Driving
- Travel time: ~2-3 hours
- Total distance is 170-220km depending on the final destination (major towns in the district go south-to-north) from Gravenhurst, Bracebridge and Huntsville. Highway 11 serves these towns. While Highway 400 runs along the western side of the district towards Parry Sound.
- Pros: Fast, convenient, and direct to the cottage
- Cons: Traffic can be very heavy heading on Fridays and holiday long weekends during the summer. Expect delays especially around Barrie.
- The gist: By far the most popular method of travel but expect delays during the summer.
Intercity Bus
- Travel time: ~2.5-3.5 hours
- Board Ontario Northland or Flixbus from Union Station Bus Terminal. Note that Flixbus only travels along Highway 400 to Parry Sound
- Fares: Varies
- Pros: An affordable budget friendly option
- Cons: Traffic delays during the summer months
- The gist: If you are packing light and on a budget, taking the GRT and GO Transit buses are a convenient option.
Coming Soon: Train
- Travel time: ~2.5-3.5 hours
- Returning in 2026, Ontario Northland‘s Northlander intercity train will return after a hiatus (service last ran in 2012) operating 3 days a week departing in the evening from Toronto. The train runs southbound overnight passing through Muskoka early in the morning.
- Fares: Varies
- Pros: An affordable budget friendly option; no traffic
- Cons: Departure times can be tricky to coordinate
- The gist: An adventurous way to escape Toronto for Muskoka whilst skipping the traffic.
Discontinued: Flying
- For a brief time (2019 and 2022), Porter Airlines operated season summer flights from Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport to Muskoka Airport. Flights were short (23 minutes) but airports location (just outside of Bracebridge) made ground transportation tricky.