Tobermory In The OFF SEASON

Tobermory can be a beautiful place to visit in the off season, the scenery can be spectacular, and with few people visiting this time of year can feel like you have the entire place to yourself. However when visiting in the off season you need to be prepared. Tobermory only has 500-600 year round residence so things are much more laid back in the off season.

There are no exact dates for the “off season” but we recommend extra planing anytime between Thanksgiving (Canadian) & The 1st weekend of May.

Please keep your gas tank full as the only gas station in Tobermory keeps limited hours and is closed some days.*

The Foodland grocery store is usually open Monday To Saturday.*

Few restaurants stay open in the off season. They keep limited hours and are closed certain days. Sometimes they also close for weeks/months for maintenance and renovations so make sure to plan ahead for food. The village of Lion’s head 35 minutes south has more dining options. The main options to look into are The Tobermory Brewing Company, and Pharo’s Restaurant at the Princess Hotel.*

The boat tours, clothing shops, book store, art galleries, souvenir stores are all closed in the off season, but you can find some winter tours offered by “EcoAdventures”. The Village of Lion’s Head also has year round shopping options.*

Most areas of the Bruce Peninsula National park are open with a few exceptions. Halfway Log Dump (accessed by Emmett Lake Road) is not maintained in the winter. You should not attempt to navigate this road when the barricades are up, or when there are poor road conditions. Also Flowerpot Island is not accessible in the off season as it requires a boat to get there. Please ensure you bring proper clothing/gear as the conditions can be very cold sometimes with significant snow.

Take all of this into account and plan accordingly and you will enjoy this amazing place and all it has to offer!

*Please call ahead to confirm hours/days open as they frequently change, particularly around the Holiday’s.