Lakes Simcoe and Couchiching have long been a magnet for travelers, serving first as a route for native people, explorers and fur traders, and providing a geographical liaison between Lake Ontario and Lake Huron and a stepping-off place for points north. Then came the settlers and, on their heels, a cast of bold entrepreneurs and colorful characters prepared to find wealth in the new railway, the lumber industry, the business of cutting and shipping ice blocks, and other enterprises in what are now the cities of Barrie and Orillia

Tourists were soon drawn by the beauty of the water and surrounding countryside. Steamboats, no longer in service as the only means of transportation, took sightseers around the lakes. The smaller communities along Kempenfeldt Bay were part of the halcyon days of boat building. After sunset, the bay would fill with paddlers, their canoes equipped with all the comforts needed for a moonlight excursion. City-dwellers came, camped and built cottages, and have returned here for generations. Today, the more than 300 square miles of shining water are surrounded by a diverse array of communities settled around a shoreline ragged with bays and points.

Couchiching has many islands but one stands out more than the rest. It is named Chief's Island. The island is owned by Mnjikaning First Nation who run Casino Rama. The island is 110 Acres ( uninhabited ) but private with a native burial area on it. The part that is available to boaters is sand beach around most of the island, making it a popular summer destination.

Lake Couchiching is over 11 miles long and connects directly into lake Simcoe which is over 33 Miles long. There are thousands of miles of shoreline in the Trent system and all are accessible from our sheltered bay. Feed the ducks that call our bay home. Orillia is a small city of 30,000 people. It is surrounded by two lakes of considerable size, Simcoe and Couchiching. Orillia has all the amenities of the city but little or no traffic and you can walk everywhere via the Lightfoot Trail . It is only 4 blocks to historical Couchiching Beach Park with its' gorgeous sand beach and city owned marina. It is less than a 10 minute walk to Tudhope Park and its' secluded beaches. The Lightfoot Trail passes directly behind the cottage. The fishing is superb and many species are represented , including both Small and largemouth Bass, Crappie, Muskellunge, Walleye, Pike, Carp, and Sunfish for the kids.