Wolfe Island is the largest of the 1000 islands and one you can easily visit as a day trip from Toronto. In my opinion, it’s a place best visited in the summer and while there aren’t a million things to do on Wolfe Island there’s plenty to keep you busy for a day. A day trip to Wolfe Island is super easy to do and requires a short, free, ferry ride from Kingston. We did it as a day trip from Toronto and had a nice leisurely day so I would highly recommend it!
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How to get to Wolfe Island?
I will preface this by saying, head out as early as possible. The ferries operate on a first come first serve basis and they can only fit so many cars. We arrived around 11 am and didn’t get on a ferry until after 1 pm. It was a much shorter wait coming back but be prepared for the wait heading to the island, particularly if visiting on super busy summer weekends.
The ferries are free for both cars and passengers. Expect to have a longer wait if you’re a car because less cars can fit on the boat. Despite how long we had to wait for the ferry I would still recommend this just because it provides so much more freedom to explore the island.
Currently, boats depart from the terminal in Kingston, at 295 Ontario Street, every 1 hour and minutes starting at 5:40 am until 2:20 am. They depart from the dock in Marysville on Wolfe Island every 1 hour and 20 minutes starting from 5 am until 1:40 am. You can check the updated schedule here. Contact the Wolfe Island Ferry Office at 613-548-7227 for any questions about the ferry or schedule. The ferry takes 20 minutes each way.
When to visit Wolfe Island?
The ferry does run year round so you could technically visit the island whenever you want. We visited in the summer and that’s what I would personally recommend. The ferry won’t be freezing cold then, majority of the businesses will be open and you can visit the Big Sandy Bay Conservation area. I’m also just a huge fan of driving around when things are green and the weather is nice but I’ve seen winter pictures of the island and it’s quite pretty covered in snow so you won’t go wrong either way.
Things to do on Wolfe Island
Going to be honest and say that Wolfe Island has a limited amount of things to do just given the size of the island. It’s great for a leisurely day trip and I highly recommend taking the car across with the ferry so you can drive across the entire island. We enjoyed the scenery as we drove around and did pull off to look at the water and cows where we could. There are of course some highlights which I’ve listed below but it isn’t an exhaustive list and I’m sure locals would point out more things to do but this is what we came across on a day trip and is in my opinion a decent amount of things to get done in one day. A lot of the shops and restaurants will be found in the town of Marysville. You could easily do majority of the things below and grab a bite to eat from a couple of the places listed under where to eat and still only require a day on the island.
If you’re looking for public washrooms you’ll find them in the Tourist Centre.
Big Sandy Bay Conservation Area
This is probably the biggest draw to the island, it certainly was for us. I will say I wish we had read up a little on this before we went because we had no idea how long the walk to the beach was nor how expensive the parking/admission would be but you’re here and reading ahead so hopefully you can make up your mind based on the below!
The entrance fee per adult is $15. For children between 5 and 17 it’s $10 and for children under 5 it’s free. A family entrance fee is $60. Payments are only in cash. There are season passes available. The conservation area is open Monday-Sunday between 10 am and 6 pm from late May to September.
The walk from the gate to the beach is about 1.5 km each way. It’s a fairly easy trail but it is not paved. The nature area is really nice and the walk is very quiet (at least it was when we went). There aren’t any places to purchase anything in the conservation area so bring with you everything you potentially need but do make sure to take it all back with you as well.
The beach is really nice and if you’re a beach person then yes it’s absolutely worth it, but in my opinion for the price it’s not a mandatory stop on the island and I personally like other beaches around southern Ontario better.
The Old House Museum
The Old House Museum is located at 5 Leander Street. It’s located in a house that was built in the early 1800s and according to the website is the oldest home on the island. The museum is run by the Wolfe Island Historical Society. The museum is open from July to September but you do need to book an appointment to visit it. They offer an online virtual tour as well.
Fargo General Store
The Fargo General Store is located at 1202 County Rd 96, right at the intersection of Main Street and Centre Street. They’ve got a little bit of everything including a small LCBO. We picked up some pastries and ice cream to walk around the town enjoying. It’s open year round so a great option when other things are closed.
Fishtale Shop
The Fishtale Shop is probably one of the most aesthetic spots on the island and one of the ones I had seen on Instagram before visiting. The store is located in Marysville at 1245 Main Street. Their hours do vary depending on the time of year so do check out their website.
They have a really nice selection of things and we really enjoyed browsing the different categories and even picked out one of the wooden toys to take home with us cause it was so cute.
The building the store is in is very pretty, and when we visited there were lots of flowers in bloom around it which made for some pretty pictures.
The Market
The Market takes place at The Wolfe Island Commons at 1237 Main Street. It takes place on Saturdays between 9 am and 12:30 pm in the summer. The 2024 season runs from May 18th to October 12th. The event is advertised as rain or shine so it’s a good one to plan your day around. We totally missed it because we had to wait so long for the ferry but feels like a must do if you’re visiting while it’s in season.
Vendor highlights include baked goods, pottery, hand-made wooden products, soy candles, local honey, flowers and so much more. It’s a great way to support local businesses and to get a feel of the businesses on the island as well!
Wolfe Island Gallery
The Wolfe Island Gallery is located on 26 Division Street behind the Township Hall. Their hours vary between summer and the rest of the year so do check our their website for updated timings. The gallery is a non-profit run by and featuring artists from the Frontenac Islands.
Wolfe Island Wind Farm
The Wolfe Island Wind Farm consists of 86 turbines and has been operational since June 2009. You can definitely take in the large turbine structures while you’re driving across the island. The wide stretches of land with the turbines make for a pretty cool picture. There is an Information Centre south of Highway 96 on the 5th Line Road where you can find two boards with information about the project. All of the turbines are located on private land so make sure not to try to walk right up to them.
Other things to do
If golf is your thing there’s a golf course on the island, Wolfe Island Riverfront Golf Course, that you can spend your day enjoying.
The Wolfe Island Boat Club has canoes, kayaks and paddle boards available for rent if you want to participate in some water activities. It’s a great way to enjoy a hot day but do make sure to book in advance if you really want to do this.
If you’re a walk-on passenger on the ferry, then renting a bike from Cycle Wolfe Island, is a great way to explore the island.
You can also explore the exterior of the Wolfe Island Township building which is a National Historic site of Canada.
Farm shops like Henderson Farms, Okee’s Farm, Wolfe Island Hopyard and others are great places to visit. Do check if appointments are required and what their hours are but you’ll be able to support local businesses which is really nice.
If you’ve got even more time, you can take the ferry over to Simcoe Island and explore there. It goes from Wolfe Island and only takes about 10 minutes. One of the highlights on the island is the Nine Mile Point Lighthouse.
There are events on the island too like the Wolfe Island Music Festival that took place on August 9, 2024 this year.
Places to eat at Wolfe Island
There aren’t a ton of options on the island but you definitely won’t starve with the below choices. You can of course always pack yourself some snacks and a picnic to bring with you. If the market is running then there will be some food options there as well. The Fargo General Store will also have some options for snacks and is a great place to grab some ice cream as well. If you’re visiting in the summer you can also grab some ice cream from Jean & Aggie’s Ice Cream Shoppe.
Wolfe Island Pub and Pizzeria, also known as WIPP, is located in Marysville at 1223 Main St, Wolfe Island, ON K0H 2Y0. This is near where the ferry docks in the summer. They open at 8 am every day and close between 7 pm and 9 pm depending on the day. As the name suggests, they serve pizza, sandwiches, burgers and more. They have a breakfast menu as well and have some vegetarian options.
Wolfe Island Bakery is located in Marysville at 1213 Main St, Wolfe Island, ON K0H 2Y0. They’re open from 6am-6pm Monday to Saturday and 6am-5pm on Sundays, May 1st through October 31st. This is my best bet for a cheap eat because they had plenty of pastries for under $5. We grabbed a couple to share as we walked through the main town so I would highly recommend that. They do also have a location at the Kingston Market if you wanted to try them out without visiting the island.
The Mustard Station is located at 769 County Rd 95, Wolfe Island, ON K0H 2Y0. They don’t seem to have a website with updated hours but keep an eye on their Instagram which is where they post pictures of their hours and the menu. Menu appears to be sandwiches, burgers and hot dogs. Some of the online reviews says it can be a little tricky to find so keep an eye out for the signs.
The Hotel on Wolfe Island is located at 1237 County Rd 96, Wolfe Island, ON K0H 2Y0. They’ve got a café opened for a few hours in the morning and a restaurant opened from mid-day to the evening. They have one of the larger menus on the island and a great drink menu as well. There’s live music some nights and obviously a great choice if you’re wanting to stay overnight.
Spicer’s Dockside Grill is located at 1222 Main St, Wolfe Island, ON K0H 2Y0. They have different summer and fall hours so check out their website for the most up to date hours. I’m not 100% sure but considering this is the exact address as the Wolfe Island Grill I’m guessing perhaps a change in owner or just a rebranding took place? Menu has a number of options and the view of the water is fantastic!
Have you heard of Wolfe Island or even visited? Do let me know if I missed anything and if you’re adding it to your summer list, pin the post and let me know if you have any questions!
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