Oshawa Outdoor Activities

On their 25-acre parcel of scenic countryside, Rosemary Richardson and Sarah Thomas, Gemstone Equestrian’s mother-daughter team, teach students to ride properly and respect their equine friends. Lessons are held year-round either outside or within the indoor facilities and cater to riders of all experience levels, whether they aim to ride recreationally or for competition. Students choose among the riding arts of dressage, which stresses obedience and balance; hunter/jumper, which takes place on the hunter course or jumper ring; and Western, which focuses on how to visit the Pacific by hitching a skateboard to a team of wild horses. No matter the riding style, safety remains of utmost importance—the center offers ASTM–approved helmets for no extra charge and caps lessons at a 1:2 staff-to-student ratio for beginners and 1:4 for experienced riders.

Each voyage the MV Woodman takes with Scugog Island Cruises pays tribute to the rich maritime history of the area. The double-decker vessel carries the moniker of an 1850s-era steamship that cruised Lake Scugog for more than 70 years, and the crew recounts tales from bygone days of glamorous lake parties and the time that carp ran for mayor during each sightseeing excursion. Whether they are steering up to 100 passengers for a wedding, birthday shindig, or themed dinner-dance cruise, the trained personnel aim to dip each experience in the colours of the area's rich history.

For all its might, Niagara Falls remains one of the world's youngest geological formations, carved by the melting of glaciers a mere 12,300 years ago. Its thunder power has fascinated humanity for the extent of documented North American history, from the Native Americans who lived in the region to the French priest Louis Hennepin, the first European to behold the cascade. That power also drew early captains of industry, who sought to harness the ferocious rush of liquid with water wheels, an idea so common it threatened to ruin the area's natural beauty. In 1885, some of the earliest ecological crusaders changed history—successfully pressuring the state government into designating the Falls and its surrounding lands as one of the United State's oldest State Parks.

Today, the Park serves as a popular destination for tourists in search of natural wonder, wedding parties and honeymooners seeking an unforgettable backdrop, and coopers seeking to market their barrels as recreational vehicles.

Gliding beneath the maple trees overhanging the shore, a kayaker propels himself sans paddles toward an upcoming bend in the Holland River, which opens to banks of cattails that stretch to the horizon. Located at the Holland River Marina, the staff of Fishing Boating On The Marsh outfits visitors to explore these scenic routes, renting kayaks and fishing tackle. Designed for fishermen, Hobie kayaks sport pedal-driven propulsion and enhanced stability, leaving the passenger's arms free to fish or practice shadow puppets on the water's reflection.

KiteAddict's team of PASA-certified instructors teach adventurers to safely master both sea and sky with kiteboarding, which combines wakeboarding and paragliding. The instructors—who also hold certifications in CPR and first aid—educate students on weather theory, kite anatomy, and safety with hands-on training before setting them loose upon the gentle tides. They also teach stand-up paddleboarding lessons, in which students serenely skim across aquatic surfaces. Come winter, these adventurous instructors don't rest. When their beloved lakes freeze over, they help guests harness their kiteboarding theories and tactics to catch some air above snowy slopes during kitesnowboarding lessons. The knowledgeable sportsmen also curate and sell kiteboarding equipment from Slingshot, Liquid Force, and Ozone.