Haliburton Forest and Wildlife Reserve spans 100 000 acres and 100 lakes. There is so much to do here, whatever the season. There are hiking and biking trails, fishing, camping, canopy tours, bikjoring, dog sledding, ice fishing, snow mobile trails, and there is also a wolf centre that you can check out. There is something for everyone here.
Camping with two littles was a bit scary for me, but my husband and his family, who are from Nova Scotia, are avid backwoods campers. This past winter when everything was shut down due to covid, my father-in-law built himself a shelter in their backyard to sleep in overnight…in the SNOW, just for fun! When we were finally able to have Nana and Pappy visit us from Nova Scotia, we knew we just had to plan a camping trip together. We chose to stay at Haliburton Forest, because they have campsites that you can drive into, but with the backwoods feel.
We arrived at the site around 3pm, got our tent set up and then made our way to the water. The boys were eager to get in. There was a gradual entry into the water, which was nice because the boys could stand and wade into the water…and it was warm! It was so nice to disconnect from technology and just enjoy each other’s company.]
I have to say, nothing compares to dinner cooked on a fire. The first night we had burgers and corn on the cob, which was placed in a water bath before putting on the fire. Some of the corn charred, but it didn’t matter…OMG…it was delicious! Of course, it wouldn’t be a campfire without s’mores for dessert.
The next day, we swam, played games, and paddled. We brought our kayaks and canoe with us from home, but you can also rent canoes at the front office for $25-$35 per day.
The lake was extremely quiet and peaceful. In fact, it was so peaceful that my typically active and energetic boy fell asleep on our kayak ride. I didn’t have the heart to wake him, so we stayed out a bit longer on the water. If you have ever felt that calmness that comes over you when a child falls asleep on you, I’m sure you can appreciate that feeling, but magnified by the stillness and serenity of being out on the lake surrounded by nature. I didn’t want it to end!
We decided to not stay the night because rain was expected overnight, and we really were not keen on sleeping or packing up in the rain. So, after dinner we packed up and capped off our day with one last paddle. It was the perfect end to our camping trip!
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