Ontario is full of beautiful small towns, communities and villages to explore and if you’re venturing on a road trip, make Dorset one of your stops. Dorset, Ontario is a year-round global tourist destination and is known for its rich history, love of the arts, beautiful landscapes, and stunning views!

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Where is Dorset?

dorset, ontario
Image via Serena Kelly/Shutterstock

Just past Bracebridge in the Muskokas through Baysville to the end at Highway 35 is the community of Dorset.

Things to do

One of Dorset’s most popular attractions is The Dorset Scenic Lookout Tower.

The original Dorset Scenic Lookout Tower tower was built back in 1922, was 82 feet high and used as a fire lookout tower until 1961.

Today, the tower stands 100 feet and was rebuilt in 1967 for visitors to enjoy the view.

According to the Algonquin Highlands, more than 10,000 vehicles or 60,000 visitors will pass through the gates annually. In the peak autumn season, Dorset Tower gets around 600 vehicles passing through in a single day!

If you want to check out stunning views, the Algonquin Highlands lists everything you need to know on their website including seasonal hours, and fees, which start at $2.13 per person for walk-up.

Dorset’s love of art shines through in the form of many different shops and museums. Brenda Turnour Art Studio, Love Pottery Studio, and the Dorset Heritage Museum are just a few of the stops art lovers can check out.

Dorset is also the perfect stop for anyone who enjoys the outdoors. The community has 200km of groomed trails for snowmobiling, The Frost Centre which offers ski and snowshoe rentals and 25 km of groomed trails and surrounding lakes for fishing.

Fishermen can find Large and Smallmouth Bass, Lake Trout, Brook Trout, Rainbow Trout, Perch, Whitefish and Pike.

Hungry? Dorset hosts several spots to grab a bite to eat including popular spots, The Parlour and Muskoka on the Rocks, which coins itself as “Muskoka’s famous pub.”

Muskoka on the Rocks has everything from their Catch of the Day, fresh pasta and premium burgers!

Don’t miss out on a visit to Dorest, Ontario!

Taylor Lucas

Regional Editor – Taylor is a Toronto-based journalist with a passion for story-telling. Whether chasing a story, writing, or editing she brings a creative spin to the media world and has a blast doing it. Taylor brings years of journalism experience in sports, local/national news, and entertainment. In her spare time, you can typically find Taylor trying out a new restaurant or cocktail bar, cooking, golfing or binge-watching true crime documentaries.

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