Goderich sits on a bluff above Lake Huron, with a working harbour below and a downtown laid out around an eight-sided square. Bayfield, a smaller village down the shore, has a heritage Main Street and a lakeside park built for watching the sun go down. Together they make an easy weekend on Ontario's side of Lake Huron. Here is what to do in each, with honest notes on what is open as the season turns.
Things to do in Goderich
Walk The Square
Goderich's downtown is unusual for Canada. Explore Goderich notes that The Square is technically an octagon working as a one-way traffic circle, with the county courthouse at its centre. Explore Goderich credits John Galt of the Canada Company with the radial layout, and says The Square was designed and developed between 1840 and the mid-1890s.
Today the shops, restaurants and services that ring the octagon make it the natural place to start. The historic Hotel Bedford also faces The Square.
Huron County Museum and the Huron Historic Gaol
The Huron County Museum (110 North Street) is open through the winter. Its permanent galleries cover early settlement, agriculture, military history and main street life, and a full-size steam locomotive sits at the centre of the building. For November and December the museum lists hours of 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday and 1 to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, closed Mondays. Regular single-site admission is $7.50 for adults and $25 for families, and a Huron County Library card gets you in free.
The Huron Historic Gaol (181 Victoria Street North) is the more striking building: the museum describes it as a unique octagonal structure that served as the county jail from 1841 until 1972, and it is now a National Historic Site. It is seasonal, open May 15 to October 31, and closed from November to April, so put it on the list for a spring or summer return.
The waterfront, the harbour and the sunsets
The Town of Goderich lists three beaches, Main Beach, St. Christopher's Beach and Rotary Cove Beach, linked by a boardwalk about 1.5 km long. Explore Goderich notes you can watch lake freighters working in and out of the harbour from Main Beach, and that the town's historic lighthouse sits on top of a 200-foot bluff. Lighthouse Park has a staircase down to the beach.
Sunset is the main event. Explore Goderich's own shortlist includes the benches in front of the lighthouse, the lookout benches above Rotary Cove, Main Beach, the pier and the Menesetung Bridge. A few practical points from the town:
- Paid waterfront parking runs 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from May 15 to October 15, so it is not in effect in November.
- Leashed dogs are welcome on the boardwalk and at St. Christopher's Beach, and there is a dog run south of Rotary Cove.
- MOBI mats for accessible beach access are at Main Beach and Rotary Cove Beach.
Menesetung Bridge and Tiger Dunlop's tomb
The Menesetung Bridge carried the Canadian Pacific line from Guelph to Goderich across the Maitland River. The town's audio tour says it opened on September 19, 1907, with seven spans totalling 750 feet, and the last CPR train crossed in 1988. When the bridge was threatened in the early 1990s, the community saved it and turned it into a pedestrian bridge.
From the north end, the town's tour describes a walk of about ten minutes along the main trail to the grave of Dr. William "Tiger" Dunlop, a co-founder of Goderich, who died in 1848 and is buried at Gairbraid on the north side of the river.
The G2G Rail Trail
The old rail corridor east of the bridge is now part of the Guelph to Goderich (G2G) Rail Trail, a long-distance walking and cycling route that runs inland from Goderich. Winter conditions vary, so check the trail organisation's site before heading out.
Things to do in Bayfield
Bayfield is a small village south of Goderich, with a heritage Main Street of shops, galleries, restaurants and inns.
Pioneer Park and the pier
Pioneer Park is the village's sunset spot. The Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority explains that it is privately owned and run by the Pioneer Park Association; residents organised the land purchase in 1945, and the association's mission is to keep it open to the public without charge.
The Municipality of Bluewater says Bayfield's Pier Beach has a life-saving station, parking and public washrooms, while Howard Street Beach just to the south is reached by stairs and has no washrooms. Dogs must be leashed on the beaches, walking on frozen lake ice is not permitted, and stair access can close because of weather, water levels or erosion.
Bayfield in winter
Bayfield does not shut down in the off-season, though some businesses keep spring-to-fall hours, so call ahead before you build a day around a particular shop, winery or restaurant.
Where to stay
In Goderich, the Hotel Bedford puts you right on The Square. Just outside town, the Benmiller Inn & Spa is at 81175 Benmiller Line.
If you are making a longer Lake Huron trip, the Tobermory and Bruce Peninsula weekend is a natural next leg up the coast, with Bruce Peninsula National Park at the tip. For the other end of the lake, see our Manitoulin Island guide, and for timing across the region, when to visit the Great Lakes.
Planning notes for November
- The Huron Historic Gaol is closed November to April. The Huron County Museum stays open, closed Mondays.
- Goderich's paid waterfront parking runs May 15 to October 15, so it is not in effect again until spring.
- Winter conditions on the G2G Rail Trail vary; check the trail organisation's site before heading out.
- In Bayfield, keep off the lake ice and expect some stairs to the beach to close in bad weather.
- Some businesses in both towns keep seasonal hours. Phone ahead.
