Kawartha Localist is an editorial series from kawarthaNOW sharing trusted local recommendations, hidden gems, and favourite discoveries from people who know and love this region. It’s what we love about where we live. Kawartha Localist is sponsored by Kawartha Financial Services.
The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting cooler, and the kids are packing their bookbags. The final weeks of summer are upon us.
Here in the greater Kawarthas, there are so many adventures to have throughout the summer, from strolling through small towns to enjoying time on the water. If you haven’t had a chance to do it all yet this year, here is your reminder to get outside and get exploring!
With that in mind, here is our must-do bucket list of things to do across the Kawarthas before summer is gone.
Go paddling in Silent Lake Provincial Park in Haliburton County
If you’re not ready to store your canoe, kayak, or paddle board for the winter, there’s no better place for one more paddle than across Silent Lake.
Whether you’re a beginner or you just enjoy paddling in the quiet, hearing nothing but birdsong in the trees and frogs croaking on the shoreline, Silent Lake is the perfect place for one final summer paddle.
Located in southern Haliburton County, the aptly named Silent Lake Provincial Park is a favourite location for many people seeking solitude and quiet. That’s because there are no motorboats or electric motors permitted on Silent Lake — and that means no fear of being swamped or worse.
If you’re ambitious, you can paddle all the way across the 2.5-kilometre lake or access the adjoining Quiet or Soft Lakes by completing a short unmaintained portage (if the water level allows).
The park also offers three hiking trails ranging from 1.5 kilometres to 15 kilometres in length, moderate and difficult mountain bike trails, and sandy beaches for swimming. Want to camp one more time? Silent Lake also has two campgrounds located in forested settings, boasting both electrical and walk-in sites.
If you don’t have time to get to Silent Lake before the snow flies, the park still has a lot to offer in the winter. There are roofed cabins available, trails ideal for snowshoeing, and lake trout ice fishing is permitted.
Silent Lake Provincial Park is located off Highway 28 between Apsley and Bancroft. To learn more, visit ontarioparks.ca/park/silentlake.
Hop on a Voyageur canoe tour at the Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough
Don’t let the winter come around without taking a paddle on Little Lake through the Voyageur Canoe Tour at the Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough.
Rain or shine, paddlers of all ages and skill levels can hop into a 36-foot Voyageur canoe crewed by other paddlers and a museum tour guide for a one-hour paddle around Little Lake. The guide will equip you and give you all the knowledge you need to get on the water and paddling. The tours are held every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 11:30 a.m. until October 12.
Feel confident and prefer your own watercraft? You can rent a canoe or kayak and hit the water all on your own. Rent the watercraft by the hour, half day, or full day and go on your own exploration of the lake until October 11, weather permitting.
While you’re at the Canadian Canoe Museum, you’ll also want to head inside to explore the world’s largest and most significant collection of canoes, kayaks, and paddled watercraft. The nationally significant collection, established in 1997, features more than 650 watercraft with origins and stories spanning the country.
The Canadian Canoe Museum is located at 2077 Ashburnham Drive in Peterborough. To learn more about the watercraft activity at the museum, visit canoemuseum.ca/visit/paddling.
Learn about the Kawarthas in the 19th century at Lang Pioneer Village Museum in Keene
You only have a few more weeks to step back in time to see what the Kawarthas looked like in the 19th century at Lang Pioneer Village Museum in Keene.
On a 25-acre site, Lang Pioneer Village Museum features over 30 restored and furnished historic buildings that were constructed between the 1820s and 1910, as well as several replica buildings.
When you visit the museum, you’ll stroll through the village, dropping into the blacksmith shop, schoolhouse, barns, general store, and many more buildings, while being surrounded by villagers dressed in authentic attire. Browse through the permanent or temporary exhibits, enjoy an afternoon tea in the Keene Hotel, or drop in for one of the special events happening throughout the fall, including Applefest and Spooky All Hallows’ Eve.
Located at 104 Lang Road in Keene, Lang Pioneer Village Museum is open Wednesdays through Sundays until September 6, after which guided tours will only be available by appointment on Fridays in September and October.
To learn more, visit www.langpioneervillage.ca.
Cross the Ranney Gorge Suspension Bridge in Campbellford
Okay, so there’s really no bad time of year to cross the Ranney Gorge Suspension Bridge in Campbellford, but we’re adding it to your must-do list for the summer anyway.
Located in Ferris Provincial Park, the 300-foot-long bridge hovers up to 35 feet about the Ranney Gorge south of Ranney Falls beside Locks 11 and 12 and is a part of the Trans Canada Trail. You may feel like a daredevil when experiencing the sway of the bridge, but it’s entirely worth it for the unbeatable 360-degree views of the Trent River.
It’s the only pedestrian bridge of its kind in Ontario, and you don’t really have to worry about crossing it — the total weight the bridge can hold is 75,000 pounds!
While you’re in Ferris Provincial Park, you can enjoy over 10 kilometres of trails through forest and riverside settings and a lookout over the falls.
To access the Ranney Gorge Suspension Bridge, head to Ferris Provincial Park at 474 County Road 8 in Campbellford. To learn more, visit visittrenthills.ca/ranney-gorge-suspension-bridge/.
Explore southern Ontario’s largest contiguous forest at the Ganaraska Forest
Hiking, horseback riding, cycling, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling — you can do all that and more at the Ganaraska Forest, southern Ontario’s largest contiguous forest.
Managed by Ganaraska Conservation and straddling Northumberland County, Peterborough County, the City of Kawartha Lakes, and Durham Region, the Ganaraska Forest is popular for the range of available recreational activities given its location within an hour’s drive of Toronto.
No matter which activity you choose, you’ll be immersing yourself in a landscape of rolling hills and mixed forest. The Central Forest offers several marked hiking loops to choose from with many starting and ending at the Ganaraska Forest Centre in the Municipality of Port Hope. Another 35 kilometres of signed and groomed cross-country ski trails and 10 kilometres of marked snowshoe trails can be found across the entire forest.
If you’re feeling really adventurous, check out the independently operated Treetop Trekking in the Central Forest, where you can experience a thrilling treetop adventure in the towering red pine forest with giant ziplines, aerial games, and Timberwolf — Ontario’s most challenging aerial course.
To learn more about the Ganaraska Forest and Treetop Trekking visit grca.on.ca/forest-management/about-the-ganaraska-forest/.
Paddle or hike to High Falls in Algonquin Park in Haliburton County
Highway 60 gets a lot of the glory when it comes to the must-explore places in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario’s oldest provincial park and its third largest, but sometimes you’ll find the best hidden gems on the path less travelled.
That’s the case when it comes to Algonquin Park’s South Gate, located in Haliburton County, which is much less busy and crowded than the bustling East and West Gates but still gives visitors access to the rugged beauty of the park.
At Kingscote Access Point, you’ll find six walk-in campsites perfect for pitching the tent in a quiet, isolated site without having to portage. Or use the site as a jumping-off point to begin your backcountry adventure, and book a campsite along the York River or head to the popular High Falls, a natural water slide and series of cascading rock chutes located along the Barron River.
Prefer to travel by foot than watercraft? It’s an easy-going two-kilometre trail to get to High Falls from the parking lot on Elephant Lake Road, just outside the park.
To learn more about Algonquin Park’s South Gate in Haliburton Highlands, visit myhaliburtonhighlands.com/algonquin-park-south-gate/.
Pick your own dahlias and other annuals at Sanctuary Flower Fields in Selwyn
There are only a few weeks left to head out to Sanctuary Flower Fields in the Township of Selwyn to pick your own locally grown, fresh cut flowers.
Kelly Convery began Sanctuary Flower Fields after leaving her high-pressure career as a paramedic, and today the flower fields are a haven for people wanting to similarly take a moment to themselves and slow down in nature.
On a 69-acre family farm, Convery has grown cosmos, dahlias, marigolds, snapdragons, cornflowers, sunflowers, and many more specialty annuals. Available until the first frost, the pick-your-own experiences allow you to wander through the flower fields and select the ones that call to you most.
Pick as many as can fit in your Joy Jar and Convery will let you stay in the field as long as you want, enjoying the fresh air and stunning flowers. Take some photos, munch on a snack, catch up with a friend and, best of all, stop and smell the dahlias.
Located at 89 Moloney Line east of Ennismore, Sanctuary Flower Fields is only open for pre-booked pick-your-own flowers or other events. The fields are just east of the residential driveway.
To learn more and book an experience, visit www.sanctuaryflowerfields.com/flower-fields.
Catch a first-run film at Highland Cinemas in Kinmount
Maybe you’re all tired out from a busy summer and looking forward to a quieter fall catching up on all of this summer’s hottest film releases. If that’s the case, why not catch a film at one of most unique movie theatres in the country, located in Kinmount?
When Keith Stata opened Highlands Cinema in 1979, it had one screen and under 60 seats. Today, the theatre in the trees covers 18,000 square feet, with more than 500 seats across five theatres.
But Highlands Cinema is so much more than a theatre. Here, you’ll also find a 4,000-square foot museum containing movie projectors dating back to the beginning of motion picture until today, alongside mannequins dressed to the nines, pinball machines, books, and many more collectibles from the 20th and 21st centuries.
Further adding to this venue’s uniqueness, Highlands Cinemas cares for more than 60 cats that were abandoned. They reside in 14 homes on the property, with access to outdoor pens.
In 2024, director Matt Finlin released a documentary on Stata and Highlands Cinemas called The Movie Man. One of the film’s executive producers was Ed Robertson of the band Barenaked Ladies, who is a long-time patron of the theatre.
As of September 4, Highlands Cinema is open four days a week from Thursday to Monday until Thanksgiving Monday when it closes for the season.
Highlands Cinemas is located at 4131 County Road 121 in Kinmount. To learn more, find out what’s playing, and purchase tickets, visit www.highlandscinemas.com.
Enjoy the breathtaking views of The Gut in Coe Hill
If you have a chance to visit Hastings Highlands before the snow flies, don’t pass up a chance to stop in at The Gut Conservation Area, a breathtaking hidden gem in Coe Hill.
Don’t let the rocky road on the way into the park scare you off — The Gut is worth the journey. The Crowe River flows through this 30-metre-high gorge for about 230 metres, presenting a unique natural wonder that locals have loved for years.
A short stroll from the parking lot will bring you right up to the dramatic rock walls, where you’ll be mesmerized by the rushing water.
If you have more time to spend at The Gut Conservation Area, a 400-acre site protected by Crowe Valley Conservation, you can also find year-round hiking trails across steep hills and meandering along the river.
To learn more about The Gut Conservation Area, visit www.crowevalley.com/the-gut/.
Discover why Hastings County is well-known for its waterfalls and rapids
The Gut is just one of many recognizable flowing bodies of water that are well-explored across Hastings County.
There’s also Egan Chutes, located in the non-operating provincial park of the same name, which is a popular spot for birding and hiking. Just 15 kilometres east of Bancroft, this provincial park is unassuming, though short and moderate trails will take you to view three different, picturesque waterfalls.
Further south in Hastings County, you’ll find Callaghan’s Rapids Conservation Area in Marmora, which features two waterfalls, each only a metre in height. These rapids are a refreshing place to go for a late-summer swim surrounded by limestone rock. While there, see if you can find the “caves” formed by eroding rock slabs. Some you’ll have to crawl through, but other spots are tall enough to stand!
Just outside Bancroft in Bird’s Creek, you’ll find another waterfall called High Falls — not to be confused with the one in Haliburton County. This 10-metre waterfall on the York River sits just downstream of the dam that holds back the water level of Baptiste Lake. It’s a favourite spot for locals and well worth the trip.
Stroll through local and international works of art at the Haliburton Sculpture Forest
This summer, the Haliburton Sculpture Forest celebrated 25 years of being a destination that artists and art admirers travel from far and wide to explore.
Sharing Glebe Park with the Haliburton Highlands Museum and Haliburton Campus of Fleming College, the Sculpture Forest opened in 2001 with just three sculptures. Today, there are more than 50 sculptures across 1.4 kilometres of trails, each created by Canadian and international artists.
Made from bronze, stone, steel, wood, and glass, these sculptures come in a range of shapes including animals, people, elements, and more, each telling a unique story.
When you’re on the grounds, be sure to take notice of the five new sculptures that were recently added to the Sculpture Forest and celebrated as part of the 25th anniversary.
These include the “Quadratic Whisper,” installed in October 2025 and made by mathematic sculptor George Hart alongside students from Haliburton Highlands Secondary School and the Haliburton School or Art and Design during a hands-on workshop.
Another new one is “Happy Hippo” by Nyaha Mabika, created using springstone from Zimbabwe. The sculpture was exhibited at the ZimArt Rice Lake Gallery in Bailieboro before the gallery closed in 2023.
The Haliburton Sculpture Forest is located in Glebe Park at 297 College Drive in Haliburton. To learn more, visit www.haliburtonsculptureforest.ca.
Hike or cycle over Doube’s Trestle Bridge between Peterborough and Omemee
We have another bridge to add to your bucket list before the end of the summer! The historic Doube’s Trestle Bridge (also known as Orange Corners Trestle Bridge) between Peterborough and Omemee is a beloved destination for hikers, cyclists, and more.
With stunning views over Buttermilk Valley, the 175-metre bridge was constructed in 1883 for the Midland Railway’s route between Peterborough and Lindsay. It was originally 1,500 feet long and made of wood, but the central part of the trestle was later converted to steel.
In 1921, Canadian National Railways took over the route to use for passengers and freight trains, before it was just used exclusively by freight trains until the trains ceased using the line in 1978.
Eventually it became a section of the 53.8-kilometre Kawartha Trans Canada Trail, part of the Trans Canada Trail, and remains to this day a well-used pathway with unbeatable views.
In 2023, the bridge was featured in Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie on Amazon Prime Video. A fire damaged a section of the bridge in September 2024, but it was repaired and reopened the following August.
To learn more about the Kawartha Trans Canada Trail and Doube’s Trestle Bridge, visit ktct.ca.
Explore Peterborough by water with Liftlock Cruises
Don’t let summer come to an end without stepping aboard the Island Princess III.
At Liftlock Cruises, you can hop on this vessel with an enclosed lower deck and open upper deck for a two-hour sightseeing tour departing from the Peterborough Marina.
Taking a tour across Little Lake, past the Centennial Fountain and into the lock system, you’ll be entertained learning all about the history of Peterborough, the Trent Severn Waterway, and the mechanics of the lock system. The tour will also take you through the Peterborough Lift Lock (Lock 21), the world’s highest hydraulic lift lock.
Onboard, you’ll find a fully-licensed snack bar making for an inviting day out for the whole family — including your dog!
Is autumn exploration more your style? Hop aboard the Triple Crown Fall Colour Cruise and see the hues of the autumn across the Kawarthas. This three-hour cruise, leaving on select days starting the end of September, will take you through the breathtaking autumn while teaching you all about the local history.
The sightseeing tours leave daily until mid-October. To learn more, visit www.liftlockcruises.com.
Support local in a picturesque small town in the Kawarthas
Before the end of summer, enjoy one more stroll through a charming small town while supporting local. There’s no better way to show your love for the Kawarthas than to walk through a downtown with a locally made coffee in hand while browsing and shopping at the many vibrant and unique small businesses.
You really can’t go wrong with spending a day in any of the small towns across the greater Kawarthas region — or developing your own road trip so you can visit a few.
TV junkies might enjoy a walk through the historic village of Millbrook where shows like Reacher, Murdoch Mysteries, Anne with an E, and Wayward were filmed, while those looking for more time in nature might enjoy Main Street in Warkworth, where you’ll find the Millennium Lilac Trail abundant with 300 lilac plantings.
If you’re itching for one final shopping spree, you’ll find something for your needs across the region’s small towns. If you’re an art lover, check out the Colborne Street Gallery in Fenelon Falls, the ECCO Art Gallery Studios in Lakefield, or the Agnes Jamieson Gallery in Minden.
Avid readers will find locally owned bookstores in Haliburton, Bancroft, Port Hope, and beyond, while fashionistas and vintage lovers will enjoy browsing the racks in Bobcaygeon, Cobourg, and Lakefield. Across the small towns, you’ll also find home décor and furniture stores, marketplaces, and other one-of-a-kind boutiques that are owned by the people living in and loving the Kawarthas.
Kawartha Localist is an editorial series from kawarthaNOW celebrating the places, experiences, businesses, and communities that make our region extraordinary. Written by people who live here, work here, and have spent nearly 30 years exploring the Kawarthas and surrounding region, each edition shares trusted local recommendations, hidden gems, and favourite discoveries from across Peterborough County, the City of Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, Haliburton County, and Hastings Highlands.
Whether you’re looking for your next hiking trail, favourite patio, scenic drive, farmers’ market, or weekend adventure, Kawartha Localist is what we love about where we live.
Kawartha Localist is sponsored by Kawartha Financial Services.
