Featured Image: A hop, skip, and a jump for most, Muskoka and the surrounding areas offer much-needed respite from the hustle and bustle of city life. / Photo credit: Brian Lasenby on Shutterstock

Finding adventure at Harmony Outdoor Inn in Parry Sound 

As I’ve said before, home isn’t a place for me. I could live out of a suitcase indefinitely. But if home were a place, Muskoka would come close. It has absorbed me into its timeless rhythm since my earliest memory — like a drumbeat calling me home.

Everything in me exhales the moment Hwy 400 spits me out near the old Hwy 69. A land dominated by birch and pine trees, rock formations and lakes. The ghosts of every iteration of me from birth to current day run free in these woods, their whispers and laughter winging across time and water. The magic of Muskoka, woven into the fabric of my life, has given me a touchstone from which to explore the world. To come home to myself again, I need only come here.

And it needed to be a trip I took with my two daughters, ages 21 and 16. We haven’t been able to visit our cottage near Parry Sound since the pandemic hit. While we all feel the ache of that to our core, there’s no way we’d risk the health of my 92-year-old grandfather, who still lives there independently.

Planning My Trip

My research for glamping locations led me to Harmony Outdoor Inn – a riverfront inn and campgrounds located on the outskirts of Parry Sound and close to the shores of Georgian Bay. Set on 16 wooded acres, the inn boasts three charming and recently renovated rooms, and six prospector tents for the more outdoorsy. Accommodation includes complimentary parking, high-speed internet, and use of the inn’s private waterfront, where guests can make use of kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddleboards provided by sister company Ontario Sea Kayak Centre – or book a range of guided adventures through the same.

The inn was founded in 2014 by Dympna Hayes and James Roberts, who have been working in the outdoor adventure industry for over 15 years. The couple are senior Paddle Canada Instructor Trainers and also run Ontario Sea Kayak Centre.

“There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.” – Nelson Mandela

Life on the Water

While only one of us is a water sign, my daughters and I are all water babies – happiest in, on or near a large body of water. So when we arrived early and Dympna told us to head down to the river and make use of the water toys until our prospector tent was ready, we were thrilled. I thought there would be a complicated booking process for the SUPs and kayaks, or that we’d have to book a guided tour to use them. I’m not big on tours – I prefer solo exploration. I grew up on a lake and know how to operate pretty much anything you can use on one.

By unspoken agreement, my girls and I spent the bulk of our three days at Harmony Outdoor Inn on its waterfront. Lolling on the dock for hours on end, listening to cottage tunes. Swimming in the sun-warmed river. Paddleboarding. Being entertained and amused by the assortment of people learning to kayak, flipping themselves into the water and trying to scramble back in.

The appeal of Parry Sound

Muskoka is my happy place and Parry Sound holds a special place in my heart. It’s been this big city girl’s small-town home away from home for most of my life. The inn itself is run by and frequented by travellers who run at my speed, who understand the awe-inspiring magic of this land and respect it. There are any number of outdoor adventures to be enjoyed nearby – hiking, biking, ATV tours, kayaking with Ontario Sea Kayak Centre. If my stay had been longer than three days, I might have ferreted them out. But Muskoka is the one place in the world where I don’t feel the need to DO constantly. I can simply BE.  

The inn didn’t come recommended to me, and I’m not a person who scours online reviews. Whether I’m booking through Airbnb or the property directly, I get a feel for a place through my communication with the property owner or manager – which is why I don’t use impersonal booking platforms like Booking.com. That said, once I began posting snippets of our adventure to my social media channels, I did get a handful of messages from friends and followers who had visited the Inn and communicated their enjoyment of it – and Hayes and Roberts.

When it comes to accessibility by car, you can’t get much better. Parry Sound is a two-hour drive from Toronto – though that drive up Hwy 400 can be extended in peak season. Paved roads near the centre of Parry Sound lead to well-maintained gravel roads that take you straight to the inn. If you took a Greyhound bus to the terminal at Richard’s Coffee on Bowes St., you could even walk to the Inn from there, but it would be a bit of a hike.

Planning our trip

I had a pre-booking call with Roberts, who gave me the run-down on the place, and encouraged us to bring our own bedding for our stay in one of the prospector tents. When we arrived, I called the number posted on a sign in the parking lot and spoke to Hayes, who would have greeted us in person, but she’d hurt her foot and was en route to a physio appointment. We saw her several times throughout our stay, hobbling around on crutches, making sure all of the guests had what they needed. I was given her cell phone number and asked to text anytime we needed anything. The couple managed to make us feel cared for and taken care of without being obtrusive.

The inn is located a stone’s throw from West Parry Sound Health Centre – a well-equipped hospital with a high quality of care. I speak to that quality of care from experience, as I spent the better part of 10 days living in it at the end of my grandmother’s life in November 2017.

The connection Ontario Sea Kayak Centre has with its medical advisor is a big plus, particularly if guests book a guided adventure with them.

How was the overall glamping experience? 

The inn gets top marks in this area as well. Every touchpoint of the guest experience has been thought through and elevated. From the high-speed wifi and several electrical outlets for device charging in the pavilion to the heated outdoor cedar showers, to the signage that gives helpful instructions and showcases the fun personality of the owners and the Inn.

There are woodland paths to every tent and the waterfront that are lit by solar lights at night – to guide the way and create a festive atmosphere. The waterfront area boasts a large deck with a selection of Muskoka chairs to relax in and hammocks to loll in. There’s a sandy beach to swim from or a dock to sit on if you’re more of a toe dipper. Sunsets viewed from the dock are spectacular. On a clear night, you can even get a glimpse of the otherworldly Northern Lights.

“We have a bunch of kayaks, stand up paddleboards and canoes at our waterfront for our guests to enjoy with our compliments. If you’d like more of an adventure, we offer full-day kayak trips out on Georgian Bay with one of our professional guides,” says Hayes. “We also have a private yoga instructor you may book for your own session at the waterfront deck. Harmony Outdoor Inn is a special place where absolutely everyone is welcome and celebrated. We hope everyone walks away from a stay with us feeling relaxed, restored and, a little more grounded in nature.”

Check, check, and check.

Cost/Budget

At $140 per night for one of the six prospector tents and between $195 to $225 per night for one of the inn’s three bedrooms, this is a budget-friendly option for those looking for an outdoors experience a level up from camping. All costs/cancellation information are explained upfront in the website’s online booking page – no hidden fees, no complicated language.

Mobility + Accessibility

Those will mobility issues would find Harmony Outdoor Inn difficult or near-impossible to navigate. It’s set on hilly forest terrain, and all of the prospector tents are accessible via a winding network of wooden and stone stairs that made even this fitness nut feel like a billy goat. Great extra burn though! The pavilion and waterfront deck are accessible via a small set of stairs each, and the outhouses require one step up as well. While I observed owner Dympna navigate it all on crutches with her foot in a medical boot, I think she’s the exception. There are no mobility supports (wheelchairs, canes) available on site. The inn is built to cater to the able-bodied outdoors crowd.

Bonus Points

Harmony Outdoor Inn nabbed all available bonus points for its owners’ above-and-beyond approach to safety and instilling guest confidence. Having a medical expert available via satellite phone, as well as a regular and highly visible cleaning schedule for all rooms, tents and common areas saw this venue sweep up the points.

NOTE: This article is not sponsored content. While the author communicated her media status at the time of booking, she paid all fees due to Harmony Outdoor Inn and this review is a transparent and accurate account of her experience at the property.