Lake of the Woods, Ontario
Kenora
Northwestern Ontario's lake town on Lake of the Woods: a harbourfront with a giant muskie, a museum, beaches, boat cruises among thousands of islands and Canadian Shield parks.
Photo: Lake of the Woods at Kenora, Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0
Kenora sits at the north end of Lake of the Woods, close to the Manitoba border. The lake has about 14,000 islands and many kilometres of rocky shoreline. Bring a paddle and get lost a little.
The town grew from a fur-trade post into a rail and lumber centre. Husky the Muskie, a giant fish statue, keeps watch over the harbour.
Outdoors and nature
Trails, lookouts, waterfalls, beaches and time on the water come first.
Keewatin potholes
Round holes worn into rock by glacial meltwater, in Keewatin.
Coney Island beach
A sandy island beach across from downtown, reached by boat.
Rushing River Provincial Park
Rocky rapids, beaches and trails in the Canadian Shield.
Sioux Narrows Provincial Park
A lake park on Lake of the Woods. About an hour south.
Sights and attractions
Museums, landmarks and the places people come here for.
Markets, shops and festivals
Main streets, markets and the dates worth planning around.
Lake of the Woods Brewing
A brewery and taproom in a historic downtown building.
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.
M.S. Kenora cruises
Sightseeing cruises on Lake of the Woods.
Season Seasonal, check official site.
Part of our Winnipeg and Lake of the Woods guides.
Make it a weekend
Why stay the night
- A cruise and dinner on the harbourfront make the evening.
- Rushing River and the beaches fill the second day.
- Summer evenings are long this far northwest.
Nearby and worth the drive
The Sleeping Giant and Kakabeka Falls.
Winnipegabout 2 h · Guide ↗The forks of two rivers, a glass museum and a city park.
Ready-made trips with Kenora
Good to know
- Tourism: visitkenora.ca.
- Getting there: Kenora is about two hours east of Winnipeg on the Trans-Canada.
- 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: Lake of the Woods at Kenora, Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Rushing River Provincial Park, Hirgax, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: The Sioux Narrows bridge, Krazytea (talk), CC BY 3.0
Photo: Husky the Muskie, Kenora, Mhsheikholeslami, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Kenora harbourfront from Tunnel Island, Darazog, CC BY-SA 4.0