Bottle Lake (Canoe-camping)

This is one of our favourite camp-sites on Bottle Lake, in the Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park.  We have frequented this particular site about 4 or 5 times over the past few summers and will continue to reserve it every year. 

This site is an easy 15 or 20 minute paddle with the family and gear (after a short portage from the parking lot).  It’s located on a point with a beautiful beach on the south and west sides of the site.  You can easily fit 4 or more tents. It’s the perfect site for a little beach party (just as long as your crew respects the environment)!

Please note:  Currently, there is a can and bottle ban in this park.

This site is another one of our favourites, it's also on a point just south of the beach site.  You have the best of both worlds at this site; rocks to jump off off (of all levels) as well as a small beach. Lot's of exploring to do here..... Our wildlife siting's here have included: (besides chipmunks and red squirrels) we have seen; mice, frogs, skinks, snakes and even a baby snapping turtle at this site!.  I have some really great pictures, but here are just a few...



 

Wolf Lake

The first canoe in camp trip we did this year was in the last weekend of April at Wolf Lake (in the Kawartha Highlands Signature Site Park).  We've camped at Wolf Lake many times.  It just so happened that the weather was so nice that weekend (and at that point it was still free to camp there), it was hard to resist going camping!  The nights were still cool, so we didn't have to deal with any mosquitos.  During one of our little hikes we encountered a chipmunk that kept playing peek-a-boo with us.

There was also lots of beaver activity, new beaver lodges and extensive beaver damage done to this site.
Here is a short video of one of the beavers that came by to check us out!

The previous year, six of us went camping at Wolf Lake (the long weekend in May). The weather was beautiful, the water was refreshing and if I recall correctly, the mosquitos were fierce a dusk.  It was also the first and only time we have ever seen a skink!

A Skink on the rocks

Crab Lake

In my mind, there are only 2 seasons: Camping and Winter.  Between the fantastic weather we've had and our semi-flexible schedules; we have been lucky enough to go camping 8 times already and the season is not over yet.  August is probably my favourite month to go camping.  Hot days, cool nights, and best of all, no bugs!  We've enjoyed lots of paddling, swimming, hiking, fishing and just lounging around in the hammocks.  

We've canoed in on all (except one) of our trips, which have mostly to the Kawartha Highlands area.  This past weekend, five of us (with two canoes) camped at one of our favourite spots on Crab Lake.  This time, we figured out how to make it to the top of Blueberry Mountain. An easy paddle and hike to get there and well worth the view from the top. This would even make for a nice day trip, especially in the fall when the autumn colours are at their peak.   

 

The view from the top of Blueberry Mountain at Crab Lake

We camped at the site affectionately known as The Rock.  A short swim across the bay from this this site is a wonderful spot for cliff jumping into the deep water.  There is even a rope swing!

Connor, Vicky & Nelson about to jump (notice the rope swing on the far left of them)

Here is a map of Crab Lake:

So, if you haven't been lucky enough to get out there, the season is not over yet!  We used to camp in this park for for free, but now that this area is considered an Ontario Park, a reservation and a permit is required for overnight stays.