From our Network:
Start your engines! Driving.ca is Canada's leading destination for the latest automotive news, reviews, photos and video.
Find out more ›
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Exploring the Bruce Peninsula in the 2022 Hyundai Palisade

The world is learning about this region’s many draws — here’s how to escape the growing crowds

Canada is full of amazing places, many of which are internationally renowned. Banff and Jasper National Parks, Niagara Falls, and Quebec City come to mind, just to name a few.

Story continues below
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Tobermory, Ontario, used to be a better-kept secret, but it seems we’ll soon be able to add it to that list: it was recently named to TripAdvisor’s 2021 Travellers’ Choice list of the top 25 emerging destinations. It was already a battle to secure accommodations and parking reservations for Bruce Peninsula’s most popular spots, and now it looks like the pool of visitors competing for access is about to get a whole lot bigger.

How does a road tripper seeking the beauty and serenity of nature make the most of this gem without being driven out by crowds and frustrations? There is a solution: make the trip in the autumn. Sure, with the weather being cooler you’ll have to give up going for a swim, and a handful of the local amenities close at the end of the summer. But in exchange you’ll find fewer people, far fewer bugs, and friendlier weather for the world-class hiking opportunities that make the Bruce Peninsula so special.

Story continues below
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

2022 Hyundai Palisade Ultimate Calligraphy

For the weekend’s events, my daughter and I traveled in a 2022 Hyundai Palisade, a popular choice among our writers here at Driving.ca. This Ultimate Calligraphy grade represents the top of the three-row SUV’s lineup and is priced at $56,955 including a $1,925 destination charge. We covered the Ultimate Calligraphy trim extensively when it was launched for the 2021 model year, and it carries over into 2022 with no major changes.
Our journey took us from potholed country paths to winding campground access roads, and once again we opted to turn the car into our tent rather than haul one along with us. In just about every way, the Palisade continues to live up to its reputation as an all-around excellent vehicle. The responsiveness of the 291-horsepower, 262-pound-foot 3.8-litre V6 paired with the 8-speed automatic transmission remains among the best you’ll find in any three-row SUV on the market. Plus, it drives with almost car-like responsiveness thanks to a MacPherson strut front and multilink rear suspension with stabilizer bars on both axles. As bigger boxes go, it’s a delight to drive.
Story continues below
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

I came away with the weekend with only a handful of minor complaints. First, after achieving single-digit fuel consumption in the various 2022 Nissan Pathfinders I spent roughly 3,000 kilometres in this summer, I was hopeful I might achieve the same here. Sadly, I missed the mark by landing at 10.7 L/100 km, slightly below NRCan’s estimate of 11.1 L/100 km combined, despite going more than 500 kilometres on 80 km/h country roads ideal for fuel saving. This is still quite good for an SUV of this size, but it’s possible to do better.

The 2022 Palisade also ships with the latest version of Hyundai’s infotainment system, which I’ve ranted about enough already , but at least here it comes with buttons and knobs for important functions. I also found that I really missed the second-row centre console that has been equipped in several of the three-rows I’ve driven this year, including the Pathfinder. There are other thoughtful storage touches like a phone pocket in the first-row seatback and cupholders in the door armrests, and those are great, but having a secure place to store more loose items stuff for second-row passengers makes a huge difference.
Story continues below
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

I’ve made a few comparisons here between the Palisade and Pathfinder, and there will be a lot more coming when we put them head-to-head in an upcoming comparison test. For now, I’m happy to report that it’s still easy to recommend the Palisade as a comfortable and versatile vehicle for active families.

The better-known parts of the Bruce

Story continues below
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

There are a few signature experiences that send people flocking to the Bruce Peninsula to see for themselves.

The most famous by a long shot is the Grotto, one of several caves carved into the dolomite rock faces of the peninsula’s Georgian Bay shoreline. The easiest hike from the parking area is along the Georgian Bay Trail, a 1.5-kilometre gravel pathway that can be walked in just under half an hour. Indian Head Cove is along the same trail and is a popular spot for swimming (yes, even in early October, though the park recommends against swimming anywhere on Georgian Bay). These spots and many more along the Georgian Bay shore are lined with rocky cliffs and outcroppings, and the views over the turquoise water are so pristine you could believe for a moment you’d been transported to the Caribbean. The approach from the other side on the Marr Lake Trail is properly challenging with plenty of grades, exposed rocks and roots, and a climb through loose rocks at Boulder Beach. It’s hard work, but it’s rewarding.

Story continues below
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
For this stay, we lucked into a reservation at the park’s Cyprus Lake Campground, which is in notoriously high demand and difficult to book. In my view, this campground is just okay . Its biggest advantage is easy access to the Grotto and surrounding trails without having to book a time-limited day-use reservation. But with no electrical campsites and only one central building with showers for the entire campground, it doesn’t need to be a deal-breaker if you can’t get a reservation here. There are plenty of other accommodation options nearby, from privately run campgrounds to B&Bs or independent motels. Most of them are just as good as staying within the park, as long as you book early enough to get the day-use permits you need.
Story continues below
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Bruce Peninsula National Park is the headline attraction, but it’s only one of two protected areas here: the waters off the northern tip of the peninsula form Fathom Five National Marine Park, which became Canada’s first federally-protected national marine conservation area when it was established in 1987.

Story continues below
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Unsurprisingly, the best way to explore Fathom Five is by boat. If you don’t happen to have one at your disposal, several private operators offer guided tours that depart from Tobermory. We sailed with Bruce Anchor Cruises via a stay-aboard ticket on the Tobermory Evolution, a two-tiered boat with massive open windows and sections with a glass floor, which creates a view of the shipwrecks it passes over in Big Tub Harbour. (Note that only some sections of the boat are glass-bottomed and seating is not reserved, though there was plenty of space on the reduced-capacity sailing we took during COVID-19 restrictions.)

I booked a stay-aboard cruise because the weather was supposed to be miserable during our visit, and I came to regret it: at the last minute, the rain pushed off and we had a gloriously sunny and cool day that would have been perfect for a hop-on, hop-off visit to Fathom Five’s crown jewel, Flowerpot Island. Here, hiking trails give access to two “flowerpots” — stacks of exposed rock created by centuries of erosion. A handful of rudimentary on-island campsites are available, and some caves and a historic lightstation would typically be open to visits if not for COVID-19. Most features are visible along the coast, though, so hopping off the boat isn’t essential to taking it all in.

Story continues below
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Finally, there’s the village of Tobermory itself, which is gaining renown for its main street lined with unique shops selling everything from handmade jewelry to books, candy and ice cream, and microbrew beer. Apart from the famous Fish and Chip Place, which closed early this year due to a supply issue, most everything else runs well into October on reduced hours. Be sure to pay for parking in town as the meter monitors are very active year-round, and don’t arrive on the peninsula low on fuel: gas stations are infrequent and pricier than in more populated areas.

Story continues below
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

The lesser-known parts

Arriving on the peninsula with reservations in hand is strongly recommended, but there will always be people who don’t. Fortunately, there are places to visit beyond the obvious.

One common backup plan is Halfway Log Dump, another spot within the national park that’s accessible via an easy 30-minute trail found at the end of an 8 km gravel road. Like the Grotto, this site also requires reservations during the busier summer months.

Those looking for a more traditional swimming area should look to Singing Sands beach, which is located in a sheltered inlet on the peninsula’s Lake Huron side. This is one example of Lake Huron’s beaches, with spectacular sunsets and water that stays calm and shallow for several hundred metres from the shore. It’s especially interesting to come here after visiting the Georgian Bay side to observe the vast geological differences between the two.

Story continues below
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Sauble Falls Photo by Stephanie Wallcraft

The full length of the peninsula’s Georgian Bay coast is home to a portion of the Bruce Trail, which spans 900 kilometres from Tobermory south along the Niagara Escarpment to end in Queenston, just north of Niagara Falls. Visitors with the experience, stamina, and research skills to tackle it will find trail highlights worth visiting outside the park’s boundaries, including Lion’s Head Lookout, Greig’s Caves, and Devil’s Monument, among others.

Toward the south end of the peninsula on the Lake Huron side, Sauble Falls Provincial Park provides stunning views of the namesake falls along the Sauble River, which are within easy access of the road and parking areas. Situated an hour from Tobermory and less than 10 minutes from Sauble Beach, this park could be a great choice as an alternate home base for visiting the Bruce.

Story continues below
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Along the way

Story continues below
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Most visitors to this region will head north on some combination of Highway 10 and Highway 6. The latter passes through the community of Wiarton, whose claim to fame is Wiarton Willie, an albino groundhog who is among those said to predict a longer winter or early spring each February 2nd on Groundhog Day. Wiarton’s festival was founded in 1956 when a party-goer tossed his wife’s fur hat into the snow — it’s a fantastic story worth looking up — and today’s Willie lives in an enclosure in Bluewater Park. Or, at least, he’s meant to. While we were peering through the glass, a local wandered by and informed us that Willie hasn’t been seen in more than a year, a detail that was evidently glossed over when this year’s Groundhog Day ceremony was streamed virtually. Amid the scandal, a successor will surely be found before long, as has happened many times over the past 50-plus years. In the meantime, a monument to the original Willie sits on the park’s waterfront, and Wiarton’s famed candy store Northern Confections is a short walk away among the shops lining Highway 6.

Story continues below
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Big Bruce Photo by Stephanie Wallcraft

To see something even more wacky, check out Big Bruce. This 15-foot-tall statue of a giant bull began its life on parade floats touring fall fairs, Santa Claus Parades, and other local events as he promoted Bruce County’s thriving cattle industry. In a poll hosted by TVOntario, Big Bruce was recently voted Ontario’s best roadside attraction in a bracket-style showdown.

My daughter and I drove to Chelsey, Ontario to visit Big Bruce, and pondered this status with bewilderment. He stands alone in a village, set in front of two municipal offices and a gas station. How did Big Bruce get selected for such a high honour over well-known attractions like the Big Nickel, the Big Apple, and the Wawa Goose? I suspect shenanigans: Bruce’s fans were clearly responsible for beefing up his votes.

At any rate, if you’d like to see Bruce for yourself, point your navigation system toward the Esso station in Chelsey. The country roads you’ll take to get there are painted with fall colours at this time of year, making them a scenic diversion whatever the reason. (If you’re looking for great roads for taking in the fall colours, click here for many more suggestions .)

This Week in Flyers