Dorset - Muskoka & Haliburton Highlands

First time visitors to Dorset may not realize they have arrived at the cross roads of "Cottage Country". The border dividing Muskoka District and County of Haliburton Highlands - mecas of vacationers, is the main street of Dorset, Ontario. This can be confusing for some, but it creates an interesting mix of travelers, and politics.
Highway 35 is a corridor for travelers to Algonquin Park and Dorset is a convenient stop over point for shopping, lunch or a "fill-up".

"Cottage Country", the theme for Muskoka and Haliburton Highlands, describes the Dorset area. The Famous Lake of Bays waterway runs from Trading Bay through the main street at "the narrows". The single lane bridge joining the main street is often packed with summer visitors, or spring audiences watching dare-devil snowmobile "water runners".

Lake of Bays and its famous "Bigwin Island" has been home to movie stars and other "who's who" for generations. Lesser known but equally important is Kawagama Lake. A few short miles east of Dorset, Kawagama Lake is reputed to be the cleanest lake in Ontario. Kawagama Lake is one of the feeder waterways to Lake of Bays. Lake of Bays and Kawagama Lake (previously named "Hollow Lake") may be the better known lakes in the area, but literally dozens of smaller lakes dot the immediate region.
Such names as: Kimball Lake, Livingston Lake, Sherborne Lake, Lake St. Nora, Little Hawk Lake, Halls Lake, Raven Lake, Oxtongue Lake, Grandview Lake, Peninsula Lake, Fairy Lake, Red Pine Lake, Kushog Lake, Boshkung Lake, Kennisis Lake, to name a few, are all within a 20 mile (30 km) radius. The rolling hills and lush forests create a mixture of beautiful landscapes that change every mile.

Visit www.bigwinsteamboat.com for information on the Bigwin Steamboat restoration project and special events sponsored by the Lake of Bays Marine Museum & Navigation Society.

The Project
"To restore the Bigwin Steamboat to its original 1910 condition as the centerpiece of a new Lake of Bays Marine Museum to be located in Dorset on the historic Olde Clayton Property."