A few years back, Goderich was labeled as Canada’s prettiest little town. There were good reasons behind this announcement. The beautiful shoreline, the imposing ridge dotted with charming parks and gardens, the gorgeous sunsets over Lake Huron, the historic buildings and town square, and the beautiful trails through forested hills, all amalgamate to form a very pretty little town!
We visited Goderich in the fall. We’ll need a few posts to feature this lovely town, and we’ll jump right in with the first installment.
Along the shoreline
Whenever we get to a beach town we check out the shoreline and beaches first. It’s a constant craving to be near water that has to be satisfied. Just like fish n’ chips.
The road along the shore runs below the ridge and offers several beaches and parking options. We had no issues finding a place to stop, but it may be a different story in the summer.
The shoreline seems to stretch forever.
It was a cloudy day, which added some drama to the ever-changing colour of Lake Huron waters.
Marine Heritage Walk
Goderich is a walkable town with lots of trail options, both in and around town. The Marine Heritage Walk identifies points on interest along the shore.
Check out this printable brochure for a closer look.
We stopped by a few of them. Below is a plaque about the fish shanties that dotted the harbour,
and this is a remaining fish shanty.
Goderich Salt Mines
Not only Goderich is the prettiest little town in Canada, it is also home to the deepest salt mine in the world. The mine is located 1,800 feet under Lake Huron.
The Goderich plant has operated since 1867. An unsuccessful search for oil uncovered a vast bed of rock salt under Goderich. It is still in operation today.
Goderich Parks
There is a string of lovely parks along the top of the ridge.
all have beautiful vistas of the lake and harbour,
and lovely names such as Butterfly or Sunset Park.
One of the parks was adjacent to this home that at the time was up for sale for a mere 895,000 Canadian dollars. We thought that it was a lot of money at the time…I wonder what it would cost in today’s crazy market where people are dropping this amount of money on a shack.
Check out the listing of this castle replica. We should have bought it…
Goderich Lighthouse
Just like any other coastal town, Goderich has its own lighthouse.
Built in 1847, and together with another lighthouse built in the early 1830s, they were the first and second lighthouses to be built on the Canadian side of Lake Huron.
And here it is in all of its glory overlooking the lake.
That’s it for now. Next, we’ll take you around town. Until then, stay well and safe!
I have not had the opportunity to visit Goderich, I am glad to be able to do so through your posts. Looking forward to the next one. Thanks.
Glad we can take you there! Hopefully you’ll be able to visit in person!
Looks like a nice spot. Looking forward to the next instalment. Does it have new hometown potential?
It is a noice spot and it is certainly one of the places we would consider 🙂 Unfortunately there are very slim pickin’ right now…
I can imagine. The real estate market is crazy right now. Here out-of-province people are buying houses via video or FaceTime tours. Sometimes without an inspection.
That’s insane. We were considering moving east, but I wouldn’t buy without checking it out and now it’s not possible.
Looks quaint and charming. How big is the town? We live on the coast, so we have lots of lighthouses around here. I’m a fan.
My wife got the Johnson and Johnson (1 dose vaccination) last week, and I got the first of my Pfizer vaccinations yesterday. No major side effects for either of us. She’s already planning trips.
It is quaint and charming! The population is just under 8,000 people I believe, so rather small. Glad you’re on track with the vaccination! Tony is getting his first dose on Tuesday, and hopefully I’ll be able to get mine soon after.
Such a nice place. The parks are so inviting.
It is, and they are!
Always love a lighthouse!
Me too! HI hope you are having a good Easter!
Thank you! We are – and same to you. We have beautiful sunshine today and have been down to the beach in shorts. Tomorrow, we are expecting snow. That’s British weather for you! 🙂
Amazing! We are back to winter for a few more days in Canada, but looks like it will warm up after that. Can’t wait!
Beautiful pictures and lots for good information. Thankyou.
Thanks for coming along!
Looks beautiful, even under grey moody skies. I am sure it has many scenic moments throughout the year. Thanks for sharing. Allan
It’s a beautiful place indeed under any kind of sky! Thanks for coming along!
I love this – thanks for the great history and photos!
Thanks for coming along!
I can’t imagine what it would be like to have a lake big enough to think you were at the ocean. We’ve got Lake Eyre in the centre of Australia but it is often dry and always surrounded bt desert. And no Light-houses. I hope you’re learning as much about Australia as I am about Canada. And Monsanto.
I kept gravitating towards the faraway ocean, but only recently discovered how much like the ocean Lake Huron and Superior can be. They are conveniently closer too. Us Canadians tend to complain about how little people know about Canada, especially Americans, but I didn’t realize how completely ignorant I am about Australia until I started reading your blog. So yes, I am learning a lot about Australia. Glad to hear that you are learning some things about Canada. And, yeah, Monsanto is a completely different kettle of stinky fish.
We’ve had a road trip around Huron Lake few years ago, but obviously, we missed a portion of it 🙂 I love lighthouses, I shall add Goderich on our next road trip.
Thank you for sharing, Christie
There are lots of cute little towns and interesting parks along the shore, You will love it! Lots of lighthouses too 🙂 we hoping to be able to do a trip around the lake once the borders are open again. If that ever happens…
Oh, I hear you.. they will open, we need to stay positive!! xoxo
A lovely spot, as are your photos. For some reason, the fish shanty speaks to me!
Thanks! There was something a bit haunting about the fish shanty in the harbour. I’m glad it came through!