Go play in the snow.

January 26, 2016 6:14 PM

Looking for a vacation spot where two families with 4 young children (between 2 and 6) can enjoy some outdoor winter activities. One family lives in Toronto and one family lives in Montreal, so ideally we'd meet somewhere in the middle, or at least on the west side of Ottawa. Where do you recommend we go during the first week of March?

We are looking for a place to stay for 3 or 4 nights that has some activities on-site. Or a place where we could rent a chalet with a kitchen and take short day trips.

We are hoping to visit a sugar bush while we are there. We are not planning to do any skiing. Would dog sledding or snow shoeing be realistic considering we have two kids under 3?

Thanks for your suggestions!

posted by keeo to Travel & Transportation around Ontario, CA (4 answers total)

Algonquin Park has winter accommodation. Check their website.
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 7:06 PM on January 26, 2016

I stayed at Pinestone resort in Haliburton with some friends a couple of years ago and it was pretty good. We had small kids and they enjoyed the pool. It was in May so I can't speak to winter activities but from their website it seems like they have a lot of things to do. No kitchen so you can either eat at their restaurant or in town.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 7:31 PM on January 26, 2016

When I visited Lake Rosseau in Muskoka in the summer, some people from Ottawa told me they go there every winter and really love it.
posted by Dansaman at 1:58 AM on January 27, 2016

Sandy Lanes Resort seems to check a lot of your boxes. I was paid entertainment for a corporate event there years ago and my girlfriend and I enjoyed ourselves.

Of course you're rolling the dice a little bit in March as far as winter/spring activities but they appear to offer much of what you're looking for, even if a bit of a geographic advantage for the Toronto couple, a scenic drive for the Montreal couple (assuming they avoid 401)
posted by raider at 11:12 AM on January 30, 2016