Campfire story— Where it all began
The Kawarthas happen to be the home of the first modern-day canoe. In 1858, settler John Stephenson, along with Tom Gordon, manufac- tured the first plank-and-rib canoe, which eventually gave birth to the famous Peterborough Canoe Company. There was soon worldwide demand for the Peterborough. Surveyors travelled the West and North with it. The new design was allegedly the first canoe to be paddled across the English Channel. Even Theodore Roosevelt and Queen Elizabeth paddled cedar-rib canoes built in the Kawarthas. Outdoor enthusiasts soon wanted to paddle in the wilds where the famous craftsmen obtained their building materials. By the early 1900s, canoeists were flocking to the area by the hundreds and the tourism board advertised the Kawartha Highlands as “the playground of the Continent.”
Ontario’s Land of the Lizard and Spotted Moose
T Tips
Must see—The waterfall halfway along the portage from Rathbun Lake to Anstruther Creek—refreshingly cold water tumbling over moss-covered granite.
Kawartha Highlands by Kevin Callan
he lakes and rivers of the Kawartha region are still relatively wild despite being only 50 kilometres north of Peterborough and less than two hours’ drive from Toronto. A huge chunk of this semi-wilderness—35,000 hectares between the
cottage towns of Burleigh Falls and Buckhorn—has recently been designated as Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park. The new park forms Ontario’s largest protected area south of Algonquin—a backyard playground for paddlers. Even the neighboring crown land reserves and existing provincial parks provide exceptional canoe routes—everything from a pleasant paddle along Eels Creek with a stopover at the Algonkians’ spiritual monument at Petroglyphs Provincial Park, to a quick whitewater run down the Mississagua River. Long Lake is the most popular access point for Kawartha Highlands, providing a network of weekend getaways. To escape the crowds for two or three days, try the Serpentine Loop, a chain of five lakes on the northern fringe of the park that comes complete with a scenic waterfall, pine-clad campsites and half-decent bass fishing. Or give the much easier Crab Lake route a try.
Guidebook—A Paddler’s Guide to Ontario’s Cottage Country, by Kevin Callan.
Outfitters—Wild Rock Outfitters in Peterborough, 705-745-9133; Adventure Fitness in Lakefield, 705-652-7986; Young’s Point Outfitters, 705-652-3731; Trips and Trails Adventure Outfitting in Bancroft, 613-332-1969
28
www.canoeroots.ca
Best day hike—Blueberry Mountain on the southern end of Crab Lake, for fruity snacks and mountain views.
Keep eyes peeled for—the rare five-lined skink, Ontario’s only lizard. Also, free-range cows, a.k.a. “spotted moose,” wandering the portages of Serpentine Loop.
How to do it
Begin Serpentine Loop from Anstruther Lake, just south of the town of Apsley. To reach the access, turn left off Highway 28 onto Anstruther Road and drive about 10 km. As the main road veers to the left, take the marked dirt road straight down to the government boat-launch on Anstruther Lake. Anstruther links up with Rathbun, Copper, Serpentine, and North Rathbun lakes. The most secluded are Cooper and Serpentine. To access the easier Crab Lake route, turn left off Anstruther Road, 5 km in from Highway 28. Access at Wolf Lake government launch. A mere 107-metre portage takes you from Wolf to Crab. The park is currently in “non- operating” status, which means no camping fee is required. This also means that you are not guaranteed a site, so you might want to stay clear of the place on a long weekend, especially the more accessible Crab Lake.
photo by Scott MacGregor
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68