Ontario has no shortage of stunning destinations full of hiking trails and lookouts that show off the best that the fall has to offer. But experiencing those trails while learning from a passionate local guide who knows the area through and through, that’s harder to find.
And yet that’s what adventurers can expect during the annual Hike Haliburton Festival, the largest guided hiking festival in the country and one of the 2024 Top 100 Festivals in Ontario.
Returning for its 21st year, the festival is running from Thursday, September 19th to Sunday, September 22nd, offering dozens of free guided and self-guided hikes and paid excursions across the region. Registration for individual hikes is now open at festival.hikehaliburton.com/hike-registration/ — but don’t delay registering, as many of the popular hikes fill up quickly.
“Fall is one of the best times to experience the Haliburton Highlands,” says Thom Lambert, content creator for Haliburton County’s Economic Development and Tourism Department. “The bugs are gone, it’s a bit quieter, the colours are out, and the weather is ideal for doing outdoor activities because it’s not quite as hot. So, it’s a really special time for people to visit.”
Throughout the weekend, there will be more than 25 guided hikes of varying difficulty taking place across the county from Little Hawk Lake to Wilberforce. Making the festival entirely unique is its dedication to having local residents as enthusiastic and knowledgeable volunteer guides who are very familiar with the trails.
“Even if these are places you’ve hiked before, going with someone who has a particular story about that place really makes you see it in a different way,” says Lambert. “And because these are people who have a very deep connection to those places, you might hear or see things you wouldn’t normally see when just going for a hike by yourself.”
Rick Whitteker is one such volunteer hike leader and has been for roughly 15 years. Currently the Partners in Conservation Coordinator at the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust, he will be leading a four-kilometre hike at Barnum Creek Nature Reserve on Sunday, September 22th at 9 a.m.
Having lived in Haliburton County since 1997 as an outdoor educator, guide, writer, and interpreter, Whitteker is passionate about the region he calls home and is always searching for ways to share that passion with others.
“I like the idea of sharing information with people and maybe turning them on to the outdoors just a little bit more,” he says. “My goal is trying to get people to really take care of the land, and they have to know about it to be able to have any real interest in doing that. This hiking festival is a great opportunity to get people out there and really appreciate what we have here in Haliburton County.”
On the “Nature Nuggets of Barnum Creek” hike, Whitteker will educate participants on the natural and human history of the land and how to see evidence of such history by studying the branches of the mature white pine trees. He will also discuss the wildlife that can be found across the various ecological landscapes found on the hike.
“We’ll be looking for different types of droppings and evidence of deer or other browsing animals that might be there when we come down into a little valley where the creek flows through,” Whitteker explains.
“Then we can get into water-based animals like mink that will show signs or tracks in the mud along the creek, or there’s a number of different woodpeckers on the property that we might be lucky to stumble upon as well.”
While some of the scheduled hikes like Whitteker’s are educational, others are more focused on helping hikers connect with the land.
As in past years, Marcia Mandel is leading a 3.2-kilometre medicinal processional to Crane Lake on Sunday, September 22nd at 10 a.m. Participants will engage in sound and forest bathing techniques to release into the forest and deepen their sense of belonging.
“Crane Lake is a very popular hike, but you’re going to get a completely different experience with Marcia as opposed to covering the distance on your own,” says Lambert.
Other unique opportunities include a survival-based hike at the Minden Whitewater Preserve led by senior cadets from the Canadian Cadet Organization (Sunday, September 22nd at 10 a.m.) and an all-new immersive writing experience led by local author Brenda Peddigrew at Little Hawk Lake (Friday, September 20th at 9:30 a.m.).
Also new to the line-up this year is a storywalk at Abbey Gardens centred around the picture book Runs with the Stars by Darcy Whitecrow and Heather M. O’Connor, about the Ojibwe horses that used to roam the forests of northwestern Ontario.
A Peterborough-based author, O’Connor will lead the hike and take participants to the paddock at Abbey Gardens for a meet-and-greet with the two Ojibwe horses, Maple and Sammy, who are featured in the book.
“There’s a great history and content that’s a part of that story and it works well to explore the connection to Abbey Gardens,” says Lambert. “There’s a lot to learn about the ponies and to interact with them is a really unique opportunity for folks.”
In addition to the lineup of free guided hikes, throughout the festival weekend there will be opportunities to experience paid guided adventures in the Haliburton Highlands.
Deep Roots Adventure, an outfitter outside the South Algonquin Gate, will again be hosting their popular High Falls Paddle, Explore & Dine excursion which takes participants paddling up the York River into Algonquin Park on a chosen watercraft (kayak or paddleboard). Adventurers will hike past rapids to get to High Falls for a provided lunch.
Wilberforce’s Greenmantle Mineral Tours will give participants the opportunity to learn all about the geological history and rare minerals of the Haliburton Highlands, and how plants and animals in the forest are affected by the minerals.
Sir Sam’s Ski & Ride on Eagle Lake, which features more than 20 kilometres of trails, will be running its chairlifts up to the Eagle View Observation Tower for what Lambert calls “one of the best sites” in the Haliburton Highlands for viewing fall colours.
“The overlook from the top is breath-taking, and it gives you the opportunity for a view that you can’t see from anywhere else,” he says.
A full list of paid experiences can be found at festival.hikehaliburton.com/guided-experiences/. Paid experiences must be booked with the respective company ahead of the festival.
In conjunction with the festival weekend, local organizations and businesses are also offering hikers the chance to experience culture, dining, and shopping in the Haliburton Highlands. Cultural events include a new installation by artist Jared Tait at the Haliburton Sculpture Forest, an exhibit at Minden’s Agnes Jamieson Gallery by artists Gary Blundell and Victoria Ward about an abandoned sawdust burner in Harcourt, and a concert from indie folk singer-songwriter Rory Taillon at the Dominion Hotel and Pub in Minden.
“You don’t just have to come and hike for the weekend,” says Lambert. “Visitors can also hear live music, see lots of arts exhibits, have a dinner in town, and enjoy all that the county has to offer.”
For visitors wanting to stay for the entire weekend, plenty of accommodation options are available in the Haliburton Highlands, whether you’re looking for traditional inns, boutique lodges, budget motels, bed and breakfasts, glamping, tiny cabins, or even the unique experience of staying in a luxurious tree house.
With so many options for places to stay, things to do, and outdoor adventures to be had, it’s easy to see why the annual Hike Haliburton Festival is an event that Whitteker looks forward to each year.
“It’s a wonderful county with lots of topography and geography on the southern end of the Canadian Shield,” he says. “I think it’s the combination of that beautiful scenery as well as the uniqueness of the hike leaders who invite people to come onto their private property to share a story that make it a really attractive way to spend the fall.”
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.
For details on where to stay in the Haliburton Highlands, visit myhaliburtonhighlands.com/where-to-stay/. For more information about local events, including live entertainment, visit myhaliburtonhighlands.com/whats-happening/.
This branded editorial was created in partnership with Hike Haliburton. If your business or organization is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.
