Haliburton Highlands, also known simply as Haliburton County, is in Ontario.
Understand
The Highlands are only a few hours from centres such as Ottawa, Toronto, and Barrie, yet the area has preserved its natural and wild setting. Nestled between the increasingly developed and expensive Muskoka Region and the unspoilt and vast Algonquin Provincial Park, the Haliburton Highlands are a great place for a relaxed, cultured, and beautiful vacation amongst the peaks and lakes.
Get in
By car
Most people enter Haliburton by car. While Haliburton residents have refined countless personal routes into the County, most visitors stick to the main highways. However, traffic congestion on weekends from May to August can try anyone's patience, and visitors should "be inventive" when planning their trip.
- From the South: Provincial Highways 35 from Toronto and 28 from Peterborough are the two main arteries from Southern Ontario
- From the West: Provincial Highway 118 from Bracebridge
- From the North: Algonquin Park's southern boundary obstructs direct road access from the north, and most visitors entering the County from this direction take the eastern or western routes.
- From the East: Provincial Highway 28 is the most common route from Ottawa and Eastern Ontario
By Bus
- Coach services run daily from Toronto to the villages of Minden and Haliburton [1]
- Coach services also available to nearby Bracebridge and Peterborough, which act as popular "pick up" locations [2]
By Air
- The Haliburton Highlands have more than 600 freshwater lakes, many of which are suitable for pontoon plane landings and take-offs
- There is also the centrally located The Haliburton/Stanhope Municipal Airport
Get around
- having, or renting, a car is key, due to the large nature of the county
- several taxi services
- many well groomed snowmobile and ATV trails
- many bicycle trails and paved road shoulders for cyclists
- boat routes integrated into the Trent-Severn Waterway
- snowmobile, ATV, boat, car, and even horse rental available
See
- The resident wolf pack at the Haliburton Forest
- An abidance of wildlife, including moose, deer, bears, and beavers
- Skyline park in Haliburton, an overview of the village of Haliburton located on highway 118 east outside of Haliburton.
- Pike's Peak, cliff top lookout in Minden
- Haliburton Gold lake trout, a species of fish endemic to the glacier lakes of the Haliburton Highlands
- Tens of thousands of fish being bred at the Haliburton Highlands Outdoor Association's Fish Hatchery, on Country Rd 1 (Gelert Rd), Haliburton
- Spectacular fall colours, as the leaves turn to bright red and orange in the autumn months
- The panoramic view from the Dorset Fire Tower
- Vistas of surrounding peaks and lakes from trails such as the Circuit of Five View Points and Crests of Kennissis is Algonquin Higlands
- The expansive view of Maple, Beech, Boshkung, and 12 Mile Lake from the Stanhope Lookout, beside the Stanhope museum
- Minden white water preserve
- The mysterious Harburn Wells, deep shafts in the Canadian shield developed during the last ice age
- The many easily accessible waterfalls including:
- Buttermilk Falls north of Carnarvon on Highway 35
- Riche Falls east of Lochlin
- Highfalls north of Harcourt
- Three Brothers Falls north of Kinmount
Do
- Enjoy more than 600 pristine lakes, and thousands of hectares of virgin forest and wilderness
- Take a guided wilderness tour to see animals such as bears, wolves, deer, moose, lynx, bobcat, eagles, with one of the several local tour operators [3]
- Go on a guided fishing or hunting trip
- The walk in the clouds: Canoe across one of the lakes and walk in the treetops on narrow boards hanging in thin ropes. For safety you are also attached to steel wires.
- Rent a canoe and enjoy the extensive network of water trails
- Cycle, walk, or horse ride along the flat and scenic old railway bed trail, a nature corridor that runs south from Haliburton village for more than 50km, via Gould's Crossing, Donald, Lochlin, Gelert, and Kinmount
- Robinson's General Store (Dorset General Store), 1061 Main St, Dorset (by the bridge on Main St), ☏ +1 705-766-2415. Open daily. Hours vary by season. Considered "Canada's Best General Store". Includes a Home Hardware, Foodland Supermarket, the Drygoods gift shop, and the Red Onion boutique. The footwear section specializes in moccasins. Free parking and accessible from Lake of Bays.
Eat
- Kozy Korner Restaurant (Kozy's), 166 Highland Street, Haliburton (On the main street), ☏ +1 705 457-2810. 6am-7pm (friday till 8pm). Since 1935. Good food at good prices.
- Mill Pond Restaurant, 15526 Hwy 35, Carnarvon (Hwy 35, just north of Hwy 118), ☏ +1 705-489-3353. 8am-8pm Tues-Sun.
- Rhubarb, 9201 Highway 118, Carnarvon (Corner of highway 118 and highway 35), ☏ +1 705-489-4449. 11am-10pm. On the shores of Mirror Lake. Boshkung Brewing onsite.
- Gravity Coffee House, Minden
- Anize Mediterranean Fine Dining, Haliburton
- Grill on the Gull, Minden
- Heritage Coffee House, Haliburton
- The Little Tart, Donald
- Winter Green, Gelert
- Pinestone Resort, Haliburton
- Wigamog Resort, Kashagawigamog Lake
Drink
- Boshkung Brewing Co, 9201 Highway 118, Carnarvon (beside Rhubarb restaurant). Tasting room, growlers, and mini-kegs.
- Rockcliffe Tavern, Bobcaygeon Road, Minden (in downtown Minden), ☏ +1 705-286-1460, rockcliffetavern@hotmail.com. Established in 1890.
- McKeck's Place, Highlands Street, Haliburton
- The Northwood Bar, Haliburton
- The Firehouse, Ox Narrows, Hwy 35
- The Fiery Grill, Dorset
- Moose Bar and Grill, Lake Kashagawigamog