Calabogie is a tiny ski village on Calabogie Lake in Greater Madawaska Township, Renfrew County. Perched at the edge of eastern Ontario's Ottawa Valley, it primarily attracts visitors from the Ottawa-Hull capital region.

Understand

Calabogie was originally named Madawaska for the Madawaska River system, on which Calabogie Lake is one of four reservoir lakes. The river runs from Algonquin Provincial Park down to the Ottawa River at Arnprior.

When the Kingston & Pembroke Railway reached Calabogie Lake from Kingston in 1883, the local station was named for the lake as a "Madawaska" station existed on the Ottawa, Arnprior and Parry Sound Railway Company line through Barry's Bay. The K&P was completed to the Canada Central Railway junction in Renfrew in 1884.

The village was founded a lumber camp; a dam on the Madawaska River had created the lake and the river was used to transport logs to Quebec City. Water power was used to power a sawmill and later the river was dammed at various points to generate hydroelectric power. The railway brought visitors and industry; by the end of 1912, the K&P became part of the Canadian Pacific Railway. As these were steam trains and stopped in every village on the 180-km (110-mile) journey from Kingston to Renfrew (they never did reach Pembroke), the "Kick and Push" was a slow means of travel which began to be dismantled in the 1950s as travellers increasingly took to the highways in motorcars.

While lumber and mining declined, the village kept its tourism role, with Calabogie Peaks ski resort opened on Dickson Mountain in 1970 and Calabogie Motorsports Park constructed in 2006.

Get in

The train no longer runs and the tracks have been removed. Access is by car, usually from Trans-Canada Highway 17 (east of Renfrew) by heading southwest on Calabogie Road (old Hwy 508).

The closest intercity bus stop is in Renfrew.

Do

• 1 Calabogie Highlands Golf Resort, 981 Barryvale Road, ☏ +1 613-752-1234, toll-free: +1-877-224-4653, fax: +1 613-752-2031. 18 + 9 hole course, Fiddler's Green restaurant and event space, lodging. 
• 2 Calabogie Motorsports Park, 462 Wilson Farm Road, ☏ +1 613-752-1252, toll-free: +1-866-669-8725, fax: +1 613-230-3436. 5-km (3-mile) track hosts events such as the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge Canada and Canadian Touring Car Championship. +1-866-669-TRAK.  
• 3 Calabogie Peaks Resort, 30 Barrett Chute Road, ☏ +1 613-752-2720, toll-free: +1-800-669-4861, fax: +1-877-533-5170. Dicksons Mountain is a 232-metre (761-ft) ski hill with 29 runs, 3 lifts, a tubing hill, four terrain parks. Dickson Manor includes a spa, indoor swimming pool, outdoor hot tub and Canthooks fine dining restaurant. Beachfront, nine-hole Ironwoods Golf Course, mountain biking and climbing in summer. 
• 4 Madawaska Nordic Trails, Crestview Drive (trailhead). Unattended cross-country ski trail. $2/day or $20/season. 

Events

• Calabogie Classic. Mid-April, weekend cycle race held at Calabogie Motorsport track 
• Calabogie and District Snowmobile Club, Calabogie Highlands Resort. Typically holds one event, mid-Feb, weather and trail conditions permitting. In 2015, there was a poker run. In prior years, this was one of the three province-wide Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs "Go Snowmobiling! Give-It-A-Try Tour" sites. Portions of the former K&P rail line are trails. 
• Ice Fishing Derby. Jamie Wright Memorial Ice Fishing Derby (Calabogie Fish & Game Club) annually, last Saturday in February, in Calabogie followed by an Ice Fishing Derby (Griffith & Matawatchan Fish & Game Club) on the first Saturday in March in Griffith/Matawatchan. A few huts are for rent from Calabogie Marine & Sports (12612 Lanark Road, ☏ +1 613-752-2010) or Joeballa's Bait, Tackle and Service (11602 Lanark Road, ☏ +1 613-752-1282). 

Buy

• 1 Bittersweet Gallery (Fog Run Studio), 5 Leckie Lane, Burnstown, ☏ +1 613-433-9990. 11AM-5PM daily (summer), noon-5PM weekends (winter). 

Eat

• 1 Blackbird Café, 1694 Burnstown Road, Burnstown, ☏ +1 613-432-3599. 
• 2 Calabogie Pizzeria, 4983 Calabogie Rd, ☏ +1 613-752-1777. Ice cream bar, pizza. 
• 3 Neat Coffee Shop, 1715 Calabogie Road, Burnstown, ☏ +1 613-433-3205. 
• 4 Polly's Li'l Shanty Restaurant, 12603 Lanark Road (Hwy 511), ☏ +1 613-752-1888. 

Drink

• 1 Shooter's Bar & Grill, 4988 Calabogie Rd, ☏ +1 613-752-1383. 

Sleep

• 1 Calabogie Lodge Resort, 729 Mill St., ☏ +1 613-752-2676, fax: +1 613-752-0037. In village, on north side of lake. $200-300/night for 4-8 persons (1-3 bedrooms). 
• 2 Calabogie Motor Inn, 5042 Calabogie Road (Highway 508), ☏ +1 613-752-2468, toll-free: +1-866-494-0047. On west side of lake, beside snowmobile trail. $120-140. 
• 3 The Wynland Calabogie, 5174 Calabogie Rd, ☏ +1 613-295-5710. (updated Feb 2023)
• 4 Jocko's Beach Resort and Motel, 5253/5254 Calabogie Road, ☏ +1 613-752-2107, toll-free: +1-866-376-6285. Motel, cabins, boat rental. $110-120. 

Go next

• Renfrew and Arnprior
• Ottawa

Routes through Calabogie

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Greater Madawaska