Kawartha Highlands: Anstruther - Serpentine - Rathbun Loop

We decided to explore the north-east corner of Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park since we have never been to that section of the park. One of the things I like best about this park is that it is so close to home (about an hour and forty minutes) and it feels a lot like the more northern parks. Our goal was to leisurely do the Anstruther to Serpetine to Rathbun loop. We planned on five days so that we could take our time and enjoy the sites.

Day 1
We put in at the Anstruther Lake Access Point. It was very windy when we got there, and as you might have guessed the wind was blowing directly in our faces, which made fro a bit of a tricky launch. Once we were on the water things were great. The kids all did an amazing job of paddling in such a strong wind. They really dug in when we needed them to. I'm so impressed with their growth as paddlers over the years (Our six year old paddles like a veteran paddler). Since we were battling a strong head wind there was no time for pictures.

As we neared the first portage of the day, into Rathbun Lake, we spotted a bald eagle flying overhead. I find these birds absolutely majestic and am happy to see that they are making a come back. We got to the portage, unloaded and sorted out who was taking what on the portage. We blasted through the portage then when back to check out the waterfall. I love that our kids are so excited to see and explore waterfalls.

Climbing the Waterfall

Posing(?) at the Waterfall 

More Waterfall Climbing

We spent longer than we should have exploring the waterfall, but the kids were having a great time. We had lunch at the end of the portage and watched the streams of canoes making their way out of the park (it was Sunday afternoon).

The trip across Rathbun was quick and uneventful but the portage into Copper Lake was a little busy when we got there. Sarah was able to land her boat and get going on the portage. Shortly after she left a couple were putting their boat into the water, followed by a trio in a different canoe. Our older daughter and I waited on the water until the portage was clear. This portage also had a beautiful waterfall. We didn't stop, we just admired it in passing since it was getting late and we were getting tired. The portages for the day were short, but they were both steep uphills. From Anstruther Lake to Copper the elevation gain is about 45 m, over about 600 m. The Highlands part of the park name isn't just a cute name to invoke visions of beauty. They're called Highlands for good reason.

Once on Copper Lake we paddled to our site (235).

Copper Lake

The site was nice but the swimming wasn't great. The water was a bit swampy. That didn't stop us though. We found a path through the lily pads and swam out to some cleaner water. It was a hot day and were were all ready for a swim.

It's Amazing How Much Cooking the Kids Want to do When Fire is Involved

The Wind Finally Died Down

As we explored our site we were amazed by quantity and size of the blueberries. They were big, bright blue and they seemed to be everywhere. Blueberries would become a common site on the trip. We couldn't get over how many there were everywhere we went.

Day 2
Our goal for the second day was to get to Serpentine Lake. We had booked the island site (221) and were looking forward to a couple of days there. Our older daughter was convinced that we should take the short route via the 200m portage into Serpentine. The rest of us really wanted to go the long way through the marsh, into Anderson Lake the across the 610m portage into Serpentine.

As we were preparing to leave it started to rain. We found our rain coats and setup a tarp so that we could finish packing up. We waited a few minutes for the rain to stop. It slowed to a very light drizzle so we headed out and as it turns out it didn't take long for it to stop raining. We made our way to the marsh leading into Anderson Lake. It didn't look like this root was very well traveled. It was a real challenge trying to determine which way to go and there was some tough slugging in some sections as we maneuvered through the mud, grass, etc.

This Might be the Right Way!

After much meandering we made it to Anderson Lake. It's a small lake with only two campsites on it. I imagine it's a very peaceful lake to stay on. We didn't see anyone else while we were there. We found the portage easily, but it was a bit of a challenge to get to.

Almost at the Portage

 There was a shallow muddy path leading to the portage. Most of us ended up with wet feet getting to solid ground.

End of the Line

The portage was wet, as a result of the rain and our younger daughter slipped going up a steep rock. She was frustrated about not being able to make it up the rock but was unhurt. We spent a short time regrouping (did I mention there were lots of mosquitoes and deer flies?) and everyone was on their way again. Unfortunately, there was no relief from the bugs at the other end of the portage since it was a bit marshy there as well. We got on the water and paddled to a more open part of the lake to get away from the bugs then had a snack. Everyone was in good spirits as we paddled to our site. It was still overcast but the temperature was rising. We made it to the island and setup camp. As we did so the sun came out and invited us for a swim. The water was nice. Our six year old daughter decided that she wanted to swim to the mainland. She didn't tell anyone this was her plan, she just started swimming. As we tried to get her to swim back towards the island we realized what she was up to, so we all swam to the nearest shore (a rocky point). It was a picture perfect afternoon and evening.

We were treated a beautiful sunset and went to bed shortly there after.

Incredible Sunset

Day 3
This was a rest day for us. We woke up and leisurely cooked pancakes over the fire. After breakfast we headed off to explore. Our son and I wanted to explore the creek near the 200 m portage. We paddled a short distance and discovered it was all dried up. It was an interesting creek because it looked like it had cut right through the rock, creating rock walls on both sides of us.

Time to Explore on Foot 

All Dried Up

I Guess This is Why There is a Portage

After we finished exploring the creek we went to catch up to the others. They were going to paddle over to a small island not far from the one we were staying on, check it out and possibly go for a swim. It was warming up nicely so we all spent some time in the water cooling off.

Approaching the Tiny Island

Jumping In!

Our son and I headed back to our site to pick up our fishing gear to see if we could catch something for lunch. We didn't get any bites so we headed back for lunch. We spent much of the afternoon hanging around the site, reading, improving our knot tying skills and just generally being lazy. We did some more fishing late in the afternoon and caught a couple of small fish. We decided it would be best to let them grow some more so we put them back.

Knot Tying in the Hammock (Along With Some Silliness)

Leave it to the 6 Year Old to Turn a Hammock Into a Swing

Great Spot for Story Time

Another Great Spot for Reading

 After dinner and getting everything cleaned up, I headed out for a paddle while the others chose to do some more reading. There were fish jumping everywhere. It was amazing. On my way back I spotted a bald eagle that flew right past the island we were staying on. I wasn't the only one who spotted it. The two loons on the lake (one on either end) were giving out their warning calls.

Another Great Sunset

Day 4

Today wasn't meant to be a long day distance wise. The plan was to paddle to the portage from Serpentine to North Rathbun, do the portage, paddle across North Rathbun, down the creek and then do the short portage into Rathbun.

Headed for the Portage

 The only hiccup with the plan for the day might be the 1415m portage from Serpentine into North Rathbun. This would be the longest portage we've done (other than on day trips when we didn't have much stuff). It started with a very steep uphill section and finished with a long gradual downhill. I got everyone setup to go, then set them on their way and then carried the rest of our stuff along the first 150m of the trail to get to the top of the hill. I eventually caught up to our older daughter who had stopped (about 600 m from the end) to battle some of the bugs that had been following her. I didn't meet the other kids until the end of the portage. They had no troubles at all (other than the bugs, but there was a strong breeze at the end of the portage that was helping). Sarah and I went back for the rest of the stuff and finished in good time. It felt good to get on the water again. We had lunch in the canoes, letting the wind blow us where it wanted to. We took some time to explore the marshy area between campsites 211 and 212 but discovered that the water was quite shallow and muddy. We backed out quickly for fear of getting stuck. We also spent a few minutes looking for the remains of a tramway in the area, but we had no luck locating them. North Rathbun is a beautiful lake (our older daughter pointed out that I said that about most of the lakes that we visited).

The rest of the journey was easy and uneventful. It was getting very hot again and we were all looking forward to cooling off in the lake. The water was so refreshing. 

After swimming we did some fishing. We had a few bites but didn't catch anything until we tried again later in the evening. Again all the fish we caught were small.

Site 202 From the Water

Another Incredible Sunset

Day 5

We had a slow start to the day. We slept in and we were in no hurry to get going. While we packed up we were visited by the wardens again. This was the third time in five days our permit was checked. We figure that's more than all other trips combined. It's great to see such a strong presence in the park.

The paddle to the portage into Anstruther was easy as was the portage. Our youngest daughter wanted to visit the waterfall again so we did that then got on the water. We had lunch on the water and made our way back to the access point.

We had an incredible five days out in the wilderness. It's so nice to be able to spend so much quality time as a family exploring and challenging ourselves. The only thing left to do was to bask in our bug bites, sore muscles and long lasting memories. 

Until next time Kawartha Highlands!

Bon Echo's Hidden Gems

When we visited Bon Echo Provincial Park last year we did the typical things a family might do including: playing at the beach, watching the sun come up over Mazinaw Rock, hiking the Clifftop Trail, visiting the Visitor Centre and taking in some of the programs offered. It was great and we all loved it. 

This year we wanted to add some variety to the trip so we thought we'd explore some of the lesser known parts of the parks.

We were visiting for three days and had hoped to do the Kishkebus Canoe Route on our full day. Just before leaving the house we noticed that there was a chance of thunderstorms on our second day so we modified our plan to do the canoe route on our first day.

We arrived at the park and were registered by 11:00. We unpacked the canoe, the kids, some water and snacks and headed out. It was a gorgeous day with very light winds which made for an easy paddle to the portage into Kishkebus Lake. We paddled along the rock and admired it's utter size and the amazing pictograph located along the water. Even though we've paddled here before, it hard not to be struck by the shear magnitude of this rock. If you visit the park make sure you take an opportunity to paddle the base of the rock. You won't be disappointed.

Paddling Along Mazinaw Rock

We had lunch on the water just before starting the portage into Kishkebus Lake. The portage is 1.5km in length. There are a couple of ups and downs but overall it's not a bad portage (though I'm a little out of practice). I actually walked the portage three times: once with the family to give our youngest member a ride should she need it (She did take a ride a couple of times but it was very brief.), once to get back to the start and once with the canoe. Our three year old daughter did a great job. She could totally do the portage on her own. If we were to do it again we'd do the portage in a single trip, which would speed thing up a great deal.

Finishing the Portage

 Upon completing the portage we were treated to an amazing lake. Lake Kishkebus is only accessible by portage. There are no cottages on it and the only other people we saw were the two canoes that we had seen on the portage. It felt as though we had left the hustle and bustle of Bon Echo Park behind in exchange for a remote northern lake. We loved paddling the lake. We were so busy taking it all in that we forgot to take pictures. I guess we'll have to go back. Since we had started so late we didn't think we had much time for playing on the lake but it looked as though there was a nice sandy beach on south west portion of the lake. We all agreed that we'd have to come back and spend more time here. 

The Put-in at Kishkebus

The portage out of Kishkebus was a quick and easy 60m leading into Shabomeka Lake. Shabomeka Lake is not in the park but was still a nice lake to paddle. There were very few cottages at the north end but as we made our way south we saw a lot more cottages. Since it was Sunday afternoon many of the cottagers were packing up and getting ready to leave. It looked as though there was a large (and very busy) beach on the east side of the lake. The portage out of Shabomeka is 40m around a small dam. We didn't look to hard for the portage trail. Instead we crossed the road the dam was on and put in on the downstream side. As we paddled down stream we noticed where we were supposed to have ended the portage.

Although the body of water that we portaged into was called Semicircle Lake, it seemed more like a meandering creek at first. The passage was somewhat narrow in spots and there were lots of lily pads but the water was very clear.

Semicircle Lake

Looking for Fish

Not too far into our paddle on Semicircle Lake we came to a large beaver dam. We probably could have found a way around it had we looked, but instead we decided to go over it. Sarah and I got out and lifted the canoe down. The kids enjoyed the ride down and we didn't loose anybody. We estimated the drop to be 40-50cm.  

Looking Back at the Beaver Dam

Shortly after the dam we came to another dam that was entirely submerged. As Sarah got out to pull us over she must have stepped off the pile of sticks because before we knew it she was chest deep in mud. She got back in the boat (we all had a good laugh) and we pushed ourselves over the dam instead. We meandered through the reeds and lily pads until we came to the open part of the lake. Though not large, the lake itself was peaceful and clear.

Open Portion of Semicircle Lake

The map shows a 40m portage from Semicircle Lake to Campbell Creek but as we approached the creek it appeared as though we might be able to bypass the portage. The portage was a small bridge over the creek. We figured we could just paddle under the bridge, which is exactly what we did.

Small Bridge Over Campbell Creek

The paddle through Campbell Creek was nice. Again the water was very clear and we spotted a number of fish. A large fish even broke the surface close by and startled many of us. The short paddle along the creek led us to another beaver dam before dumping into Mazinaw Lake. There's a short portage around the beaver dam, but we chose to go over the dam instead. This one was quite a bit higher than the previous one but we managed just fine. 

The paddle up Mazinaw Lake was long, but luckily the wind was at our backs. We stopped at the day use beach for a quick swim to cool off. This was a fantastic canoe route. It's a great day trip and a fairly safe way to see if you like canoe tripping. That being said it is a pretty full day. The group of inexperienced trippers we came across likely took in the neighbourhood of eight hours to complete the loop. The most challenging portion is the 1.5km portage, but if you take your time and rest as needed, it's totally doable. The downside to the route is that once you complete the portage you're committed to finishing the loop unless you want to do the portage again.

The next day we were hoping to do some hiking on the Abes and Essens trail but we were all pretty tired. We slept in then had a leisurely pancake breakfast. We hung around our site relaxing, reading, writing and napping. After lunch we headed for the beach and spent the rest of the afternoon there.

On our final day we packed up and decided to paddle Bon Echo Lake. We headed down the road past the cabins and discovered a dock with some parking nearby. When we arrived we saw another beautiful, wilderness lake. We were the only ones there. While we got things ready the kids hopped into the canoe and were ready to go. They decided where they would sit and where we would sit.

Kids Ready to Go

Once we rounded the corner of the bay with the dock the wind was strong and blowing right down the lake at us. 

Bon Echo Lake

Keeping Us on Track in a Strong Wind

We paddled to the western edge of the lake and found a marshy area. There was a small path through the marsh that we attempted to follow, but we didn't get far. 

Marsh

After exploring a bit we turned around and had the wind at our backs. Some of us decided we didn't need to paddle on the way back. Paddling Bon Echo Lake was great. There was nobody on the lake and despite the fact that the cabins are close to the lake we didn't see them or their occupants. There's something quite special about being the only ones on a lake.

Who's Steering This Boat?

After paddling we headed for the day use beach where we spent the remainder of the afternoon.

Bon Echo is a fantastic park with lots to do. On this trip we really enjoyed getting off the beaten path and exploring some of the lesser known and less frequently visited portions of the park. We will certainly be back to spend more time in these more remote sections of the park.

A Visit to Bon Echo

We recently spent 5 days at Bon Echo Provincial Park. The entire family had a great time. There was so much to do that we didn't even scratch the surface of our to-do list. It was the first time that we brought our bikes camping with us and we certainly put them to good use. I feel as though we biked 20 km in our first 24 hours, but that could be a bit of an exaggeration.

On our fist day we had lunch at the main beach then headed to our site to setup. Once we were setup we biked and did some swimming at the North Beach. The North Beach is much smaller than the Main Beach, the sand isn't as fine and there are lots of pebbles in the water but the view is far superior to that of the Main Beach.

North Beach with Mazinaw Rock in the background

Once everyone was shivering we headed back to the campsite to prepare our dinner. We had made some kabobs the night before, put them in a resealable bag (double then triple bagged) with some marinade. Come dinner time we just needed to start a fire and pop them on the grill. In addition to the kabobs we had bannock roasted on a stick. The kids really enjoy helping out. They get really excited when they can help prepare the food.

Bob, Not-Bob & Still-Not-Bob roasting bannock on a stick

Once we finished eating I took the two older kids (Bob & Not-Bob) for a bike ride to the Narrows while Sarah got Still-Not-Bob ready for bed. The Narrows is a great place to be while the sun is setting. Although you are looking East, the reflection of the sun off the rock creates an incredible view.

While we were at Bon Echo we took in a lot of the programming offered. On our second day Kevin Callan, The Happy Camper, was giving a 1 hour canoe tripping talk. We paddled from the North Beach (which was close to our site) to the Lagoon (map) where the presentation was being held. We weren't sure the kids would enjoy it but we thought we would give it a try, figuring we could always leave if they got bored. As it turns out they loved it. The presentation was very informative, humorous and really kept the kids' attention.

Kevin Callan helping Not-Bob with a heavy pack

Following the presentation we walked over to the Main Beach where we all had a great time swimming and playing in the sand. We made our way back to our site for a late lunch and a nap for the youngest member of the group, Still-Not-Bob. The others biked and played soccer at the grassy area of the comfort station. After nap time it was time to start preparing for dinner. We made nachos for dinner and S'mores for dessert.

Still-Not-Bob enjoying a S'more

After dinner we headed to the amphitheatre to see Kevin Callan give a talk about his family trip around Killarney last summer. You can find his videos of the trip here. Again the presentation was informative, entertaining and inspiring for the kids. One of the first things they said when we left was "When can we go to Killarney?". It's nice when they're asking to go places rather than us asking.

On the third day we decided that we would hike to the top of the Cliff Top Trail. You can take the Mugwump Ferry over for a small fee ($4 for adults/$3 for children) or you can paddle over and tie up at the dock. The ferry does not run on Tuesday or Thursdays making them good days to paddle over. We went on a Tuesday and only saw three other groups of people. The trail is only 1.5 km but is steep in places and has a lot of stairs. Having said that the kids did great. They got a little tired close to the top but nothing major. The trip was certainly a lot faster this time than it was two years ago. We made our way back down the trail and paddled along the rock for a bit observing some of the pictographs before heading back to the boat launch. Bob, Not-Bob & Sarah went for ice (outside the park) and then went to the visitor centre while I stayed behind while Still-Not-Bob was napping.

Snack at the top

We had pizza roasted over the fire for dinner. We've done this before with some success. Sadly this was probably our worst attempt. Not-Bob and Still-Not-Bob's pizzas were up first. They came off the grill just fine. For the most part the rest of us ended up with pizza that was either under-cooked in some spots or burnt in some (or even most) spots. I guess that's what happens when you forget to pack the make shift reflector oven. We'll work on it for next time.

The morning of the fourth day was cool so we got a fire going, which did little to heat us up but provided a great chance for cooking pancakes. It was a slow process but the pancakes turned out great. Once again everyone had a role in the cooking process. With our bellies full we biked to the High Pines Trail for the 1.7 km hike. As we arrived in the parking lot we spotted a baby snapping turtle. Once again the kids were great on the hike. The afternoon was filled with some biking, a stop at the gift shop and some burgers for dinner. After dinner we saw David Archibald perform at the amphitheatre. He's always popular with our kids. We make sure to see him at least once every summer at some park.

Snack time on the High Pines trail

On our final day Sarah took the kids to see a Living Fossils program while I packed up a bit. They really enjoyed the program and headed to the Visitor Centre afterwards to learn more about the native history of the park. Bob was very keen to learn about the pictograph and the stories behind them. Once we were done at the visitor centre we headed to our site to finish packing up and to have lunch. After lunch we were off to the main beach for an afternoon of swimming and playing in the sand. What a way to finish off the trip.

We had a busy five days but there were a few things that we didn't get to do. We didn't do any fishing. We had intended to but it seems that biking took over as the activity of choice. We saw lots of people fishing and heard from some of them say that Mazinaw Lake was a tough lake to fish. We'll have to give it a try next time.

In addition to car camping Bon Echo also offers some paddle-in/hike-in sites on Joeperry Lake. It's a neat lake with a beautiful beach at the North end. I thought it might be fun to paddle Joeperry and stop at the beach for lunch. It might also be worth testing out the fishing there.

Another point of interest in the park is the Kishkebus Canoe Route. It's a 21 km canoe route that essentially goes around the rock. The toughest part of the route would be a 1500 m portage from Mazinaw Lake to Kishkebus Lake. From there you could paddle across Kishkebus Lake and do a short portage into Shabomeka Lake. As you go into Shabomeka you leave the park and the shoreline is dotted with cottages. From Shabomeka Lake there is a 60 m portage around a dam into Semicircle Lake. Paddling across Semicircle Lake takes you to a 40 m lift over into Campbell Creek. The final lift over takes you from Cambell Creek back into Mazinaw Lake. With young kids I would likely do the route in reverse order in case we decided not to finish it. The lift overs and small lakes could make for some fun paddling. There are also a number of geocaches along the route that would be fun to try and find.

There is certainly lots to do at Bon Echo. We'll have to go back and do some more exploring.