Accomodations

Travel Note

Bay of Islands

The Bay of Islands is, ironically, a close-knit community and we are good friends with many of our island neighbors, and many have already offered to host some of our guests in their main cabins or sleep cabins from Thursday afternoon until Sunday morning. Most islands have a main cottage and one or more sleep cabins, and all of these island camps have water, electricity, bathrooms, and showers. Some of the sleep cabins require a short walk outside to a bathroom, so if this is an issue for you, please let Annika or Aaron know. Most cabins are rustic though comfortable and there are no wild animals to fear. When the time comes, we’ll do our best to match guests to the most appropriate accommodations, including factors such as mobility since some islands are easier to maneuver than others. Many of the islands have a fishing spot or two to cast for smallmouth bass (or pike) from shore, and everyone has appropriate fishing poles, so you don’t need to travel with them. We’ll boat taxi you to where you want or need to go during the day and evenings – we don’t want you to get lost or hit a shoal and ruin your day. Most island hosts are within a 5-minute boat ride to Ruby Island and 15-minutes to the marina at Whitefish Falls.

Travel Note

Mainland

If you’d prefer to stay on mainland with your own accommodations (and/or need to because you’re planning early or late departures), here are a few options: Manitoulin Island. Little Current is the first town on Manitoulin Island (connected by a bridge) and is a cute port town to check out with shops, restaurants, a brewery, and a lovely waterfront. If you’re considering this option, start looking soon, as these hotel options book up and cost-effective options are hard to get during the summer season. Little Current is about 25 minutes from Whitefish Falls. Gore Bay is quaint (and with another great brewery), though 1 hour away. Espanola. Espanola is the nearest town from Whitefish Falls and is where we do 90% of our shopping. It was, until recently, a paper mill town, does not have a waterfront or cute shops, and the restaurants are mostly fast-food. It redeems itself with a golf course, decent grocery stores, and the closest provincial-run alcoholic beverage stores. Since you probably aren’t spending much time around your hotel anyway, it is a good option if you can't find a cost-effective hotel in Little Current and if you prefer to stay closer to the Toronto or Sudbury airports. The best hotel is called the Pinewood Motor Inn. Espanola is 15 minutes from Whitefish Falls. Whitefish Falls Area. The options on Whitefish River in Whitefish Falls (where we dock) are not likely options because they all prefer to book for a full week, which unfortunately is Sunday through Saturday. If you are travelling in a Coach, RV, or trailer, they have hookups at Hilly Acres, so this is probably your best and most convenient option. Your best bets nearby are looking at Widgawa Lodge, which is about a 5-minute drive from the marina, and Lang Lake Resort, which is closer to a 10-minute drive – both are on other inland lakes and will offer more interesting access to water activities than the cabins on Whitefish River anyway.

Travel Note

Camping

If you plan on fully enjoying the outdoors and want to camp with tents instead, you can do that at Hilly Acres Camp on mowed lawns in Whitefish Falls, or at the aforementioned Widgawa Lodge (5 minutes away), or we can give you even more rustic ideas on Crown-owned (i.e., Canadian government) islands just a few islands away from ours where you can camp (no amenities or outhouses for these options). Some of our island accommodation hosts have yurts and/or outdoor platforms or lawns, so let Annika or Aaron know if you’d like to see what camping options are available on one of our islands. Hilly Acres also has hookups if you are travelling via a Coach, RV, or trailer.