One-Night Stay at The Falls Inn & Spa in Walter’s Falls, ON

Resort with Waterfall Views and Sawmill Heritage Near Downhill Ski Trails

A series of mills churned Walters Creek from the 1850s through the 1980s. They chugged along at the exact site of the modern-day Falls Inn & Spa. Today, the mill’s legacy endures through historical photographs, oil paintings, and actual pieces of the mill sprinkled throughout the inn. There’s also a waterfall onsite—a striking remnant of the old mill operation. Guest-room balconies and the inn dining area face the cascade, where white froth frames a rocky outcropping. Inside each guest room, natural light filters through a large window and illuminates a landscape painting. There’s a heated tile system in the bathroom that keeps toes and escaped rubber duckies warm on chilly winter evenings. In the inn's restaurant (open Wednesday through Sunday), you can watch the waterfall through wall-to-wall plate glass as you sip local microbrews or reds and whites from the nearby Coffin Ridge winery. In the morning, choose from a breakfast spread of homemade scones, maple-walnut french toast made with local apples, and a fruit-and-cottage-cheese plate drizzled with local wildflower honey.

Grey County, Ontario: Waterfalls and Scenic Countryside for Snowmobiling and Skiing

The Falls Inn is located in a secluded part of Grey County, Ontario, about 62 miles (100 km) west of Barrie. Walter’s Falls is surrounded by a labyrinth of looping trails. Next to the inn, the 2.5-mile (4 km) Bruce Trail follows the tree-lined river, passing by log bridges and miniature cascades. The considerably broader Klondike Snowmobile Trail lies nearby. Snowmobilers come here to take scenic rides through the countryside. About a 30-minute drive to the east, the Blue Mountains loom over Georgian Bay. Skiers skim the slopes or strap on cross-country gear to explore parts of the Georgian Trail, which stretches along the bay to Meaford. Here, a year-round indoor farmers' market showcases local goodies such as bison meat, elk-leather moccasins, and sustainably harvested icicles.