Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business Bayfield is a small lakeside village in Bluewater Municipality, Huron County, on the eastern shore of Lake Huron. Its historic Main Street, boutique shops, galleries, marina and public beaches make it one of the most popular short getaways in southwestern Ontario.
Main Street
The Little Inn
Clan Gregor Square and the Town Hall
The harbour and marina
+4 more places
Bayfield was founded in 1832 by a Dutch nobleman and named for Admiral Henry Wolsey Bayfield, the Great Lakes surveyor who chose the site.
Today you can walk the whole village in an afternoon, shop in small independent stores, sit on a beach and finish with dinner by the lake. It suits couples, families and anyone who prefers slow, walkable places.
The village also has a lively calendar for its size, with a large croquet club, a fall fair, a fireman's breakfast and a Pioneer Park 5k run.
Together with nearby Goderich and the dunes of Pinery Provincial Park, Bayfield works as the center of a relaxed three day loop along the Lake Huron shore, and it is easy to extend into the wider Huron County countryside if you have a car and time to spare.
The village's historic Main Street is lined with well preserved old buildings that now hold boutique shops, art galleries and restaurants. Bayfield became a heritage conservation district in 1982, which has helped protect the look of the street.
Bayfield's Main Street has many well preserved old buildings and became a heritage conservation district in 1982. Photo: WabbitWanderer from London, Canada, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
This landmark on Main Street has served travelers since the 1800s, when it began as a stagecoach stop. Even if you are not staying, it is worth a look from the sidewalk and makes a good meeting point.
The Little Inn has served travelers since the 1800s, first as a stagecoach stop. Photo: XeresNelro, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
The society runs a heritage centre with artifacts, newspapers and photographs that explain how a small harbour village grew and declined. Tours are available, so ask about times before you arrive.
The mouth of the Bayfield River forms a natural sheltered harbour, and a larger permanent harbour was built in the 1870s. Today the marina is where boaters and walkers gather.
The mouth of the Bayfield River forms a natural sheltered harbour. Photo: cate cuerden from Stratford, Canada, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
The river rises in Perth County and winds through Huron County before reaching the lake at the village. Walking beside it makes a quieter outing away from Main Street.
The Bayfield River reaches Lake Huron in the village of Bayfield. Photo: JFVoll, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
About 20 kilometres north on Highway 21, Goderich is the Huron County seat at the mouth of the Maitland River. The town faces west over the lake and is known for its sunsets and its harbour.
Goderich, the Huron County seat, lies at the mouth of the Maitland River and is known for its sunsets. Photo: Gogerr, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Near Grand Bend, this large park on Lake Huron protects oak savannah and beach dune habitat and is open all year. It suits hiking, beach days and camping, and you can also visit for a few hours.
Pinery Provincial Park protects oak savannah and beach dune ecology near Grand Bend. Photo: Ymblanter, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Bayfield's dining scene is built around small restaurants and cafés on Main Street, many with a focus on local produce from the surrounding farmland. Ontario classics are easy to find, starting with butter tarts, the sweet pastry with a gooey filling that is a point of pride across the province.
Look for peameal bacon, a cornmeal-rolled back bacon that is rarely found outside southern Ontario and is often served in sandwiches. Because the village sits on Lake Huron, ask about lake whitefish when you want something local from the water.
Popular dishes to try in Bayfield
Bayfield village is the best base if you want to walk to shops, restaurants, the marina and the beach. It suits couples and short breaks, and the historic inn and smaller guesthouses give you a traditional stay.
Goderich is a good alternative if you want a larger town with more services, a harbour and lake sunsets, and it is about 20 kilometres north.
Whichever you choose, a car makes it simple to combine them, since the Bluewater Highway links all three along the lake.
Where to stay in Bayfield
Summer is the peak season, when the marina, beaches and Main Street shops are at their busiest. Late spring and early autumn are quieter, with cooler air and fewer crowds.
Winter brings lake effect snow squalls, and Highway 21 is often subject to closures. The village is especially pretty in December, when Christmas in Bayfield takes place the weekend after Remembrance Day with a tree lighting and a parade.
Bayfield is on Kings Highway 21, the Bluewater Highway, which hugs the eastern shore of Lake Huron. It lies about 20 kilometres south of Goderich, and the highway starts at Highway 402 between Sarnia and London, so you can reach the village from either direction along the lake.
Most visitors drive from London, Toronto or Michigan, and a car is the easiest way to link the village with Goderich, Grand Bend and Pinery. Allow roughly three hours from Toronto in good conditions.
Arrive in the morning, walk Main Street and visit the Little Inn and Clan Gregor Square.
Drive north to Goderich for a morning in the town square and by the harbour.
Head south to Pinery Provincial Park for a beach and trail day, with a stop in Grand Bend on the way home.
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