Lake of Bays

Lake of Bays, a township in the northeast corner of Muskoka, boasts a robust natural landscape of forests, rocks, lakes and wetlands. 

With over 100 lakes in the area, Lake of Bays offers cottagers and tourists an endless possibility of recreational activities centered around its lakes, beaches, parks and trails.

This design features the historic BIGWIN boat in the foreground and the historic Bigwin Inn on Bigwin Island in the background. 

First Nations, dating back over 10,000 years, including the Anishinaabeg, a water based people, inhabited the narrows at Trading Bay (Lake of Bays). They set up camps in the area for harvesting maple syrup and birch bark, fishing and used the area to trade in the spring and summer, as well as hunt and trap during the fall and winter.

In the early 1900's several grand resort hotels opened on the lake, including the Wawa (1908) and the Bigwin Inn on Bigwin Island (1920). Among the many visitors were Hollywood stars like Clark Gable, writers like Ernest Hemingway and the Dutch royal family.