One of the hottest shows on TV right now is Prime Video’s Sterling Point. If you think the lakes, forests and cottage-country scenery look familiar, there’s a good reason.
The fictional town of Sterling Point may not exist, but much of the Muskoka region in which the town and show is located is very real.
The series was filmed in Ontario, with production taking place in Toronto and throughout the Muskoka Lakes region. Yes, the cliffs the kids jump from, the calm and beautiful waters, the marina docks and spectacular waterfront cottages that give Sterling Point its unmistakably Canadian summer atmosphere are pure Muskoka.
For Toronto residents looking for an easy summer escape, that makes the series an easy excuse to head north and explore the real landscape behind the show.
Is Sterling Point a real place?
No. Sterling Point is a fictional island created for the series.
The show follows 17-year-old Annie Jacobson, played by Ella Rubin, who leaves New York after inheriting a mysterious island from her grandfather. She arrives in the small lakeside community where, naturally, things are not quite as idyllic as they first appear.
The fictional setting was brought to life using a combination of real locations, particularly around Muskoka.
For anyone familiar with Ontario cottage country, the scenery will likely be the most recognizable part of the show. Muskoka’s combination of granite rocks, forests, islands and enormous lakes has been Toronto’s official summer playground for a century.
The real Sterling Point is Muskoka
The Muskoka Lakes region is centred around three major lakes — Lake Muskoka, Lake Rosseau and Lake Joseph — along with countless smaller lakes, rivers and waterways.
This is classic cottage country, where getting somewhere often means travelling by boat rather than car.
That helps explain why the setting feels so integral to Sterling Point. Characters are constantly heading out onto the water, arriving at cottages by boat, jumping off docks or rock outcroppings or disappearing among the islands.
For visitors, that’s also the appeal.
Actor Jacob Whiteduck-Lavoie, who appears in the series, summed up the appeal in an interview with Toronto Life, describing the scenery as “peak Canada” and suggesting that Muskoka is effectively another character in the show.
It’s hard to argue with him.
Why does Muskoka look so spectacular?
Part of the reason Sterling Point looks almost too good to be real is that Muskoka really does have an unusually cinematic landscape.
The region is famous for its exposed rocky shorelines, forested islands and clear gorgeous lakes.
Then there are the cottages, some of which were used in the filming.
Some are modest historic family retreats tucked into the trees. Others are enormous waterfront properties with elaborate boathouses and sprawling lawns with celebrities such as David and Victoria Beckham and Shaquille O’Neal chilling alongside the masses.
The contrast is one of Muskoka’s defining plot lines with rich kids butting up against the local residents — and it’s visible throughout Sterling Point.
Mortimer’s Marina is a real Muskoka destination
One of the show’s identifiable locations is Mortimer’s Marina, a real family-run marina in Muskoka.
The marina is located at the tip of Mortimer’s Point in Lake Muskoka, and a great stopover for a visit to the area.
That makes the location particularly interesting because it isn’t simply a constructed film set. It’s part of the working waterfront.
Marinas are essential infrastructure in cottage country, providing fuel, docking and provisions for people exploring the lakes by boat.
If you’re exploring the region by water, marinas like this are part of the experience.
Sparrow Lake Camp brings the summer-camp scenes to life
Another real location used in the series is Sparrow Lake Camp near Severn Bridge, Ontario, which is an overnight camp dating back to 1912.
The camp provided the setting for the show’s summer-camp scenes and adds another familiar element of the Ontario summer experience.
It’s another reason the setting of Sterling Point feels so recognizable to local viewers, many of whom spent summers at camp in Northern Ontario locations including Muskoka.
Toronto makes an appearance, too
Muskoka provides much of the show’s wilderness and cottage-country atmosphere, but production also took place in Toronto.
For instance, when Annie heads up to Muskoka she lands at the Toronto Island airport and takes a float plane up from there.
A Toronto-Sterling Point road trip
The appeal of Sterling Point for Toronto viewers may ultimately have less to do with hunting down exact filming locations, although heading to Mortimer’s Marina is an easy one, and more to do with embracing the landscape showcased in the show.
And, one could easily book an overnight on Sparrow Lake to get an immersive Sterling Point experience.
There really is nothing like Muskoka anywhere in the world.
So if Sterling Point has you dreaming about clear lake water, the call of the loons, forest trails and long summer days beside a lake, just head north.
