the white, cylindrical water tower for the Town and you can use this as a heading until you get closer to the entrance to the port. The Town has a fantastic 3 hour free mooring policy that will provide enough time to enjoy the sandy beach, the children’s playground and water features and visit Barney’s, a classic 60’s type diner that really hasn’t changed much. Enjoy burgers and fries, great butter tarts and ice cream as well. Barney’s has short hours and is open for breakfast and lunch but ice cream is available later. The actual Town of Beaverton is about a 12 minute walk from the waterfront. Fishing is available from the pier or from your watercraft and water quality is excellent for swimming.
Your day trip could include use of a side console Lund or Tracker as low as $249/day (plus tax and fuel) for as many as 3-5 occupants or a pontoon boat with as many as 8 occupants at $449/day (plus tax and fuel). The pontoon boats are slower generally than a side console but can take more occupants in a more relaxed environment.
Your return trip to Marina del Rey is about 90 minutes and take special care not to pass between Strawberry Island and the mainland as sea monsters and rocks are a plenty and the depth is as low as 1’.
Insert you tube Beaverton Harbour fishing (wheelchair accessible) links and photos
Trent Severn Waterway Lock in Gamebridge
If your family is looking for an educational trip the Lock at Gamebridge will sure get the interest of any age. The Trent Severn waterway is steeped in Ontario history and was originally designed as a transportation and commercial route for the movement of goods and raw resources to Lake Ontario. Now mostly a pleasure craft waterway and flood control system thousands of boats travel the system every year for fun and to access new lakes and rivers along the way. Obviously for a boat to traverse mountains and valleys along the route there needs to be a system to allow boats to go upstream or downstream along waterways and this canal system does it splendidly!
Approximately 90 minutes from Marina del Rey by boat the route takes you West of Strawberry Island and then South-West to the tip of Thorah Island where a turn to the East will bring you to the entrance to the canal. Follow the canal under a Swing Bridge near the Lake for about 3 kilometers to the first lock at Gamebridge. There will be spots to tie up your boat but don’t tie up on the blue line. This is the spot where you indicate to the lockmaster that you intend to go through the lock and will put in motion the lockage procedures. Once tied up take the stairs to the lock house where the lockmaster and his team operate. When they are free from their duties ask them about the history of the canal and how the lock works. Make sure you get a picture of the lockmaster and the lock while there.
Every lock on the Trent Severn waterway is part of Canada’s National Parks system and they have fantastic facilities available including washrooms and picnic tables for visitors and showers and overnight facilities for boaters. Make sure you use the washrooms before your return trip. There are a series of 5 locks to make it through to Fenelon Falls and another lock to Bobcageon and beyond your time ability on a one day rental. On a busy day it could take 3 hours to make it through the 5 locks but for those who might want a multi-day rental and want to camp along the way at the various lock locations it will be a memorable trip.
Fishing is allowed from your boat or from various shore walls along the way provided you don’t interfere with boats in motion.
Whether you rent a one day boat trip or plan a multi-day trip you should make a point of visiting the Kirkfield hydraulic lift lock which with the Peterborough Lift Lock is quite unique in the World.
Your day trip could include use of a side console Lund or Tracker as low as $249/day (plus tax and fuel) for as many as 3-5 occupants or a pontoon boat with as many as 8 occupants at $449/day (plus tax and fuel). The pontoon boats are slower generally than a side console but can take more occupants in a more relaxed environment.
Your return trip to Marina del Rey is about 90 minutes and take special care not to pass between Strawberry Island and the mainland as sea monsters and rocks are a plenty and the depth is as low as 1’.
Insert You tube Trent Severn Waterway Gamebridge Lock 41, Trent Severn waterway links and photos
McRae Provincial Park
Only 10 minutes away by water from Marina Del Rey is McRae Provincial Park. The Park has a bay on its North-East side that features beautiful swimming, a sandy bottom and on most days a break from the winds and waves of Lake Simcoe. This fantastic mooring spot is ideal for young and older families as mooring can be in as little as 18” of water for young kids or much deeper for kids and adults alike to dive into the clean clear waters. Because of the sand bottom it is an easy walk in to the park to utilize their washroom facilities and picnic tables and maybe even the children’s playground and beach. There is a trail entrance near the mooring spot for adventuresome hikers. The Park office is about a 5-7 minute walk for some snacks, ice and first aid. Although not an adventure the day spent at McRae Provincial Park will be relaxing and fun with lots of water oriented activities. Bring the sunscreen, floats and your picnic cooler for a day of fun.
For those folks that would like to take advantage of a day pass to the park it allows a car full of visitors that can enjoy all of the day pass amenities for under $20. If you want to rent a sea doo or fishing boat for the day, Marina Del Rey is only a 10 minute walk from the park entrance.
Insert you tube McRae Provincial Park “Your ultimate nature escape”, links and photos
Mara Provincial Park
About 20 minutes from Marina Del Rey is Mara Provincial Park. You can anchor your boat off the beach and the roped area and enjoy the clear clean water and the sandy bottom. If you are joining campers or day pass users of the park you can take advantage of the Park’s great facilities and they can join you on your boat rental or your sea doo rental. Being so close to Marina Del Rey it is a good ½ day rental as well subject to availability. Fishing and swimming are great activities along the route there and back or while anchored at the beach. You can also combine a stopover at Mara with one of our other daytrip plans heading to Lake Couchiching
Insert Mara Provincial Park you tube and links and photos
City of Orillia
Allow approximately an hour for your trip to Orillia from Marina Del Rey as a good portion of the trip is speed controlled as you pass through the narrows between Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching. As you leave Marina Del Rey you will head westerly using Goffatt Island as a heading. After passing just south of this island you will make a new heading northerly (turn 90 degrees to a 0 degree heading) and look for the Condo residences of Orchard Point as your heading. You will pass Mara Provincial Park on your right side and then you will see the bridge at Atherley that spans the Narrows where Lake Simcoe meets Lake Couchiching. The Narrows has a lot of history as it is where our Indigenous peoples went for fishing and where they used novel but effective techniques of Weirs to sustain the habitat. The Weirs are 3-5000 years old and are a National Historic Site.
This area is speed controlled so keep your speed to ‘no wake’ and under 9 km/hour. The narrows also has two marinas providing fuel services. As they say in boating and snowmobiling, “never pass a gas station” is good advice. Both of these marinas offer best value on the lake for fuel.
Proceeding northerly under the bridge for a kilometer there will be a left turn toward Orillia. If you stay on the northerly heading you will remain on the Trent Severn Waterway heading toward Washago.
It is critical that you take note of the buoy markers throughout the trip. When heading north from Lake Simcoe (which drains into Lake Couchiching) you keep Red marker buoys on your left and when returning southerly you keep red on the right (upstream).
When you turn toward Orillia you keep green markers on your left side and red markers on the right as you head westerly to the City of Orillia.
Once you arrive at Orillia waterfront there are so many opportunities available to you. There is free daytime mooring in designated areas allowing you to explore Couchiching Beach Park (which has a public beach available), various restaurants near the waterfront or start a walking tour of the downtown. Some of the highlights include the Opera House, where a bust of Orillia’s son Gordon Lightfoot is situated, the Mariposa Bakery and additional shops and restaurants too numerous to mention. Outside of meal time allow 45-60 minutes for the walking tour. During weekends there are many festivals and activities around the waterfront and downtown including Christmas in June, Scottish Festival, Boat and Cottage Show and many others.
Remember you have a 60 minute return trip back and you may want to stop off at Mara or McRae for a last minute swim before returning to Marina Del Rey.
Link you tube Orillia walking tour, Orillia waterfront, Christmas in June links to lakecountry.ca Orillia chamber of commerce
Big Chief Island
Approximately 60 minutes from Marina del Rey is Big Chief Island, a historically popular mooring, gathering and party place. In the past hundreds of boats would visit the Island, tie up together and enjoy the day with loud music, BBQ’s and sometimes even live music. However the Island is actually part of the Rama First Nation (and others) and is of cultural and historic significance to the band as well as a burial ground. Unfortunately the Island has been subject to abuse and trespassing by the public in the past and now it is regularly patrolled to prevent unauthorized visits to the island and the waters in and around it.
A few years ago to limit the number of boaters enjoying the waters around the Island the Rama First Nation instituted a daily boater’s pass that can be purchased online or from the band office.
Please respect the area and take notice that a permit may be required to moor there.
Weather and your planned day trip
Sometimes the weather may make your planned day on the water impossible to complete due to safety reasons. Many times our guests have been confused when we tell them their planned activity can’t be done safely when the sun is shining and it is a beautiful day. We are mostly concerned with wind, wind direction and wave height when we assess safety and so we may cancel your trip in its entirety or direct you to an alternate location or destination if we feel the conditions or skill level of the operator isn’t sufficient. McPhee Bay is well protected from the worst weather that Lake Simcoe can throw at us and there are mooring and fishing spots locally that may be alternatives.