Taking a Scugog Island Getaway: A Quaint Island on Lake Scugog in Durham Region
I took a friends’ summer getaway to this lesser-visited island near Port Perry. Scugog Island offers vintage and antique shopping, boating on Lake Scugog, local theatre, and an excellent hotel which makes it the perfect family or friends’ getaway destination in Durham Region.
Views of Lake Scugog from Scugog Island
Sometimes you don’t need to travel far to get away, and I’d say my recent trip to Scugog Island reminded me of just how true this can be here in Ontario. The island is a short hour or so drive from my home in Toronto. It also happens to be located a short distance from where my grandparents were born and raised, yet I’d never actually visited the island!
Scugog Island is on Lake Scugog, just across from Port Perry in North Durham Region. Despite being an island, it’s easy to drive to thanks to the causeway connecting it to Port Perry.
The island is home to The Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation—a branch of the Ojibwa Nation—who have been residents of Southern Ontario since time immemorial. It’s worth noting that every July they host an annual Powwow, which is a great way for visitors to learn about and celebrate Indigenous culture. Supporting Indigenous-owned businesses is important while you’re on the island, too. A few are included in this roundup!
Just a head’s up that Scugog Island welcomes visitors all year round, but you’ll find most of the activities in this article are specifically tailored more to a summer, late spring or early fall visit.
Please note that this article contains affiliate links. Simply put, this means we may receive a small commission for some of the recommendations in this article, at no additional cost to you.
Stay at Great Blue Heron Casino & Hotel
Despite the compact size of Scugog Island, Great Blue Heron Casino & Hotel is a large and comfortable hotel, perfect for a getaway with friends or family. It has 100 guest rooms, a restaurant, a fitness centre, a business centre and it’s also pet-friendly.
We opted for a King Suite during our stay so we each had a separate room. Their King Suites are very spacious with two bathrooms, a kitchen, dining space, living space (with a pullout couch) and a separate king bedroom. We were more than comfortable in this room, and it’s a great size for a family, too.
To top it all off, Great Blue Heron Casino and Hotel has some of the best dining options on Scugog Island. Their restaurant has a delicious homemade brunch and breakfast menu, there’s a snack bar on site that’s open most of the time, and if you visit from Thursdays to Sundays, they have a packed buffet that you can take advantage of for dinner, too.
Overall we loved our comfortable stay at Great Blue Heron, and would definitely recommend booking it for a getaway to Scugog Island or Port Perry!
Things to Do on Your Getaway to Scugog Island
Head to the Annual Powwow
Around the third weekend of July every summer, the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation holds its annual two-day Powwow on Scugog Island. All are welcome to attend and observe this celebration of Indigenous culture which includes traditional ceremonies, dances and songs.
All of the details about the annual MSIFN Powwow and Powwow etiquette for visitors can be found on their website.
Go Vintage & Antique SHopping
Adawegamig Vintage
Redman’s Antique Barn
These two stores are definitely worth visiting on a trip here:
Adawegamig Vintage is a First Nations-owned vintage store on Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation. Their goods are from across Ontario and various parts of Canada, and they take great care in curating unique pieces rooted in history, culture and community. It has a diverse range of finds, and you’ll be hard-pressed not to find something to walk away with after your visit.
Redman’s Antique Barn has stalls upon stalls upon stalls of antiques. They primarily have housewares, furniture and memorabilia, but you really won’t know what you’ll find until you go! Definitely a fun spot to go antiquing if you like the thrill of the hunt.
While you’re at Redman’s, don’t forget to pop into Marcelle’s Kitchen for some baked goods. They’re a gluten free bakery (a bonus for those who are gluten free!) that sells cookies, cakes, squares and plenty of other treats.
Rent a Pontoon Boat on Lake Scugog
One of the highlights of our summer getaway to Scugog Island was renting a pontoon boat from Scugog Island Marina. This family-owned marina has nearly 20 pontoon boats of varying sizes to rent out for visitors.
Rentals are available for a minimum of 3 hours at a time, and a maximum of around 12 hours, so you can really have some fun on a pontoon boat with a small group, family or friends. Lake Scugog is a shallow lake, so while you can swim, just be aware there are a lot of weeds closer to the surface. But it’s a great lake for going on a cruise and even doing some fishing if you bring fishing rods.
Andrée and I planned an afternoon rental on the day we arrived on the island, so we popped into the Piano Inn & Cafe for a takeout lunch on the boat. For all the details about rentals, check out their website here.
Visit the Scugog Shores Museum Village
This museum and archives is a great place to learn more about Scugog Region. It has a little “village” of 11 historic buildings, each with their own separate artifacts, making it an interesting place to visit for all ages.
There’s a log cabin from the early 1800s, a schoolhouse, a barn, a print shop, a blacksmith shop, a woodwright shop and more, each with plenty of Easter eggs and historic artifacts.
We took a brief guided tour of the museum village prior to our Theatre on the Ridge show, which is included with each ticket for performances at their outdoor tent. I’d definitely recommend popping in here ahead of a show!
Catch a Theatre on the Ridge Performance
Theatre on the Ridge is a local professional theatre company that performs in and around Port Perry throughout the year, but their summer performances are exclusively in an outdoor tent at Scugog Shores Museum.
They have a range of performances all summer long, with an intimate setting and a warm, community feel. We caught an adapted musical performance of Romeo and Juliet and loved the venue and being able to see a show outside during the summer. Theatre on the Ridge definitely makes a summer visit that much more memorable!
Don’t Forget to Pop into Charming Port Perry
Queen Street—Port Perry’s beautiful main street
If you’re making this a summer getaway, there’s plenty to do in Port Perry, too. Here are a few things I’d recommend doing on your way in or out of Scugog Island:
Grab a Pint, Coffee or Meal
There are plenty of great places to stop in Port Perry for a pick-me-up in various forms:
Nexus Coffee Co. serves up quality coffees, baked goods, snacks and treats. It’s the perfect place to pop in for a light breakfast and coffee before you bop around town.
Piano Inn and Cafe is a lunch staple in Port Perry. Their sandwiches are made with high quality ingredients, and are grilled and prepared to perfection. Their sweet pear, bacon and baked brie grilled cheese is a delight.
Old Flame Brewing is another town staple for a flight or pint of locally brewed craft beer. Their taproom was originally built in 1874, and was the Ontario Carriage Works for some time. It’s a unique space with a cozy atmosphere and great indoor and outdoor spaces to enjoy a drink or two.
Visit Scugog Arts
This local artists’ co-op features unique pieces in a wide variety of mediums. You can find handmade jewellery, pottery, sculpture, knitwear, art, mixed media, accessories, cards and plenty of other creative works here.
The shop has a rotating artist whose work is featured each month near the front of the store, and it’s the perfect place to come if you’re looking for artwork to take home or give as a gift.
Hit the Summer fARMERS’ mARKET
The Port Perry Farmers’ Market runs on Saturdays from early May to mid-October rain or shine each year. It’s in the heart of downtown Port Perry between the iconic Port Perry grain mill and Lake Scugog.
This is a great local market which only sells local produce and goods, and all vendors can only sell items grown or made in Ontario. In the summer months the seasonal produce is phenomenal!
A Restful Getaway, Only an Hour from Toronto
Nothing like taking a boat out to feel completely at peace—and only an hour’s drive from Toronto, no less!
The real beauty about so much of Durham Region and places like Scugog Island is it doesn’t take long to get from Toronto to these areas and yet you feel the peace and quiet of being worlds away.
From the community spirit of Port Perry and Scugog Island, to some of the incredible local businesses and initiatives worth checking out, I think you’ll find there’s a lot that’s special and worth celebrating about a little getaway here.
I’d like to thank Central Counties Tourism for hosting me as media on this getaway to Scugog Island. All opinions expressed in this article are completely my own.
Bri Mitchell
Bri Mitchell is a travel writer and content creator from Toronto, Ontario. She loves to highlight all things nature, food, wellness, sustainability and adventure in her work. Bri writes and shares her travel experiences from across Canada, the United States and around the world on Instagram and TikTok (@brimitchelltravels); in her articles for travelingmitch, Ultimate Ontario, and We Explore Canada; and in her weekly travel newsletter, The Weekly Traveller.