Hiking / Walking Trails
(unless otherwise noted, no usage fee for walking/hiking)
Algonquin Provincial Park:
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East gate of the park is about 70 km / 50-60 minutes from the resort
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20 interpretative walks; 0.8 to 10 km in length - we especially recommend the Spruce Bog Boardwalk; Logging Museum and Beaver Pond trails
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While there don't miss the Visitors' Centre or The Logging Museum - it was a rough life back then
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Around the East end of the park - The Barron Canyon Trail is a 1.5 km long interpretative trail that passes through pine forest to the rim of a 100 m deep canyon, which is one of the most spectacular sights in Algonquin Park. The canyon was formed 10 000 years ago as raging water from melting glaciers made its way to the Champlain Sea.
Combermere Heritage Walking Tour:
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A 9.1 km / 3 hour paved road walking tour of Combermere - park at the Combermere Recreation Centre - just over the bridge turn left on to Farmer Road - it is no. 1095 A/B
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Drop into the 2 museums (Mission House Museum & Gallery and Madonna House Gift Shop & Museum) as you pass
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See local crafts at Craft Shoppe & be amazed at Hyde's Bay Model Train Station
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Have a bite to eat at Bent Anchor, Wine Cellar or Inn Town Restaurants or ice cream at general store (very popular)
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Maybe take a tour of Madawaska River on the Maggie II (docks at Bent Anchor Restaurant)
Haliburton Forest & Wildlife Preserve:
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60,000 acres - privately owned - don't know if still owned by Germany's Baron von Feurstenberg
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Canada's first "certified sustainable forest"; Has a wolf centre; many trails; daily use fee
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Canopy Tour: The canopy boardwalk is the ultimate highlight of this outing. Over half a kilometer long ( the longest of its kind in the world) the canopy boardwalk winds through the treetops some 10-20 meters above the forest,
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Pricey at $95/adult; but includes admission to wolf centre;
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Reservations required - call 705 754 2198. The minimum age to participate in the tour is 10.
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Very popular, book well in advance - check openings here
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75 miles and about 1hr and 45 minutes driving from the resort
Hastings Heritage Trail:
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An easy, four-seasons, multi-use recreational trail that follows an old railway line.
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Welcomes hikers, cyclists, horseback riders, and recreational vehicle operators.
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Closest long trail ( 156-km) which you would access at Maynooth Station (about 20km from the resort) & then you can walk from there to trail's end in Lake St Peter or going the other direction to Bancroft & beyond.
Lake St. Peter Provincial Park:
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North of Maynooth; about 35 km (30 minutes) from resort
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2 trails that are linked to Hastings Heritage Trail - 2.4 to 4.3 km in length taking 1.5 to 2 hrs - strenuous; day use fee
Petroglyphs Provincial Park:
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About 60 KM from Bancroft going towards Peterborough (so a fair jaunt); day use fee
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Largest known concentration of aboriginal rock carvings in Canada. Carved into the white marble rock face hundreds of years ago, the 900 petroglyphs depict turtles, snakes, birds, humans and other images.
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Hiking trails meander through surrounding forests, wetlands and rocky ridges. 5 to 16 KM; 1.5 to 4 hours
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Don't miss The Learning Place interpretive centre.
Pinecone Forest Nature Sanctuary:
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691 Pinecrest Road, Boulter; about 27 km (25 minutes) from resort
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This private nature sanctuary is 150 acres of forest, blueberry meadows and wetlands by Conroy's Marsh.
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No Pets or motorized vehicles. 3 easy trails - 20/30 minutes to 2/3 hrs. 2008 prices: $5/person; $12/family
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Also offers guided ecology walks & guided forest & canoe tours; Fees
Thomas P Murray Recreational Trails:
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On way to Barry's Bay - 6 multi-use trails from 1.25 to 4 km in length, easy to challenging
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Closest trail starts at Crooked Slide Park - just after the bridge in Combermere, turn on to old Barry's Bay Road and go about 2 km, it is on your left. Crooked Slide Park has a replica of a log chute used to transport timber around waterfalls - very scenic setting - also, a great place for a picnic
Wilno:
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Wilno, the oldest Polish settlement in Canada, is on highway 60 east of Barry's Bay - about 35 km (30 minutes) from resort. The area was initially settled in 1859 by immigrants from the Kashubian region of Poland.
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Recommended to see in Wilno: Heritage & Open Air Museum, Kashub roadside crosses, Shrine hill scenic lookout
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6 walking tours, 1 to 11 km in length; easy to hilly
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Wilno Tavern Food (Polish buffet - pierogies, cabbage rolls, etc - Sat & Sunday, May to October; Fridays is pizza night) and music (Tuesday is a Blues Jam session (very popular), 1st Fridayin month is country music, plus ...)
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You may want to take some time to visit the Wilno Garden Gallery - an artist's studio & gallery
More walks: Barry'y Bay; Renfrew County; Silent lake Provincial Park