Barrie wraps around the western end of Kempenfelt Bay, the arm of Lake Simcoe that gives the city its long, open waterfront. Most people know it as the place Highway 400 passes on the way north from Toronto, but it rewards a stop of its own: a paved lakeside trail, a free-by-donation public art gallery, a downtown brewery and a farmers' market that has kept going through the seasons. This guide covers what is worth doing year-round, with notes on what changes in late fall and winter.
The Kempenfelt Bay waterfront
The waterfront is the heart of a Barrie visit, and it is free. The City of Barrie describes the waterfront area as stretching for more than 5 km, with parks, beaches, public art and a marina linked by trail.
Waterfront Trail and Heritage Trail
The Waterfront Trail is a paved route of roughly 6.7 km around the bay and, according to the City, its most popular pathway. It forms part of the Trans Canada Trail and connects to the North Shore Trail, and it is open to walking, running, in-line skating and cycling. Along the way, the Waterfront Heritage Trail adds 11 interpretive stations, each on a different theme, tracing the area's story from the last ice age to the present.
If you would rather follow a set route, the City publishes a self-guided "Discovering the Waterfront" walking tour along Lakeshore Drive, from Memorial Square to the General John Hayter Southshore Community Centre. The City estimates it at about 83 minutes.
Centennial Beach and the Spirit Catcher
Centennial Beach, at 65 Lakeshore Drive, is one of four beaches the City maintains on the bay, along with Johnson's, Minet's Point and Tyndale. In summer it has lifeguards, a personal flotation device (PFD) loan service, a playground and a seasonal concession in Centennial Park. For 2026, lifeguards finished for the season on September 4, so in November the beach is a place for a walk and a view rather than a swim.
Nearby stands the Spirit Catcher, Ron Baird's 1986 steel sculpture, which has been a focal point of the waterfront since 1987 and is part of the MacLaren Art Centre's permanent collection. Its companion piece, The Sea Serpent, nods to Kempenfelt Kelly, the bay's legendary sea serpent and the City's official mascot.
Late fall and winter on the bay
Seasonal features close after summer. The City's beaches page lists the Heritage Park water feature as closed for the season. The City notes that the community ice rink at Will Dwyer Park opens seasonally for pleasure skating and hockey, but does not publish fixed dates, so check with Service Barrie before you go. The City's waterfront pages do not say how the trail is maintained in winter, so expect changing surfaces after snow and dress for wind off the open water.
MacLaren Art Centre
Downtown at 37 Mulcaster Street, a short walk up from the waterfront, the MacLaren Art Centre is Barrie's public art gallery. Admission is pay-what-you-can by donation. The MacLaren is closed Mondays and open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday, with Thursday hours extended to 8 p.m.
A timing note for early November 2026: the MacLaren says its galleries are closed from October 26 to November 6 to prepare for its OFF THE HOOK silent art auction, reopening for the auction preview on Saturday, November 7. Palette Café & Provisions, the café on site, stays open during that closure. Check the gallery's site for current and upcoming exhibitions before you visit.
Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery
Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery brews at 107 Dunlop Street East, in the heart of downtown. Its taproom is open 11 a.m. to midnight Tuesday to Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday and Monday. Seating is first come, first served, and the taproom does not take reservations. The brewery's website also has pages for tours and its shop. Check those for current details, as offerings change with the season.
Barrie Farmers' Market
The Barrie Farmers' Market runs on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Barrie City Hall, 70 Collier Street, and describes itself as open year-round. In 2026 the outdoor season at City Hall ran on Saturdays from May 2 to September 26. Outside that season, the City has listed market dates inside the City Hall rotunda. The City and the market do not yet show a November–December 2026 schedule, so check the market's own website or social channels for the next date before planning a Saturday around it.
Beyond the city: forests and ski hills
Copeland Forest
North of the city in the Township of Oro-Medonte, Copeland Forest is a large forest with an extensive trail network, popular for hiking and, once there is snow, for winter trail use. Our destination guide has details on access, trails and seasonal use.
The Minesing Wetlands are another natural area close to Barrie. See our destination page for access and seasonal guidance.
Snow Valley and Horseshoe Resort
Two ski areas sit close to the city, and both are seasonal. Snow Valley, on Vespra Valley Road in Minesing, is selling 2026–27 season passes and lists night skiing as scheduled to begin on Friday, December 18, 2026, weather permitting. It does not guarantee snow conditions or open terrain, so check its conditions page before you drive.
Horseshoe Resort, on Horseshoe Valley Road in Oro-Medonte, offers alpine skiing, Nordic trails and a tube park in winter. In early November its alpine, Nordic and tubing operations are still in the off-season. Watch its ski report for opening dates.
Indigenous lands and history
The City of Barrie's land acknowledgement recognizes that the city is on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg people, including the Odawa, Ojibwe and Pottawatomi Nations of the Three Fires Confederacy. It also acknowledges the Wendat (Huron) Nation, who occupied the area before the mid-1600s. The City commits to honouring Indigenous history and culture and to reconciliation with First Nations, Métis and Inuit people.
Around Lake Simcoe today are First Nations including the Chippewas of Georgina Island and the Chippewas of Rama. According to Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, these are two of the seven Williams Treaties First Nations. The Williams Treaties were signed in 1923, and in 2018 Canada and Ontario reached a settlement with the seven First Nations that recognized treaty harvesting rights and included federal and provincial apologies. For more context, see our overview of Indigenous Nations and treaties in Central Ontario. Farther up Lake Simcoe, our Orillia guide covers that city's waterfront and the fish weirs.
Getting there and planning
Barrie lies north of Toronto on Highway 400, on the way to Muskoka and points north. That makes it an easy stop for a meal, a gallery visit or a lakeside walk on the way to or from cottage country. Travel times on the 400 vary widely with weekend and holiday traffic and winter weather, so check road conditions before you set out. In late fall, plan on shorter daylight for waterfront walks, and confirm hours ahead of time, since many seasonal attractions open on weather-dependent schedules.
