Cottages For Sale in Georgian Bay & Simcoe County

Buying a cottage in Georgian Bay & Simcoe County

Simcoe County wraps around the south end of Georgian Bay and the west and north shores of Lake Simcoe. It starts about an hour north of Toronto at Innisfil and Barrie and runs up Highway 400 to Midland, Penetanguishene and Port Severn. To the west, Wasaga Beach and Collingwood sit on Nottawasaga Bay. To the east, Orillia divides Lake Simcoe from Lake Couchiching, and the Severn River carries the Trent-Severn Waterway out to Georgian Bay.

Buyers find very different water here. Tiny Township and Wasaga Beach have long sand beaches and shallow, warm swimming. Midland, Penetanguishene and Tay front the sheltered bays of Severn Sound, with marinas and boat access to the Thirty Thousand Islands. Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching offer big-water boating, fishing and winter ice fishing. Smaller lakes such as Bass, Orr, Farlain and St. John suit quieter cottages. Collingwood and Oro-Medonte add ski chalets and four-season condos.

Most waterfront here has year-round road access, and many former cottages are now full-time homes. Towns usually have municipal water and sewer, while township properties mostly rely on a well or lake intake and a septic system, so budget for inspections. Georgian Bay water levels rise and fall over the years, which changes beaches and docks. Shoreline work often needs a conservation authority permit. Short-term rental rules differ by municipality, and some, such as Tiny, require a licence.

Getting there: About 1 to 2.5 hours from Toronto.

• Georgian Bay beaches
• Lake Simcoe
• Trent-Severn Waterway
• Ice fishing
• Ski hills
• Year-round road access