It’s graving season again in Northern Ontario!

Two weeks ago, I went on my first cemetery road trip of 2024. I was inspired by a book I read at the end of March, called Muskoka’s Most Haunted 2 by Andrew Hind. I have read a few of Hind’s books that have inspired some cemetery road trips, but this one was a bit serendipitous. I was already planning a trip to the Muskokas this summer and had a few cemeteries mapped out, one of which just so happened to be featured in the book. I took that, and the warmer weather, as a sign it was time to get back in the field. 

The Muskoka District is located north of Lake Simcoe and extends from the southeast shore of Georgian Bay to Algonquin Provincial Park.¹ Sometimes referred to as cottage country, the Muskoka area is well known for its beautiful landscapes and rugged shorelines.

The Muskokas are also home to many charming small towns. They dot the landscape among picturesque parks. It is so well known, that many celebrities spend their summer vacations here. In 2023, Shaquille O’Neal, Mark Wahlberg, and Victoria & David Beckham were all spotted in the Muskokas enjoying everything the summer has to offer.²

Small towns are usually accompanied by cemeteries. For this trip, I planned a route that would take us up and around Lake Muskoka. There are many cemeteries in the area, so I was uncertain how many we would actually be able to visit. 

We left bright and early on the morning of Easter Monday, stopping for our obligatory road trip coffee before officially getting on the road. We planned to visit as many cemeteries as we could, while also visiting any attractions that may be open, and of course, stopping for a meal. That second item on the list was a little uncertain as the holiday meant that some places would be closed.

Our first cemetery stop, after enjoying the winding views in Bala, was Torrance Union Cemetery. Since it was so early in the morning, it was a bit chilly out but we still took our time exploring. We spent quite a bit of time at this cemetery, but I don’t want to go into too much detail just yet about our visit. This cemetery has some very interesting stories attached to it that I want to explore a little more in October.

Our next stop was the larger town of Gravenhurst. We made another stop for coffee and then stopped in at the three cemeteries within the city limits. We will have to go back to Gravenhurst sometime in the summer to take in the views of the waterfront and visit some attractions. That’s always the downfall of visits on a statutory holiday—everything is closed.

After a leisurely lunch at Chuck’s Roadhouse in Bracebridge, we decided to change things up a bit. Our next stop was the Woodchester. This beautiful octagonal home is a historic site, that is also an event space. It too was closed when we visited, but many walking trails surround it. Some of the trails have historical plaques that tell the story of the house and its previous owners. We were able to walk the circumference of the house and look at building maps that show what the layout of the inside looked like, when it was lived in. 

The Bracebridge walking trails meander alongside the Muskoka River and waterfalls. The waterfalls were strong and thundering when we visited. Unfortunately, part of the trail was closed off, most likely due to possible flooding, so we didn’t get to enjoy the full trail. The views were still lovely though and it was a nice way to break up our day. 

After that little pit stop, we visited three more cemeteries. The Annie Williams Memorial Cemetery was the smallest cemetery we visited that day. Only three people rest in that cemetery, which sits in the middle of a park and playground. This tiny gated cemetery sits under some large trees, only a few feet away from an active playground that often hears the boisterous sounds of children playing. It also sits a foot or two away from a popular little library, that was bursting at the seams with books.

As the day waned, it was time to start making our way back home. But we couldn’t help but stop at one more cemetery. Our last cemetery stop of the day was Port Carling Cemetery. That marked the end of our loop around Lake Muskoka.

This trip was a lot of fun! We ended up visiting a total of eight cemeteries, not bad for a first-time out after the cold of winter. We had beautiful weather that warmed up as the day went on which made our visits comfortable. Which means the weather can only get better from here. I look forward to my next outing and seeing where cemeteries take me. 

Thanks for reading!

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References: 

1. Muskoka | Destination Ontario
2. This Canadian Town Is A Magnet For A-Listers On Vacation— Here Are 8 Celebs That Were Spotted There This Summer | Buzzfeed

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Cemeteries:

1. Torrance Union Cemetery also known as Whitting Family and Church Cemetery, Torrance
2. St. James Anglican Cemetery, Gravenhurst
3. Lakeview Cemetery, Gravenhurst
4. Mickle Memorial Cemetery, Gravenhurst
5. Bracebridge United Cemetery, Bracebridge
6. Annie Williams Memorial Cemetery, Bracebridge
7. Saint Thomas Cemetery, Bracebridge
8. Port Carling Cemetery, Port Carling