• THINGS TO DO
• WHERE TO STAY
• WHERE TO EAT

Barrie / Sunnidale / Historic Fort Willow Depot Scenic Drive

• From Highway 400, take the Essa Road East exit to Tiffin and then turn right to Lakeshore Drive and the waterfront.
• Turn left at Lakeshore Drive and follow it around the bend onto Toronto Street. 
• Head up Toronto Street to the intersection at Ross Street and turn left. Ross angles up to the left at this point and turns into Sunnidale Road.
• Take Sunnidale Road over the bridge at Highway 400 (no exit to Highway here).
• You will see beautiful Sunnidale Park on the right (east side of Sunnidale Road) from Letitia to Cundles. Here you will find beautiful lush gardens, a gorgeous  Arboretum, plenty of paths winding through parkland and forest, a large children’s playground, picnic areas and dirt bike trails in the back beyond the stream.
• After a refreshing wander in the park, continue west on Sunnidale Road right out of the city into the gently rolling countryside and the Sunnidale community.
• Turn right at Barrie Hill Road and drop in at the Market and “Pick Your Own” at Barrie Hill Farms open seasonally during harvest times for luscious fresh berries, vegetables, pies, honey, maple syrup and frozen yogurt.
• Back on Barrie Hill Road, continue north to Seadon Road and turn left on Seadon to George Johnston Road.
• Turn right at George Johnston Road and go down the hill to the lights at Snow Valley Road / Portage Trail.
• Turn left (west) at Portage Trail and follow to Historic Fort Willow Depot at Grenfel Road, strategically located on a promontory overlooking the internationally recognized Minesing Wetlands. Park in the parking lot here and explore this important historic compound, or hike the surrounding trail network accessible through the back gate of the fort. The Trans Canada, Ganraska, Nine Mile Portage and North Simcoe Rail Trails all come together at this point. There are picnic tables, washrooms and sheltered rest areas. The park is generally unsupervised, but you are encouraged to drop a twoonie in the box to support the Nottawasaga Conservation Authority in their efforts to maintain this beautiful, historically significant and much loved site.
• After your Fort Willow stop, continue right (south) out of the parking lot and go south on Grenfel Road.
• Follow the deeply undulating rolls of the hill down (across Sunnidale Road) to Highway 90 and turn left briefly to Bradford Greenhouses and the lights at Highway 27.
• Turn right for a short trip down Highway 27 and turn left (east) at Ardaugh Road
• Take Ardaugh Road east to Essa Road and turn left.
• Take Essa Road under Highway 400 (there is access to Highway 400 here) and back toward Tiffin Street and the Barrie Waterfront.
• Stop and take a leisurely stroll through Barrie’s magnificent Waterfront Parks or stop for a delicious meal in one of the nearby downtown restaurants before your return home.