Strap on your hiking boots, pull out those walking sticks, load up on the protein bars, and get your cameras out, because registration is now open for the annual Hike Haliburton Festival, now in its 20th year.
Awarded as one of the Top 100 Festivals in Ontario in 2023 by Festival Events Ontario, the Hike Haliburton Festival — the largest guided hiking festival in the country — returns as the fall colours emerge across the Canadian Shield landscape. From Thursday, September 21st to Sunday, September 24th, 31 free hikes will be offered across the Haliburton Highlands, with knowledgeable volunteers leading the way.
Two decades ago, the festival was started by a non-profit organization committed to getting tourists out on the trails. Although the event is now organized by Haliburton Tourism, the guided hikes are still led by enthusiastic volunteers.
“It’s a dedicated group of volunteers sharing someplace that’s really special to them,” explains Thom Lambert, content creator for Haliburton County’s Economic Development and Tourism Department. “These are volunteers that have an attachment to some small corner of the Haliburton Highlands.”
Those volunteers are also eager to share their knowledge of the region, along with their expertise and experiences.
“It gets called a hike festival, but in a lot of ways I think it’s as much a storytelling festival,” says Lambert. “We’re very lucky to have this amazing group of volunteers that can offer a really compelling, wide-ranging program.”
Lambert explains that the hikes and experiences offer new and interesting information, spanning the region’s history, wildlife, or geological importance, and cover a span of difficulty levels.
“Over all four of those days, the hikes range across the board to everything from very short rambles in the villages that are more focused on storytelling to the full-day multi-sport events.”
For the family-friendly side of the spectrum, visit Abbey Gardens (1012 Garden Gate Drive, Haliburton) at 11 a.m. on Saturday, September 23rd for an easy quarter kilometre hike that is all about bees. Led by beekeeper Chris Anderson, the “Bizzi Aza” hike is suitable for young children and those who want to learn all about the ups and downs of bee keeping. You’ll even get to satisfy your sweet tooth with a taste of some of the honey production.
For those with more hiking experience, the Hike Haliburton Festival offers advanced hikes to really get you sweating and working on those calf muscles. Expert hikers will want to join “Ridge Trail Hiking Network” at 9 a.m. on Saturday, September 23rd. This epic eight-hour 16-kilometre hike from the Log Chute on Big Hawk Road to the Coopers Lookout is an extremely challenging hike with lots of steep hills, rugged and rocky terrain, and many natural obstacles. Pack a lunch, snacks, and one or more litres of water. Proper hiking boots, hiking poles or a walking stick are recommended.
Slightly less challenging is the “Scrabble Mountain Shuffle” at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, September 24th. This six-hour 17-kilometre trek begins and ends at the Devil’s Lake trailhead in Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park, with a lunch break at Scrabble Mountain — the second-highest point in the park. Bring a day pack with at least one litre of water, a light lunch, snacks, and suitable clothing. Wear closed-toe hiking shoes or boots; hiking poles are recommended.
For a hike that will give you some exercise but also be good for the soul, check out the “Crane Lake Cleanse” hike at 10 a.m. on Sunday, September 24th. This 90-minute three-kilometre hike will be a meditative processional to Crane Lake, using sound bathing and forest bathing techniques to wash away thoughts so you can reconnect your mind and body and realign with nature. Upon arriving at Crane Lake, hikers will participate in a sacred ceremony.
Unlike many of the hikes, dogs are welcome to join hikers for the “Marathon Forest Trails” hike at 1 p.m. on Saturday, September 23rd. This easy two-hour five-kilometre hike will explore the Marathon Forest Trails. Hike leader Jim Aston, who has developed about seven kilometres of interconnected trails in their 50-acre forest, will share a description of the history of the land and reflect on what life might have been like for the early settlers of Haliburton County.
To register for the guided hikes, visit festival.hikehaliburton.com/hike-registration/. But don’t delay, as many of the hikes are already full.
In addition to the 31 free guided hikes, there are also some paid experiences to introduce hikers to even more opportunity to experience the Haliburton Highlands in all its glory.
At 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, September 23rd, Deep Roots Adventure — an outfitter at the Algonquin South Gate in the Haliburton Highlands — will be taking participants on a five-hour guided adventure paddling up the York River into Algonquin Park in your watercraft of choice (kayak or paddlebaord) followed by a hike up the boulder-strewn banks of the York River past rapids and waterfalls to High Falls. After a delicious lunch provided by AM/PM Outdoor Gourmet and some time spent around the falls, guests will hike and paddle back to Kingscote Outpost.
“The High Falls Hiking Hill Trail is one of the nicest hiking trails in the park,” Lambert notes. “And yet a lot of people just don’t even know that it exists.”
Other paid experiences include an introduction to foraging for wild edible mushrooms at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 23rd, where you can learn the basics of foraging and tricks of the forager’s trade, and “Tarpology 101” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on September 22 to 24, a hands-on practical workshop where you will learn to use knot-tying and a compact and lightweight tarp to stay dry even in heavy rains, to create shade on those blistering sunny days, to block cold winds, to keep you warm in cold temperatures, and even to mitigate the problem of blackflies and mosquitoes. Both experiences are offered by Yours Outdoors.
A full list of paid experiences is available at festival.hikehaliburton.com/experiences/. All paid experiences must be sorted out with the companies offering them ahead of the festival.
Turn the Hike Haliburton Festival weekend into a mini-vacation by staying at The Rockcliffe – Moore Falls (1014 Lois Lane, Minden). The hotel is offering a special Hike Haliburton package featuring a one-night stay at The Rockcliffe any time between September 20 and 27th, dinner for two at The Rockcliffe’s restaurant, and a limited edition Hike Haliburton picnic backpack that includes plates, cutlery, wine glasses, and a bottle opener. Book by Friday, September 1st to guarantee your package.
There’s a lot more than hiking available in the Haliburton Highlands during the festival weekend, including opportunities for shopping and live entertainment. Drop by the farmers’ markets in Minden and at Abbey Gardens in Haliburton and the artisan market in Minden Hills. Enjoy live music at the Dominion Hotel (113 Main Street, Minden) with Loney, Love and Love performing on Saturday afternoon, and the John Muirhead Band on Sunday evening as part of the festival. In addition, The B-Sides will be performing Saturday night at The Rockcliffe and Jeff Multon will play at Haliburton Highlands Brewings on Sunday afternoon.
For more details, and to check out all the events happening in Haliburton Highlands, visit myhaliburtonhighlands.com/whats-happening/.
For more information on the Hike Haliburton Festival and to register for the free guided hikes and paid experiences, visit festival.hikehaliburton.com, and follow Hike Haliburton on Facebook and Instagram for more hiking inspiration.
This branded editorial was created in partnership with Hike Haliburton. If your business or organization is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.
