4 Best Hotels in Huntsville, Side Trips from Toronto

The stuff of local legend, Arowhon is a family-run wilderness retreat deep in Algonquin Provincial Park known for an unpretentious rustic atmosphere and superb dining. One to 12-bedroom log cabins are decorated with antique pine furnishings. Every room has a private bath—walk-in tubs in some—and there is a fireplace in every cabin to cozy up in front of, but living room space is shared among other lodgers unless you book a private cabin. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner at scheduled times are included with room rate, as is access to sports equipment.

Smack in the center of Algonquin Provincial Park, this impressive 1917 resort is reached by a short boat ride across Cache Lake. The immaculate one- to three-bedroom private log cabins, each with its own canoe and a screened porch facing the lake, have gleaming hardwood floors and king-size beds piled with patchwork quilts. Quiet reigns here; no waterskiing, Jet Skiing, or motors over 10 horsepower are allowed on the lake, and you won't find phones or TVs in the cabins. Platform tents have two single beds or a king and include breakfast only. The restaurant is excellent, but does not serve lunch, though preordered picnic lunches are available.

This golf-focused resort along Peninsula Lake is a 780-acre, self-contained community with restaurants and lodgings to fit every budget and occasion, from weddings to corporate events. The flavor is largely contemporary, although the main lodge, with huge flagstone pillars, dates from 1896. The resort is home to beautiful golf courses studded with pines and lakes, including the prestigious Deerhurst Highlands and Deerhurst Lakeside, and an on-site spa, Amba. Four year-round restaurants cover your dining bases from casual pub fare at the Compass to the upscale Eclipse buffet, serving Canadian specialties made with maple syrup, mushrooms, and other treats grown on the property.

Rustic two- and three-bedroom furnished cottages overlook Walker Lake at this resort, and many come with whirlpool tubs and fireplaces. There are plenty of outdoor activities close at hand, including canoeing, fishing, and even a sandy beach and water trampoline for kids.