This past weekend we headed up to the Blue Mountains for a quick family getaway. The summer is one of the busiest, but most relaxing times of the year for our family. We don’t exactly have time to head out on a huge vacation, so finding places that are fun and exciting without a lot of travel time are amazing! I first came to the Blue Mountain Village with my girlfriends last summer for a Bachelorette party and I learned just how fun the area really is. I’m sharing everything about what we did on our summer family weekend getaway at Blue Mountain, Ontario in this post.
About Blue Mountain in Ontario
The Blue Mountain Village is located just outside of Barrie, Ontario and only 120 kilometers from Toronto. The short drive makes it the perfect road trip destinations for families in the GTA looking for a beautiful and exciting getaway. The Blue Mountain tourist destination is known for it’s year round amenities. While in the winter they of course have the wonderful ski and snowboarding attractions – there is a lot to do an see in the summer time too.
Things to Do at Blue Mountain Village in the Summer
Surprisingly summer is the busier time for Blue Mountain Village – I figured it would have been during the skiing season. There are so many activities that start at the basecamp like:
- Canopy Climb Net Adventure
- Bag Jumps
- Paddle Boating on the Pond
- Rock Climbing
- Putting Course
- Hiking
- Gondola Ride
- Aquatic Centre/Water Park
- Ridge Runner Mountain Coaster
- Timber High Ropes Challenge
- Zip Lining
- Chutes & Lumber Ball Run
Nearby you can also find off resort activities like:
- Blue Mountain Beach
- Canoes
- Kayaks
- Cave Exploring
- Paddle Boarding
Where We Stayed
Our hotel was called Blue Mountain Inn by Blue Mountain Resort. It was a short walk from the village and base camp – under 15 minutes. There was free parking, wifi, and pretty views of the mountains. They have both indoor and outdoor pools and spas. I would love to come back in the winter and sit in the outdoor spas when its snowing! For families looking to save a little on lodging while still feeling a part of the main Village this hotel was perfect. They also had various activities that were connected with the Village that we were able to join in too.
Where We Ate
For breakfast, we went to Sunset Grill each morning. The walk in the morning was really beautiful, and the boys love Blueberry Pancakes. The restaurant does get busy quick since it’s fairly small so arrive before you’re hungry!
For Lunch we ate Firehall Pizza Co. It was yummy and the whole restaurant has a little fireman vibe. The second day we ate at Wild Wing and consumed way to much fried food for the whole trip. But the service was quick and they even have a pretty patio on the water.
For Dinner we dined one night at Kaytoo Restaurant and Bar. I loved how many vegetarian options that they had for me. They also sat us on a pretty patio on the water. We returned the second night for takeout dinner that we ate while listening to one of the bands on the main stage.
Where We Played
Holy guacamole, we had so much fun with all of the basecamp activities. Besides the free concerts and other activities, a few of the things we tried were:
- Canopy Climb Net Adventure
- Paddle Boating on the Pond
- Putting Course
- Hiking
- Gondola Ride
- Zip Lining
- Chutes & Lumber Ball Run
But, hands down our favorite was the Ridge Runner Mountain Coaster. We were not expecting it to be as speedy as it was… While you can control the speed, you need to just let it go as fast as it can and zoom down the mountain!
Will We Be Back?
Of course! I really want to come back in the winter with Logan so he can learn to ski or snowboard. I also love it as a girls’ weekend getaway (which I desperately need). There’s an amazing hot spring spa just a short drive from the village that I’ve been dying to try! I also didn’t get my BeaverTail yet…
