Hillside, Lake of Bays, Muskoka
Hillside is a community located within the Township of Lake of Bays Muskoka. The name Hillside dervives from the post office, founded by Rev. Norton Hill in 1878.
Rev. Norton Hill came to Muskoka in 1867 in search of a plot of land for his family of four sons and two daughters to settle. It is said that he dreamed of a beautiful peninsula. Hiking and canoeing Hill arrived at the peninsula on Peninsula Lake where he cut down several trees to indicate his claim to the land prior to returning to Bracebridge to official register the claim of 700 acres of good clay/loam soil.
Rev. Hill is credited with being the first family to settle in Hillside in 1869. In 1878 he founded the post office, which he named Hillside. The Hill family blazed the original trail from Huntsville to Hillside known as Hill’s trace. This trail is known today as Highway 60.
In 1904 Rev. Hill and his family built the Manse which still stands on HWY 60 today. Pioneer Memorial United Church holds approximately 100 people and is still in use today.
Today Hillside is known for its links to the Artist community, of which there are approximately 9 studios on Limberlost Road alone. Artists inspired by the rugged landscape of the Canadian Shield invite you to discover for yourself how the tradition continues as you partake in the Artists of Limberlost studio tour. Visit the Artists of the Limberlost page for more information. 
Hillside is also home to the Limberlost Forest and Wildlife Reserve. which is a publicly accessible private year-round wilderness haven with twenty private lakes and more than 10,000 unspoiled acres of mixed forest. The private forest reserve contains more than 70 km of hiking, biking, skiing and snowshoeing trails made available to the public at no charge. The Limberlost Reserve is yet another example of the continued legacy of the Hill family, as the original visionary for this beautiful spot was Gordon Hill, Grandson of Rev. Norton Hill.
Real estate in Hillside is available. For more information on homes and cottages for sale, please contact The Parker Team, we are happy to help!
