Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business The Haliburton Highlands are a lake-filled corner of Central Ontario where granite ridges, maple forest and more than six hundred lakes make up the classic cottage country landscape. A few hours from Toronto, Ottawa and Barrie, the county feels far removed from city life. You can climb a lookout tower, walk a treetop boardwalk, paddle quiet bays, stroll a sculpture forest and still be back for a pastry in a small village.
Haliburton County sits on one of the higher parts of the Canadian Shield, a rolling landscape of hills, lakes and forest between the busier Muskoka region and the vast wilderness of Algonquin Provincial Park.
The area also has a strong arts scene, with galleries, a summer festival and an art and design school. Tourism drives the local economy, and the population swells in summer when cottagers arrive, so you will find plenty of places that cater to visitors.
Haliburton village sits on Head Lake, and a small hilltop park above town offers a quick view over the water and rooftops. It is reachable by car and makes a good first stop to get your bearings.
The Haliburton Sculpture Forest is an outdoor collection of works by Canadian and international artists. Photo: Fakeman73, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Set in Glebe Park, this outdoor collection holds works by Canadian and international artists placed along forest paths. It is open from dawn to dusk, and in summer guided tours are offered on certain days.
The former railway station in Haliburton is now the Rails End Gallery and Arts Centre. Photo: Arvindh Viswanathan, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
The village railway line opened in 1878 and was lifted in 1980, but the old station survives as a gallery and arts centre.
A tree-top boardwalk in Haliburton Forest rises as high as twenty metres above the ground. Photo: Dave Rooney from Richmond, ON, Canada, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
The museum covers the settlement story of the county, from pioneer days to the cottage era. It is accessible and friendly for families.
Volunteers at the hatchery raise Haliburton Gold lake trout, a genetically distinct population that survives in some local lakes, before releasing them to support local fishing.
This privately run forest covers about three hundred square kilometres and mixes research, education and recreation. Highlights include a tree-top boardwalk, some five hundred metres long and up to twenty metres off the ground, as well as hiking, fishing and a wolf education centre.
The Dorset Lookout Tower gives a wide view over Lake of Bays and the forest. Photo: mr.rakeshgupta@gmail…, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
The tower stands north of the village of Dorset, just off Highway 35, and its platform looks across Lake of Bays and endless forest. The site has picnic areas, a gift shop and a hiking trail.
Near Carnarvon, the museum covers pioneer history, and the nearby Hawk Lake Log Chute is the only one of its kind still standing in Ontario. The nearby lookout gives a wide view of several lakes.
The rail trail runs about thirty-six kilometres between Kinmount and Haliburton on gravel and cinders and is suitable for walking and cycling.
This whitewater facility on the Gull River hosted the canoe slalom events at the 2015 Pan American Games. Visitors can watch paddlers, walk the trails or camp on site.
The Minden Wild Water Preserve hosted canoe slalom events at the 2015 Pan American Games. Photo: hkaito, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
In the south-east corner of the county, the park has sandy beaches, hiking and mountain biking trails, and canoe and kayak rentals. A longer hiking route leads to a scenic lookout.
Silent Lake Provincial Park offers beaches, trails and paddling in the south-east of the county. Photo: Sikander Iqbal, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
For multi-day paddling and backcountry camping, the water trails offer routes in the Frost Centre and Poker Lakes areas. Reservations are required, and there are no services at the campsites, so come with full gear and experience.
Maple season in March and April brings pancake barns and sugar bush tours, where you can taste fresh maple syrup and try taffy on snow, a traditional treat of hot syrup poured over clean snow.
Small restaurants serve homemade pies and tarts, and craft breweries around Carnarvon and Minden offer tasting rooms and patios. Plan meals ahead on weekdays in shoulder seasons, since many local places keep limited days.
Popular dishes to try in Haliburton Highlands
Cottage rentals, cabins and small resorts are spread across the county, so you can choose between remote lakeside quiet and village convenience.
Haliburton Village is the best all-round base, with shops, restaurants and the Sculpture Forest in easy reach. Minden suits visitors arriving from the south, and its main street has pubs, a museum and the whitewater preserve nearby.
Dorset is a small community on Lake of Bays near the lookout tower, popular with families who want swimming and a general store atmosphere.
Where to stay in Haliburton Highlands
Summer is peak season, with warm lakes, long days and the Haliburton Art and Craft Festival on the fourth weekend of July. Highways can be congested on summer weekends, so aim for midweek if you can.
Spring means maple season and quiet trails, though insects appear in late spring. Winter brings snowshoeing, skiing and snowmobiling, while the Haliburton International Film Festival fills November.
Most visitors arrive by car. From the south, Highway 35 leads from Toronto and Highway 28 from Peterborough, while Highway 118 comes in from Bracebridge in the west and Highway 28 from Ottawa and eastern Ontario. There are no scheduled flights, though the county has a small municipal airport for general aviation and many lakes suit floatplanes.
Highways here are two lanes and twisty, so plan extra time. Highway 35 runs north to south, Highway 118 runs east to west, and Highway 60 serves Oxtongue Lake. The county measures around seventy kilometres each way, so a car is essential.
Base yourself in Haliburton village.
Spend the morning at Haliburton Forest with the canopy walk, then drive to Dorset for the lookout tower and a swim or paddle on Lake of Bays.
Head to Minden for the whitewater preserve and a stop in town, or continue to Silent Lake for a hike and a picnic.
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