Blessed with rolling hills and exciting attractions, the town of Mulmur, Ontario boasts a tremendous range of attractions that are getting the attention of city dwellers seeking a weekend escape from the GTA.
As my children and I crested one of the rolling hills along Airport Road north of Toronto our breath collectively caught in our throats. In front of us was one of the most idyllic autumn landscapes imaginable.
Rolling farm fields and forests, the morning mist drifting across the fields was bisected by large swaths of forests baked in a rainbow of fall colours. The rising sun in the late October sky set everything aglow in a swath of gold.
It was beautiful. And all of this scenery was less than an hour from our home in the Greater Toronto Area.
I’d be lying if I said that before that day I had known much about the town of Mulmur, Ontario. It’s a town I’d passed through while driving my boys to hockey tournaments in places such as Wasaga Beach, Collingwood, and Barrie. It was always on a rushed journey in which I hadn’t had the time, or the forethought, to look around.
This time would be different.
About Mulmur, Ontario
Tucked into the hills of Ontario’s green belt lies the quiet streets of Mulmur. This “blink and you’ll miss it” community is home to less than 3,500 residents. The township is bordered by Creemore in the north, Mono in the South, Shelburne in the East, and New Tecumseth in the West.
Rolling right through the center of the township is Airport Road, a vital road that connects Toronto’s busy Pearson Airport with Collingwood near the base of the Bruce Peninsula. It’s on this road where many of the best things to do in Mulmur, Ontario lie.
Mulmur is situated in Dufferin County, one of Ontario’s hidden gems that offers a delightful blend of natural beauty and rural charm. Its rolling hills, lush farmland, and a strong sense of community beckon visitors with a wealth of year-round outdoor experiences that offer the ideal escape from larger Ontario cities and towns.
Whether you’re seeking a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of Mississauga or looking to rip through the trails of one of Ontario’s best mountain biking playgrounds, Mulmur has a lot to offer. So read on and discover why Mulmur captured my heart, and it will capture yours as well.
Things To Do In Mulmur, Ontario
Mulmur is surrounded by some pretty incredible places. Within a short drive of the township, you’ll find the popular hiking trails of Mono Cliffs Provincial Park and Torrance Barrens Provincial Park, one of the top places for stargazing in Ontario.
It’s easy to miss the attractions in Mulmur if you don’t look closely. So, I’m here to show you why that drive up Airport Road will lead you to one of the best weekend getaways in Ontario. Whether you’re traveling as a family or doing a romantic couples escape, this area of Ontario will capture your heart and have you planning your next visit before you even leave.
Ontario Honey Creations
When we pulled into the driveway at Ontario Honey Creations, we were all excited to taste a little of the homegrown honey that is found throughout Ontario. But it took less than an hour for us to realize how little we knew about the province’s amazing honey industry.
Launched by Sarah Allinson-Chorabik and her husband Peter in 2012, Ontario Honey Creations actually began as a rescue operation called Toronto Bee Rescue. Peter, who descends from three generations of beekeepers, saw the need to humanely rescue honey bee hives from homes and businesses. These incredible insects are vital to Ontario’s food supply, and pesticide use and miseducation have led to a drastic decline in their numbers.
Over the next ten years, their hives grew from two to 800 across Ontario. They’ve even partnered with a number of major businesses, such as the Chelsea Hotel in Toronto, to help manage their rooftop beehives.
Ontario Honey Creations expanded its operation from honey to include mead, a delicious alcoholic drink made from honey. Their meadery now services shops and restaurants throughout the province.
During our visit, we had the chance to taste both honey and mead, experiencing the incredible range of flavours derived from the different plants and flowers that the bees would frequent throughout the seasons. My boys fell in love with their summer honey, and we picked up a jar of that and some of their delicious cherry mead for myself.
It’s not just tastings that visitors will enjoy at Ontario Honey Creations, though. If you reach out beforehand, you may have the chance to throw on your own beekeeper suit and explore the on-site hives firsthand.
Ontario Honey Creations also houses some absolutely adorable Kunekune pigs. They open up the pens for their popular “Piggie Pile” days, where visitors can enjoy an afternoon of pig kisses from these friendly animals (they LOVE belly rubs).
This is a true family-friendly experience and one not to be missed. You can connect with Ontario Honey Creations on their website.
Maple Grove Farm
We were drawn in by the huge collections of pumpkins on the roadside and the massive “Maple Grove” logo all laid out in similar gourds along the edge of Airport Road. And after pulling into their large parking lot, we realized pretty quickly that Maple Grove Farms was far more than a roadside produce stand.
Launched as a u-pick strawberry farm by third-generation farmers Chris Wallace and his wife Robyn in 2004, Maple Grove Farm quickly became a local favorite thanks to its juicy produce and the support of the local community.
Their popularity allowed them to expand beyond strawberries into a shop of homemade farm-to-table meals, baked goods, fresh-made sandwiches, and exciting events, including concerts, wagon rides, and family-friendly picnics.
Everything in their farm shop is either made directly on the farm or sourced from the local community. And it has become the go-to sandwich shop thanks to its hearty sandwiches such as Turkey and Roast Beef, where the meat is smoked and the bread baked right in the farm kitchen.
Weekends are when the action really ramps up at Maple Grove Farm. During these times, the farm is packed with families who can meet the local horses, pigs, and goats, enjoy a tractor-drawn wagon ride through the fields, or embark on an adventure through one of two corn mazes.
Don’t worry about getting lost, each maze has a map. But expect the children’s maze to take you about 20-30 minutes, while the challenging maze can take anywhere between one to two hours to complete. There are all sorts of things to discover along the way, such as the red piano.
Special events at Maple Grove Farm often draw hundreds of visitors. Some of their most popular include the Country Fairs in late June and late September, the Car Rally, and their popular Easter Egg Drop. The events are often paired with live music, barbecue, and more. You can find out more on their website.
Mansfield Outdoor Centre
I’m coming back with our bikes!
When we rolled into Mansfield Outdoor Centre, which is located directly across from the Mansfield Ski Hills off Airport Road, we immediately regretted not packing our mountain bikes.
All around us were rolling hills of single and double tracks crisscrossing 300 acres of some of the most beautiful hills in Ontario. This just scratches the surface because Mansfield Outdoor Centre connects to an additional 3,600 acres contained within the Dufferin County Forest.
This four-season outdoor playground runs camps and school education programs focused on outdoor education and social development. But they are quietly one of the best places for mountain biking, cross-country skiing, and hiking in Ontario.
The park offers camping, small cabins, and a dorm-style chalet for those looking to spend a weekend shredding the scenic trails of Mulmury. My boys and I stayed at one of their classic camp cabins after an afternoon of hiking. We stopped into nearby Creemore for some marshmallows and found some perfect roasting sticks in the forest.
Mansfield Outdoor Centre is heavily focused on community building. You’ll find in their campgrounds and cabin areas that firepits are shared. This is all done as a way to grow community among the outdoors people who frequent the beautiful property, as I learned from on-site Trail Manager Johnny Yearman.
We only had a few hours to enjoy the trails at Mansfield, so we barely scratched the surface of the sprawling property, but we absolutely loved our stroll along the Pine River, where we got to see the last of the season’s salmon run making their way upstream to the spawning grounds. The top of the Lookout Trail also offered fabulous views of the Dufferin countryside.
You can check out the trail rates and membership fees for the Mansfield Outdoor Centre on their website.
Museum of Dufferin
I’ve visited my fair share of small-town museums in Ontario. The Museum of Dufferin, located at the corner of Airport Road and HWY 89, stands out among the best.
At first glance, this impressive building appears to be housed in a huge barn, matching the dynamic of the rural countryside that surrounds it. But a quick glimpse inside shows that this is no ordinary barn. In fact, the Museum of Dufferin isn’t located in a barn at all. It’s actually a purpose-built structure designed to pay homage to Dufferin County’s farming roots.
Once inside the brightly-lit and brilliantly adorned building, my children and I were immediately confronted with three historic buildings, all dating back to the 19th Century. These were all buildings from within the county and offer an excellent representation of what rural life in Ontario was like in the 1800s.
One of the coolest things in the Museum of Dufferin was Crombie’s Station. This example of a “Flagging Station” shows how those in small Ontario towns would catch the train. These towns weren’t large enough for train stations, so travellers would wait in these small flagging stations until the train was approaching and then head out onto the tracks to “flag” the train down in order to board!
We headed up to the top of the barn’s “silo” to explore some of the art by local painters before making our way down to the second floor for the Museum of Dufferin’s prized “Cornflower Glass” display.
This gorgeous line of glassware was launched in 1902 by a 20-year-old farmhand named William John Hughes. Inspired by a blue wildflower that grows on the roadsides in Dufferin County, he began crafting a unique product that quickly gained fame around the world.
Cornflower glass looked nothing like the mass-produced geometric patterns of most “Depression-era” glassware. It soon became a collector’s item, and the products are now traded at hefty prices.
The Museum of Dufferin houses over three thousand pieces of Cornflower Glass, many of which are on display at the museum. You can find out what’s on their current list of rotating exhibits on their website.
More Things To Do In and Around Mulmur
Our weekend in Mulmur was fantastic. The boys and I sang the entire way home, our spirits lifted by the fun things that we did in the region. But we didn’t get to do it all. There are more attractions in and around the area for those who want to extend their visit beyond a day or two.
Set in a historic building on Mono-Mulmur Townline, Granny Taught Us How and Heidi’s Room is a shop featuring a wide array of products ranging from home decor to gourmet food. It’s a lot like shopping at Grandma’s House. You’ll find reclaimed antique furniture, a candy counter, and more.
If you are as inspired by the local scenery as we were, Rawhide Adventures might be up your alley. The exciting Peace Valley Ranch lies amongst the picturesque hills. It’s a working cattle and horse ranch where visitors can learn all about being a ranch hand and enjoy private trail rides.
Reconnect with the wildness of nature on horseback with Rawhide Adventures. Among the rolling hillsides of Mulmur sits Peace Valley Ranch, a working cattle and horse ranch. Rawhide Adventures works out of this over 50-year-old ranch, offering a variety of private trail rides.
You can also extend your road trip outside of the region with a stop at Nottawasaga Bluffs Conservation Area, Noise River Provincial Park, or even hike a section of the famous Bruce Trail, which connects Niagara Falls and Tobermory, Ontario.
Enjoy Your Time In Mulmur, Ontario
My family had an unforgettable time in Mulmur. Between being beekeepers for a day at Ontario Honey Creations and finding our way through an epic corn maze at Maple Grove Farms to the stunning views of the Mulmur Hills from Mansfield Outdoor Centre, we simply couldn’t get enough of the area’s beauty. Add in the incredible learning opportunities at the Museum of Dufferin, and this road trip hit everything that we love in a family adventure.
Do you know of more fantastic things to do in Ontario? Drop a comment below or swing over to our popular and informative Ultimate Ontario Facebook Community to share your top spots.
Disclaimer: This post was made possible with a partnership with Central Counties Tourism. All opinions remain those of the author.
You May Also Like To Read:
Kevin Wagar is a founder and editor of Ultimate Ontario. He has been working in the travel media industry since 2015 when he founded his family travel website Wandering Wagars – Adventure Family Travel.
Over the years Kevin has developed a deep love for his home province of Ontario and aims to showcase the incredible experiences and amazing small businesses found within it.