Arrowhead Provincial Park Tickets are not on sale yet. Fares appear here when they open.Tell me first
Saturday 9 January · the skating trail, snowshoe and ski trails · a Parkbus guide with the group
Skaters on the forest ice trail at Arrowhead at dusk, torches glowing along the trail ahead and snow on the trees
Guided · From Toronto
Coming soon

Muskoka in January: a skating trail through the forest, and a guide who knows the park

Arrowhead sits just outside Huntsville, in the middle of Muskoka, and in winter it is the best day out in the province for the price of a bus ticket: a 1.3 kilometre skating trail through the trees, 28 kilometres of classic ski trail, eight of snowshoe trail, and Big Bend Lookout over the frozen curves of the Big East River. A Parkbus guide comes with the group, and you can walk with them or do your own thing. Saturday 9 January.

Tell me when it opensIs this day for me?
300,000+ riders since 2010•96% recommend on Facebook•4.6 ★ on Google•16 years of doing this

Book your seat

Saturday 9 January. The coach leaves from 34 Asquith Avenue, just north of Yonge and Bloor.

Coming soon

This one is happening. Tickets are not up yet.

We are running this one. The seats are not loaded into the booking system yet, so there is nothing to click. Leave your email and you will hear the moment it opens, which is usually before it goes anywhere else.

Leaving Toronto in the meantime

Every date we have on saleEverything from Toronto

Cancel 14 or more days before you go and you get 90% back.

Guided

A Parkbus guide leads the group all day, so you do not need to know the trail.

Easy

A short, flat walk on even ground, at your own pace.

Full-size coach

A full-size coach: reclining seats, large windows, a washroom on board and room for daypacks and gear.

What's included
  • Return coach from 34 Asquith Avenue, Toronto
  • A Parkbus guide with the group
  • Park admission
  • Reclining seats and a washroom on board

Not included

  • Skate, ski and snowshoe rentals, which the park rents at the Pavilion
  • Food and drink, so bring a lunch
What's waiting for you

A hidden gem in the heart of Muskoka, at its best in January

Arrowhead is quiet in a way the better known Muskoka lakes are not. Peaceful forest, winding trails, and the crisp air people drive three hours north for. In winter it adds the thing it is famous for: a 1.3 kilometre skating trail groomed through the forest, which Ontario Parks resurfaces with a Zamboni and which usually opens in January.

Big Bend Lookout is the picture: the Big East River swinging through its curves below you, frozen at the edges. Stubb's Falls Trail is an easy walk to a small waterfall half under ice. There are eight kilometres of marked snowshoe trail through mature hardwood and 28 kilometres of classic ski trail, and the Pavilion rents skates, snowshoes and ski packages, first come first served.

The guide leads a walk and keeps the day moving. Join it or do your own thing on the ice, and meet at the Visitor Centre, which has hot drinks and a fireplace in the Grand Hall.

Wild, and welcoming with it. Bring your skates.

Two adults and a child skating hand in hand along the forest ice trail at Arrowhead on a sunny winter day

Your trip

Your guide picks the plan to suit the group and the ice. These are the four that come up most.

We pick you up

34 Asquith Avenue, Toronto

Bus leaves8:00 AMBe there by 7:45 AM

Just north of Yonge and Bloor subway station. Come up the Asquith exit and look for the coach.

This route runs a full-size coach, with a washroom on board.

1
Two adults and a child skating hand in hand along the forest ice trail at Arrowhead on a sunny winter day

The skating trail

1.3 km · through the forest · rentals at the Pavilion

A groomed ice trail winding 1.3 kilometres through the trees. It is weather dependent and usually opens in January; the park posts conditions on its snow report. Skates rent at the Pavilion, first come first served, and there are free skate aids at the trailhead for new skaters.

Good to know:

  • Bring your own skates if you have them. Rentals sell out on weekends.
  • A certified helmet is required by the park
  • No hockey sticks or pucks on the trail

Note: The park's rental Pavilion posts a last rental of 3:00 PM, so rent early or bring your own. The coach leaves at 4:30 PM.

2

Big Bend Lookout

the view · short walk

The lookout over the swirling curves of the Big East River, and one of the most photographed views in Ontario. With snow on the banks it is the best version of it.

Good to know:

  • Bring a camera
  • The light is best when the sun is not overhead
3

Snowshoe and ski trails

8 km snowshoe · 28 km classic ski · 16 km skate ski

Eight kilometres of marked snowshoe trail through mature hardwood, and a full cross-country network from beginner to expert. Snowshoes and ski packages rent at the Pavilion.

Good to know:

  • The guide's walk usually goes out on the snowshoe trails
  • Stubb's Falls is an easy walk to a small waterfall half under ice
4

The Visitor Centre

hot drinks · a fireplace · washrooms

The warm place. Hot drinks, the Grand Hall with a fireplace, washrooms and the park store. Where the group meets up and where you eat the lunch you brought.

Good to know:

  • Warm up by the fireplace between the ice and the trails
  • Eat the lunch you brought

Facilities: Washrooms here and at the comfort station by the skating trail, Hot drinks for sale, The rental Pavilion is nearby

We drop you back

34 Asquith Avenue, Toronto

Back in the city8:00 PM

The bus returns to the same place it left from, so you go home the way you came.

This is our estimated return time, not a guarantee. Traffic can change it and some trips do run late, so please leave yourself some room afterwards rather than booking something tight against it.

Know before you go

Layers are the whole trick in Muskoka in January.

Join the group or don't

You can walk with the guided group or spend the day on the ice. It is your day and your pace, and nobody minds which you pick. All fitness levels are welcome.

Rentals are first come, and they sell out

Skates, snowshoes and skis rent at the park's Pavilion on a first come basis, and the park says they sell out on winter weekends. If you own skates, bring them.

The ice trail depends on the weather. It usually opens in January, and the park posts conditions on its snow report.

What to bring

Frequently asked questions

Is the whole day guided?
A Parkbus guide travels with the group and leads a walk, usually out on the snowshoe trails, but you are free to spend the whole day on the skating trail instead. Plenty of people do a bit of both.
Is the skating trail open?
It depends on the weather. Ontario Parks usually opens it in January and resurfaces it daily. They post conditions on the Arrowhead snow report, and so will we before the trip.
Can I rent skates?
Yes, at the park's Pavilion, first come first served, paid to the park. They sell out on winter weekends and the posted last rental is 3:00 PM, so bring your own if you have them. There are free skate aids at the trailhead for beginners.
Do I need to be fit?
No. All fitness levels are welcome, the trails are short, and the guide sets a pace that works for the group.
Where is Arrowhead?
Just outside Huntsville, in Muskoka, about two and a half hours north of Toronto.
Is there somewhere warm?
The Visitor Centre, with hot drinks for sale, washrooms and a fireplace in the Grand Hall.
What should I bring?
Skates and a helmet if you own them, warm boots, layers, a hat and gloves, a packed lunch and something hot in a flask.
What kind of bus is it?
A full-size coach. Reclining seats, large windows, a washroom on board, and room underneath for daypacks and gear.
What if I have to cancel?
Cancel more than 14 days before you go and you get 90% back. The other 10% is what the payment processor keeps and we never see it. Inside 14 days we cannot refund, with one exception: a medical emergency in the 48 hours before departure, with a doctor's note. If we are the ones who cancel, you get everything back. The full policy is on our terms of service page.

This season's dates

One date, Saturday 9 January 2027. Tickets are not up yet; the date and the fares come straight from the booking system when they are.

Placeholder dates · the real ones come from our booking system

Dates to be confirmed
Tell me when it opens

New to Parkbus? Here's the deal

We're Canada's outdoor bus service. Since 2010 we've taken more than 300,000 people to parks and trails without a car. You bring a lunch. We handle everything with wheels.

A Parkbus guided group together before setting off

A skating trail through the forest

1.3 kilometres of groomed ice winding through the trees, with skate rentals and free skate aids at the trailhead. It is the thing people drive three hours for.

Snowshoe or ski instead, or as well

Eight kilometres of marked snowshoe trail through mature hardwood and 28 kilometres of classic ski trail, with rentals at the Pavilion.

Big Bend Lookout, frozen

One of the most photographed views in Ontario, over the curves of the Big East River, and better with snow on it.

A guide, and no winter driving

A Parkbus guide is with the group and leads a walk; you can join or wander. Muskoka and back in a day, and none of it behind a wheel.

Arrowhead Provincial Park in photos

Two adults and a child skating hand in hand along the forest ice trail at Arrowhead on a sunny winter dayA trail through the forest at Arrowhead Provincial ParkThe forest and river at Arrowhead Provincial Park

What passengers are saying

★★★★★  4.6/5.0 on Google

★★★★★
“I just recently went on my first guided tour with a friend of mine from work. And man, was it amazing! Speaking from someone who doesn’t drive. This is a must!!”
Linda Ann · Facebook · Jun 2024
★★★★★
I have always had excellent experiences with Parkbus. I have been to many of their destinations, and I have thoroughly enjoyed myself. The ambassadors have been knowledgeable and friendly. The drivers drive safely, and with the passengers’ comfort in mind.
Sharlene Haye · Google
★★★★★
Came with my friend in April, our guide Mike did a great job! Nice tour, small group, everything was great! Will go again!
Natalia N. · Tripadvisor · Jul 2025
96%
recommend Parkbus on Facebook
4.6 ★ on Google · 300,000+ riders since 2010

In the press

The Globe and MailNational GeographicCBCNational PostToronto Star

If your plans change

Cancel more than 14 days before departure and you get a 90% refund, with 10% withheld for payment processing. Inside 14 days refunds are not available, except for a medical emergency in the 48 hours before departure, which needs a signed doctor’s note within 14 days of the missed trip and returns 50%. Tickets are transferable: you can change the passenger name up to 48 hours before departure.

If Parkbus cancels a trip, you get a full refund. We decide no later than 48 hours before departure and only on confirmed conditions: the park closed or the park authority asking us to stand down, an evacuation order or alert, an area restriction order, the highway closed, or the trip judged unsafe to run. A forecast is not one of those things, and trips run rain or shine.

Read the full terms of service

Rosy cheeks and that tired-but-happy feeling

A full day outside in Muskoka, and no winter driving on the way home.

Tell me when it opens

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