Plan your Ontario wilderness getaway – it's easier than you think!

Sunrise on Pickerel River in Loring-Restoule, Ontario  (Courtesy Explorers' Edge)

Who doesn't fantasize about a summer getaway in the wilds, waking up at a campsite to the gentle lap of water against a rocky shore, perhaps sitting on a dock on a pristine lake staring into a tableau that looks like it stepped out of a Group of Seven painting? Or perhaps you're the type that dreams of spending 10 hours in a kayak and returning at day's end to a comfy cottage and a hot shower. Every summer, thousands of visitors hop online to suss out the best summer adventure  that's accessible to a large urban centre such as Toronto. We all want that beautiful verdant green escape – but not everyone wants to drive nine hours to get there. Explorers' Edge, which is the umbrella tourism vehicle for Algonquin Park, the Almaguin Highlands, Loring-Restoule, Muskoka and Parry Sound – coincidentally among the most beautiful wilderness areas in Ontario just a couple hours north of Toronto – just updated the Explorers' Edge Web site. It functions as a handy, one-stop kiosk for anyone looking to plan a wilderness or cottage-country getaway in this part of the province.

Dockside yoga in Muskoka (Courtesy of Explorers' Edge)

In the Outdoor Adventures section visitors can get the details on such experiences as Algonquin Basecamp, Georgian Bay Coast Trail, Bear Claws Tours: ATV Adventures on the Canadian Shield, and Oastler Lake Provincial Park getaways. The accommodation finder section, Where to Stay, is one of the most comprehensive I've seen that covers cottages, resorts, B&Bs, campgrounds, inns, hotels and motels in the area.

Guests at Sunny Point Resort enjoy a cruse with their family pet on Otter Lake in Parry Sound (Courtesy: Explorers' Edge)

As with any popular summer vacation destination, you don't want to procrastinate too long before booking. Check out www.explorersedge.ca