Help wanted - Canada trip - cabin in the woods/Toronto

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I am genuinely stumped and need some help!

I am planning a trip to Canada next year with DD (who will be 7 months at the time) and DH.

Im struggling to find places or know what to search for to get our ‘vision’ so wanted to see if anyone had some pointers.

I essentially want to plan a split stay to make the most of the trip, we will spend a night or two at Niagara Falls, and want to spend at least 4 nights in Toronto and will most likely be hotel based there too.

What I’m struggling most with is our final ‘element’ I want to find a log cabin/lodge in the woods type accommodation for the largest part of the trip, it needs to however be somewhere close enough to a main area so we can get out and explore from the lodge as a base. Ideally it would be in commuting distance to Toronto, as then we could skip the hotel in Toronto and get the lodge/cabin and drive in for the tourist stuff we want to do there.

Other factors

We are planning to travel mid September, and max budget for the accommodation minus Niagara Falls would be £4,000 - ideally for 10 nights in the lodge/cabin if near Toronto, 7 if not near Toronto.

We would be hiring a car.

Does anyone know of where we could start our search for, any Forrest areas around Toronto that have accommodations like this?

We stayed in a cabin in Algonquin national park. Absolutely lovely and easy to get to from Toronto.

We stayed in a lovely cabin at Bluewater Acres just outside Huntsville, 30 mins from Algonquin, and closer to several Provincial Parks this June. It was lovely, but in no way commutable from Toronto.

Niagara is spectacular but is a tourist trap. You may not need very long there at all.

Canadians use the word cottages for such lodges. I would look for these in Muskoka, the Kawartha lakes or Haliburton.

Same as @ZebraF. The cabins are rustic and we saw loads of wildlife but I would say too far out to commute in for the tourist stuff. We did a few days in a Toronto hotel first.

Don't waste your time in Niagra Falls, it's horrible!

You can do Niagra as a day trip from Toronto. I think you’ll definitely need time in Toronto, it won’t be commutable from somewhere like Muskoka / National park

Go to Niagara for an hour and then leave as it's dreadful.

Try Algonquin National park
Manitoulin
Tobermory

Canadians call them cottages so search for those around the areas above, right on Lake Huron

Oh and Toronto isn't hugely interesting either. Two nights is enough and spend most of your time by lakes and wilderness

We stayed out on Cameron Lake. The cabin was fun, with kayaks and canoes and a fire pit and barbecue. But there wasn't much to see or do in the surrounding area, so I wouldn't go there again.

The hardest part was finding a cabin I could pay for via a booking site and that had linen and towels supplied.

Also, we were there at the end of August and the weather was definitely turning autumnal and an end of season feel.

Niagara can be done in a day, Toronto in 2-3 days.

I took a Boxing Day day trip to Niagara from Toronto. Niagara was shit, heaving with people, the town is a dump. Couldn't wait to get out of there. The visit to a frozen grape farm was exciting as it got!

Look at Elmhirst Resort, a family run complex of cottages on a lake. The family are originally (a couple of generations ago) from Barnsley. We had a wonderful few days there

Muskoka is the first remote area north of Toronto. There are loads of amenities.

Niagra Falls has to be the ultimate paradox.

i wouldn’t recommend spending more than a night there. Although we stayed in the best rated hotel and I wouldn’t have taken a baby into the restaurant; it was that unclean.

You've got to go to Niagara Falls. A half-day is fine, and it's not too far from Toronto. The last time we went there we stayed overnight, which was fine too. There are other places near Niagara Falls, eg Niagara on the Lake. I've never been, but I have heard it is lovely.

We have family in Toronto, and have been a lot, but always stayed in our cottage on the outskirts. This year, we spent three nights in the city, just by the CN Tower, and it was a totally different experience.

If you are going to spend a lot of time there with a little one, I would suggest to go to the East of Downtown in an area called Toronto Beaches.

I don't understand your post:

I am planning a trip to Canada next year with DD (who will be 7 months at the time) and DH.

Sorry, is it your baby who will be 7 months old in September ? Or this is a typo and you mean 17 months ?

I have had many lakeside log cabin/cottage holidays with my small children in the Adirondack region of Upstate New York. Lovely for canoeing, swimming, hiking but there is not much else to do. I am not sure that type of holiday would be my first choice with a toddler.

Have a look at the website VRBO for private rental cottages and cabins

www.vrbo.com

And yes I agree with all the comments about Niagara being a huge tourist trap.

Montreal is a nice city to visit....

As others have said Niagara is fine for a day, I wouldn’t go for longer. Went to Niagara by the lake, lovely little town.
Toronto isn’t that exciting.

Is there a reason you want to go to a Ontario? I'm only asking as you have selected two places, one of which is a horrible tourist trap (Niagara is spectacular but a couple hours is enough not days) and the other a fairly run of the mill/functional city. We only went there as we had very close friends who lived near Toronto and we did it as a 5 day add on after a spectacular and amazing two week trip to British Columbia, Vancouver and the Rockies. And most of the Ontario trip was out at the cabin.

Not wishing to piss on your chips at all but £4K seems a lot for a couple of 'meh' places and a long flight with a baby unless there's another reason for going in which it makes some sense. Canada's best bits is true and beautiful wilderness which I know you are trying to get but as a brief add on. West coast Canada cities, mountains and sights offer much more. Vancouver island is amazing. California too.

Completely agree with this. I have family in Toronto so have visited it (and Niagara) often, but neither of those places would be holiday destinations by choice.

5 years ago We did Toronto for 5 days to see the ROM, Botanic Gardens, Niagara, CN tower etc but before that we did 10 days up on the Bruce Peninsula staying in a relatives cottage. The Bruce was fabulous, lots of hiking, canoeing etc to do. We absolutely loved it and regretted not staying longer.

I'm another who says the East doesn't have a patch on the West. If you have the option then fly into Vancouver, head up to Jasper by train and fly back out of Edmonton.

Absolute rubbish.
i am here now and it is beautiful.

I agree with everyone else that you do not need 2 days at Niagara Falls. A day trip at most. There is nothing else to see there, and in my opinion, they are not as spectacular as they are built up to be. An hour looking at it on the way to somewhere else would be enough for me.

.. pick up a hire car in Jasper and drive the Icefield Parkway, stop in Banff or Canmore and fly out of Calgary.

Well I agree with everyone about Vancouver, but actually I like Toronto - for teens and adults. The restaurants, bars, museums and neighborhoods are great, but not with a baby or toddler - you won't get to enjoy it. Honestly if you want a true 'cabin in the woods' experience with a city nearby, Vancouver is much better.

Muskoka os cottage country.
Also do the ripley's aquarium in Toronto..

Niagara is great. I live in TO and still love visiting there.