Kelvin Grove Park is one of Bracebridge’s best-loved riverfront greenspaces, a Town park on the Muskoka River facing Bracebridge Falls. Its swimming is the old-fashioned kind: an unsupervised river swim area with a floating platform, enjoyed from grass and rock rather than a groomed beach — the sandy beach in the area sits across the river, with its own parking, and the park itself is really about the riverfront.
And what a riverfront it is. A boardwalk runs along the Muskoka River, past the Brazier Family Memorial Playground, floodlit tennis courts, picnic tables and shelters, washrooms open through the summer months, and hiking trails including the Collin Cameron Trail. There’s an outdoor amphitheatre with a performance stage, a boat launch, a rowing club presence and free parking — plus one splendid curio: an antique ship’s propeller salvaged from the lake, displayed in the park.
Sunset views over the river and fall foliage round out the appeal. One note for trail users: a portion of the Trans Canada Trail through the park is closed indefinitely following flood damage, though the park itself remains open and well-reviewed.