Skip to content
Voykit
Set your trip — dates, party, bagsPlanner

Draft data. Times, fares and step counts are desk estimates awaiting field checks. Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify

Major city · Canada

Magnetawan

Go for 2 nights if you have a boat or a canoe; 1 night is enough for the locks, the village and a drive. No car, no trip.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
CAD
Best months
Jun–Sep for water and swimming; late Sep–early Oct for colour
avoid Nov–Apr unless you are ice-fishing or snowmobiling; many places close
Airports
YYZ · YOW · YYB
Nights
1–2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 6Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • Canada ↗Visa-exempt travellers flying to or through Canada usually need an eTA; check your passport on the official Government of Canada site (canada.ca) and apply only there.
  • Canada ↗A Parks Canada pass is needed to stop in national parks such as Banff and Jasper; some spots (for example Moraine Lake) are reached only by shuttle or tour, so book ahead.
  • Canada ↗Keep well away from bears, elk and moose; carry bear spray on Rockies trails and follow trail closures.

Magnetawan is a village of about 1,400 people on the Magnetawan River in Ontario's Near North, 40 km west of Burk's Falls and roughly 3 hours by car from Toronto. It sits on the Trans Canada Trail and on a 78-km stretch of the old Nipissing Road, the 'Ontario Ghost Trail'. The point of coming is water and quiet: the locks, the lakes, the bush roads, and the abandoned homesteads and cemeteries along the drive in. There is no rail and no scheduled bus, so a car is the whole plan.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Magnetawan, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee and a breakfast sandwichC$8–15 (≈ US$6–11)
  • Street or quick mealDiner main (burger, sandwich, soup)C$16–25 (≈ US$12–19)
  • BeerDraught beer in a barC$7–9 (≈ US$6–7)
  • Budget bedCampsite, a night, per roomC$40 (≈ US$30)
  • Mid-range bedGuest house room, a night, per roomC$130 (≈ US$95)
  • High-end bedGuest house room, a night, per roomC$200 (≈ US$150)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget C$90 (≈ US$70) · Mid C$170 (≈ US$130) · High C$320 (≈ US$250)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Magnetawan River and the locksAhmic, Cecebe and Otter lakesNipissing Road (Ontario Ghost Trail)Screaming Heads sculpture gardenBass and pickerel fishing
Airports
YYZ Toronto Pearson (About 3 h by car via Highway 400 and 11N to Burk's Falls, then 40 km west) · YOW Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier (About 4.5 h by car; check before you commit) · YYB North Bay Jack Garland (About 1 h 15 min by car; small airport, few flights)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Magnetawan: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

−6°C

−16°C

12 rd

Feb

−4°C

−15°C

10 rd

Mar

2°C

−9°C

10 rd

Apr

10°C

−1°C

10 rd

May

18°C

6°C

11 rd

Jun

23°C

11°C

11 rd

Jul

26°C

14°C

10 rd

Aug

25°C

13°C

11 rd

Sep

20°C

9°C

11 rd

Oct

12°C

3°C

12 rd

Nov

5°C

−2°C

13 rd

Dec

−2°C

−11°C

13 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Drive. There is no train and no scheduled bus into the village; Highway 520 and Highway 124 meet here. Within the village you can walk between the locks, the beach and the store in about 10 minutes. For the lakes you need a boat, a canoe or a rental; Port Carmen Marina, 4 km east on Highway 520, is full service.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Screaming Heads, Burk's Falls

go

Door to door: About 40 min

Drive Highway 520 east to Highway 124, then Midlothian Road

Sculpture garden on private land, free with donations welcome; the Harvest Festival takes over the property on the third weekend of September.

Burk's Falls

go

Door to door: About 35 min

Drive Highway 520 east to Highway 11

Closest fuel, groceries and hardware; use it as your supply run.

Parry Sound

go

Door to door: About 1 h 15 min

Drive Highway 124 west, then Highway 400

Georgian Bay, the 30,000 Islands and a proper town for a wet day.

Huntsville and Algonquin Park

caution

Door to door: 1.5–2 h

Drive Highway 11 north, then Highway 60 east

Algonquin's west gate is a long day from here; sleep over if you want trails.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Magnetawan village

Walk to the locks, the beach and the liquor store on Highway 520; guest houses and a few rooms.

Ahmic Lake and Ahmic Harbour

Cottages and resorts on the water; you need a car for everything else.

Highway 124 and 520 corridors

Cottage resorts and campgrounds spread over 10–20 km; quiet, but nothing is walkable.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
C$90–150 (≈ US$70–110) excl. bed
Mid
C$150–260 (≈ US$110–190) excl. bed
High
C$260 (≈ US$190)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Lakefront cottage1 × 2 nights × C$300C$600
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × C$170C$680
Rental car, one day1 × C$70C$70
Fuel, Toronto return, about 600 km1 × C$80C$80
Boat or canoe rental, one day1 × C$120C$120
Fishing licence, one day, Ontario resident / non-resident2 × C$15 · Buy before you castC$30
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeC$158
Trip total≈ C$435 per person per day, bed includedC$1,738≈ US$1,300

Weekly rentals only in July and August at some resorts

2026 estimate in Canadian dollars; sales tax is added at checkout. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee and a breakfast sandwichC$8–15 (≈ US$6–11)
Diner main (burger, sandwich, soup)C$16–25 (≈ US$12–19)
Restaurant main (steak, schnitzel, pickerel)C$18–44 (≈ US$14–35)
Draught beer in a barC$7–9 (≈ US$6–7)
Litre of fuelC$1.50–1.80 (≈ US$2)
Boat launch feeC$10–20 (≈ US$8–15)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Very safe. The real risks are the drive (moose and deer at dusk), cold water on the lakes, and no cell signal on the back roads: tell someone your route.
  • No public transport: without a car you are stuck.
  • Cell coverage is patchy on the back roads and on the lakes.
  • Black flies and mosquitoes from late May to July; bring repellent.
  • Many restaurants and resorts cut hours or close from late October to May: call first.
  • Moose and deer on Highway 11 and the local roads at dusk and after dark.
  • Fuel up in Burk's Falls or Huntsville; stations in the village are limited.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911
Ontario Provincial Police, non-emergency
1-888-310-1122
Telehealth Ontario (health advice, 24 h)
1-866-797-0000

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

MagnetawanMagnetawan

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911
  • OPP non-emergency1-888-310-1122
  • Telehealth Ontario1-866-797-0000

Embassy

No consulate here. US consulate general in Toronto; most other countries: embassies in Ottawa.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Fuel, Burk's Falls to Magnetawan and back: about C$15 (≈ US$11)
  • Cottage, one night, mid band: C$140–450 (≈ US$110–350)
  • Campsite, one night: C$40–45 (≈ US$30–35)

Tipping: 15–20% at restaurants and bars, 10–15% for taxis. Prices are shown before sales tax.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Magnetawan. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Jun–Sep for water and swimming; late Sep–early Oct for colour · avoid Nov–Apr unless you are ice-fishing or snowmobiling; many places close · month by month →
  2. 3 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 6 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for YYZ and YYB: last rental-car desk times, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Walking cluster for the village: locks, beach, store, guest houses, with a rain anchor.
  3. Place pages with verified hours for the locks, Port Carmen Marina and Screaming Heads.
  4. Eat pages with last orders for Tanner's Dining, Quiet Bay Cafe, The Swiss Country House and Magnetawan Grill.

Meanwhile

Back to Canada

Sources