Huntsville Explore

I had spent several days over the course of the summer camping in the wilds of Muskoka near Huntsville. One day feeling the UrbEx itch, I headed out in search of abandonments and adventure . . I found neither but do have these few images I snapped along the way on my sunny afternoon out exploring.

First Stop : Dyer Memorial just north of Huntsville. Access to this unique outdoor point of interest is accessible by a treacherous and dangerous road, no more than an widened goat-path, which winds it's way high above the East River. A brief lapse of attention while on the road could plumet the vehcile down a rocky face into the East River 100 feet below.

The Dyer Memorial is a stone monument where the cremated remains of noted Detroit lawyer Clifton Dyer and his wife Betsy Brown rest. Clifton and Betsy Brown honeymooned in Muskoka in 1916 and loved the area. Twenty years later, they retired to the area and lived in a small cabin on the riverside.









After almost forty years after her marriage to Clifton, Betsy died in 1956. Clifton immediately commissioned the construction of the Memorial as the final resting place for her ashes constructed near their cabin. The memorial took one year to complete and Betsy's ashes were then encased in a stonewall near the peak of the Memorial.

Clifton then spent two more years overseeing the clearing and landscaping of the Memorial grounds. Clifton passed away a year after this was completed in 1959 and according to his wishes, his cremated ashes were placed within the monument next to his wife's.

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Second Stop : Deerhurst Private Airport. I had heard rumours of an abandonned airstrip near huntsville. Some tiime researching only provided one possible location just east of Huntsville. Upon arriving, it was discovered that the small airstrip was still active and being used by the Deerhurst resort across the road for guests arriving by air.










This location was by no means busy and I essentially had a free run of the place once inside the gates / fencing. A quick peak inside the office and maintainance building showed several large dog food bowls obviously placed there for use by an even larger dog or dogs. Any thoughts of entry into this building for exploration was immediately dismissed. I quit the property after snapping a few images of the runway.

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Summary : Not much to see in and around Huntsville if you are an Urban Explorer but quite a bit to see if you are a tourist. There is an interesting old hotel / bar now converted into apartments near the train station which appears to be close to shutting it's doors for good so perhaps we will wait this this hatches and return before demolition.