Cape Croker

First Nations reserve on the Bruce Peninsula, overlooking Georgian Bay from limestone bluffs and cold clear water.

Cape Croker (Neyaashiinigmiing) is a Chippewas of Nawash First Nation reserve on the Bruce Peninsula, overlooking Georgian Bay. The reserve has never left Indigenous control and is one of the more welcoming First Nations communities for visitors in Ontario.

The main draw is Cape Croker Park, which sits between high limestone bluffs on the shore of Georgian Bay. The park has over 250 campsites, a section of the Bruce Trail, swimming, and canoeing. The water is clear and cold, and the bluffs give the landscape a dramatic edge.

It is a quiet, beautiful spot — a good alternative to the more crowded provincial parks further up the peninsula.

Guide

Getting There

Cape Croker is on the Bruce Peninsula, about 180 km north of Toronto. Take Highway 10 north to Owen Sound, then Highway 26 west to Wiarton, and from there follow local roads north and east onto the peninsula to the reserve. The drive from Toronto is roughly two and a half hours.

There is no public transport to the reserve. A car is essential.

Guide

Things to Do

Cape Croker's natural setting is the draw — limestone bluffs tumbling into Georgian Bay, clear cold water, and forest trails with almost no one on them. The park is run by the Chippewas of Nawash First Nation, and the admission fees go directly to the community.

Swimming and canoeing are the main summer pursuits, with the bluffs giving the shoreline a drama rare in Ontario. The Bruce Trail passes through, giving hikers a taste of Niagara Escarpment scenery at its wildest.