Tip of the Escarpment: Grey-Bruce

Estimated distance: 390 km/242 mi.

The base of Kincardine's historic lighthouse is a great place to start this tour. Follow the shoreline north past sandy beaches and crimson sunsets through and Southampton, a historic port town, towards the Bruce Peninsula, a favourite touring destination with motorcyclists. Heading over to the west shore of the peninsula, the Niagara Escarpment drops into the waters of Georgian Bay with must-see views at Lion's Head and Wiarton. The Grey County waterfalls tour takes you to special scenic locations that are often just a short drive or hike from busy roads, such as Inglis Falls in Owen Sound. Fall colours are on permanent display through the art of the Group of Seven, seen at the Tom Thomson Art Gallery.

Apple orchards have been a feature of the Grey-Bruce landscape since the early 1800s and today over 1M bushels of apples are produced annually, making this a great area for fall apple-picking excursions and visiting road-side fruit stands for farm-fresh apples to take home. Enjoy the area's apple history at the Meaford Apple Harvest Craft Festival. Continue on to scenic Thornbury at the northernmost end of the Beaver Valley, where the Beaver River flows into Georgian Bay, to see a 24-foot high fish ladder where you can watch the fall salmon run as they migrate to the headwaters. Don't miss the spectacular treetop view at Scenic Caves. From your vantage point over 300 meters (330 yards) above the Bay you gaze down Blue Mountain toward Collingwood, and across the Bay to Wasaga Beach, Christian Island, and the distant shores of the Penetanguishene Peninsula.

Collingwood underwent a boom period in the late 1800s when it was the railway terminus and the last place for westward-bound settlers to purchase supplies before sailing across Lake Huron. The old section of town has some remarkable homes from this period, many in decorative bi-chromatic brick. Roughly 36 historic buildings can be seen on a self-guided walking tour outlined in a free brochure.

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