Arrival
You feel it before the front desk.
Off the Bluewater Highway, the drive narrows under old cedars and opens onto the covered entrance - benches, hanging baskets, the red roofline. This is the approach to Oakwood Resort.
It’s also the moment the stresses of daily life start to fall away. Oakwood was built as a natural escape - a place where families and friends come to slow down, get outside, and actually be together, not just occupy the same room while everyone stares at a different screen. The lodge sets the tone before you’ve even checked in: this is somewhere you reconnect, with the people you came with and with the outdoors around you.
Heritage
A century on the shoreline.
Oakwood Resort traces its roots to 1917, when Clayton McPherson Walker acquired 200 acres of lakeside scrub oak and sand dunes in Grand Bend, Ontario. Dismissed by locals as “Walker’s folly,” the resort opened in 1922 and grew into a premier Lake Huron getaway.
1917–1922Walker bought the land in 1917, began construction in 1919, and welcomed the first vacationers in 1922 - the property born as “Oakwood Park.”
1926The golf course’s first nine holes were unveiled.
1930The Oak Dining Room was established - still a focal point for visitors today.
1974Under the Ivey family, the golf course was expanded to 18 holes.
1981The Scatcherd family acquired the property, shifting Oakwood into a multi-generational, year-round operation.
1991 & 2001Oak Lodge (1991) and Pine Lodge (2001) added over 75 rooms.
TodayA family-owned retreat with a spa, 126 guest rooms, and cottages.
Stay
Treated like family.
At Oakwood, our values are simple - create moments worth remembering, and treat every guest like family.
- Hospitality FirstWe go above and beyond to ensure your stay is effortless, relaxing, and just right.
- Nature & CommunityWe take pride in our lakeside setting and our place in the Grand Bend community.
- Heritage & HeartWe honour our history while always looking ahead, blending classic charm with modern comforts.
- Meaningful ExperiencesWhether it’s a wedding day, a golf weekend, or a quiet morning coffee on the deck, we believe in celebrating the little things.
Shore
Part of the shore, part of the town.
Grand Bend has always been more than a stopover - it’s a community built around the water, and Oakwood has been part of that story since 1922. Generations of local families have worked here, celebrated here, and sent their own kids back years later to do the same. The relationships run deeper than a guest list - the resort and the town grew up together, and it still shows.
Stay here and you’re not just visiting Grand Bend. You’re stepping into a place that’s been part of it for over a century.
Seasons
Any season, any reason.
The same view carries every season - but it never asks you to sit still. Oakwood is a year-round playground: a place for family and friends to get outside, get moving, and spend real time together, whatever the month.
- SummerGolf on the fairways, swimming and paddling off the private beach, warm evenings on the water.
- FallTurning maples, crisp-air walks, the lake at its quietest and most beautiful.
- WinterSnowshoeing, a snow-lit lake, fires and warm rooms after a day outside.
- SpringThe resort waking up again - new growth, longer days, the shoulder season locals love.
Come back in July for the golf. Come back in January for the snow. Either way, you’re coming back.
