This guidebook has been used by thousands of travelers as they discover some of the Ontario's most unexpected places. It has now been updated and expanded to include more fabulous backroad excursions to explore at any time of the year.

Backroads of Ontario gives travelers the information and maps they need to explore Ontario in a new way. It invites them to exit the noisy highways and take a quiet trip through Ontario's countryside and its history: silent ghost towns, charming villages, century-old mills, dramatic cliffs, prime picnic spots, architectural curiosities, an amethyst mine, an underwater graveyard of shipwrecks and so much more.

There are 26 trips in all, each illustrated with photographs and accompanied by an easy-to-follow map. Trips range in length from afternoon outings to weekend excursions, and all lead to intriguing places within easy driving distance of Ontario's major cities. In this fifth edition, information has been updated, and two destinations have been added:

To the Source of the Grand -- The Grand River is a national heritage waterway. In fact, it is two rivers; one a wide, sluggish and navigable portion below Brantford; the other a tumbling and foaming torrent through glacial hills and steep canyons, carving a scenic valley through Ontario with enough muscle to power grist and sawmills. Towns along its banks boomed into sizable cities while other faded, in some cases into ghost towns.

Algoma's Scenic Dunn's Valley Road -- Amid the rugged Algoma mountains and the lush hidden valleys beyond Lake Huron's north shore, lies an opportunity to bypass Sudbury to the Sault Ste Marie portion of the Trans-Canada Highway. You don't add too many kilometers to the trip and you get to enjoy a scenic drive through magnificent mountain scenery with little villages in the valleys. With some of the North Shore's more interesting history, it's an area the daytripper will not regret visiting.

Backroads of Ontario helps drivers plan a tour of all that Ontario has to offer. It's an essential addition to regional and travel collections.

Ron Brown is a freelance travel writer and photographer. He has published twenty books on the visual heritage of Ontario, including The Lake Erie Shore: Ontario's Forgotten South Coast; Behind Bars: Inside Ontario's Heritage Gaols; The Train Doesn't Stop Here Any More: An Illustrated History of Railway Stations in Canada; Ontario's Ghost Town Heritage; and Top 100 Unusual Things to See in Ontario. He is past chair of the Writers Union of Canada, and is active with the Travel Media Association of Canada, Access Copyright, where he sits on the board of directors, and the Book and Periodical Council. He lectures and directs bus tours based on his book topics. He lives in Toronto.

Ron Brown's profile page

[Review of a previous edition] Plan your next backroads trip now. Backroads of Ontario gives readers the information and maps they need to explore Ontario in a new and creative way.

Fifty-Five Plus Magazine

[Review of a previous edition] I was surprised by the number of interesting drives in regions of the province that I know very little about.

Gone With The Family Blog

[Review of a previous edition] Get the book, and plan new overnight adventures or make that long trip slower but a lot more fun.

Cottage Country Reflections Blog

Ron Brown knows Ontario like the back of his hand... His books have brought the province to life like never before offering memorable ideas for trips either alone, or with Family and friends... Every destination in the book features photos, plus concise maps for getting there.

Shelf Life

[Review of previous edition:] There are twenty-two places featured in the book, and we dare you not to take Brown up on his offer to visit at least one of them. Once you do, you will be setting aside days to visit many more... These destinations are impossible to resist either alone or with family and friends.

Shelf Life

[Review of a previous edition] There's bound to be a new-to-you route to discover!

Waterloo Region Record

[Review of a previous edition] Compiled by Ron Brown, who must know more about Ontario's towns, past and present than anyone else.

Community Voices