Lake Simcoe, Ontario
Barrie
A city on Kempenfelt Bay of Lake Simcoe: a long waterfront with the Spirit Catcher sculpture, beaches downtown, a large county museum, an art gallery and ski and adventure hills nearby.
Photo: Kempenfelt Bay in Barrie, with the city along the shore, Whpq, CC BY-SA 4.0
Barrie's waterfront wraps around the head of Kempenfelt Bay, with beaches, parks and a trail.
The Spirit Catcher, a large steel sculpture, has stood on the waterfront since 1987. The Simcoe County Museum, just north of the city, has historic buildings and big galleries.
Outdoors and nature
Trails, lookouts, waterfalls, beaches and time on the water come first.
Springwater Provincial Park
A year-round day-use provincial park at 1331 Highway 26 in Minesing, official Ontario Parks pages say, with 12 kilometres of hiking trails, a large playing field, and cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and wildlife viewing in winter. Beausoleil First Nation operates the park in partnership with Ontario Parks. Confirm current hours and any fees before you go.
Sights and attractions
Museums, landmarks and the places people come here for.
Simcoe County Museum
Historic buildings and galleries just north of the city.
Markets, shops and festivals
Main streets, markets and the dates worth planning around.
Book a tour or activity
Cruises, tours and experiences people book here. Each one goes to the operator's official page, and you can still add it to your trip.
Treetop Trekking Barrie
Aerial obstacle courses and ziplines in the forest about 20 minutes from Barrie.
Part of our Lake Simcoe guides.
Make it a weekend
Why stay the night
- Waterfront evenings in summer.
- Horseshoe Resort and Springwater make a second day.
- Ski hills are nearby in winter.
Nearby and worth the drive
Ready-made trips with Barrie
Good to know
- Tourism: Tourism Barrie.
- We list only places we can check against an official source. Hours, seasons and prices change, so confirm before you go.
Photos on this page
Photo: Kempenfelt Bay in Barrie, with the city along the shore, Whpq, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Springwater Provincial Park near Barrie, Mykola Swarnyk, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Spirit Catcher Sculpture in Barrie, Gogerr, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Simcoe County Museum, Magnolia677, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: An intersection in Barrie, Ontario, Niels Elgaard Larsen - User: (WT-shared) Elgaard at wts wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0