A peek inside a new retreat in Ontario’s Blue Mountains designed for unwinding after long days on the MTB trails.
Words :: Ashley Warrington
You’re up early—legs fresh, bike loaded—and your car rolls toward the bike trails of Mansfield Outdoor Centre. This is where the weekend starts. A singletrack network of over 30 kilometres, Mansfield is perfect for the family—drying quickly after a rain due to the sandy soil, challenging for experts but not overly technical for beginners. You find your pace early, flying around carefully built banked corners and over jumps, connecting trail after trail. One lap turns into another. You stop keeping track.
You load up and head north for less than 45 minutes to Castle Keep Boutique Inn, not far from the top of Blue Mountain Resort.
As you step into your suite, it’s clear this place is built for recovery. A private spa-inspired ensuite—steam shower, sauna, deep tub—awaits you. You can book an in-room massage or a guided circuit in your space.
One lap turns into another. You stop keeping track.
Later, you settle in by the fireplace, the space pulling you in with every detail—stonework anchoring the room, natural textures and colours, every element carefully chosen to work together. You throw on a record and crack the patio door, letting the night drift in. The line between indoors and out softens. Outside, the pond catches the last of the light as you ease into relaxation mode.
As you step into your suite, it’s clear this place is built for recovery.
Morning comes easily with coffee on your private deck. After a simple breakfast, your legs feel ready again.
You continue on to the Three Stage trails, just minutes away. The network opens up fast—40-plus km of singletrack spread across the escarpment, trails linking in every direction. You move through a mix of long, flowing sections and tighter, more technical lines. There’s a bit of everything—fast descents, punchy climbs, sections that keep you on your toes. It’s the kind of place where you can ride for hours, piecing together your own route as you go.
By the afternoon, you’re back at the Keep or as owners Jake and Emily Lawson would say, “the last point of refuge in the castle.”
Bike down. Shoes off. Straight into the tub. This is the kind of rest and rejuvenation that hits deeper the second time. Step outside and it’s all there—hiking trails, a stocked pond, space to cast a line or simply take it in. As the sun drops, you find your way to the bonfire to share stories from a weekend of riding hard, connecting with nature and feeling restored.
From the GOIN’ PLACES section of our Blue Mountains print edition.
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