Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park

Some tips if you plan on doing a backcountry trip in Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park:

• Don't rent watercraft from the marinas within the park, specially if you plan on portaging. The selection is quite poor. There's a decent place on Highway 28 just alongside the east side of the park that is better equipped

• Find a map with portage routes and map out your trip beforehand. Google Maps is great for positioning but is missing a lot of the smaller throughfares and rivers. All the routes are well maintained and marked but they can be difficult to spot if you don't know where you're going!

• Don't be afraid of the more interior sites - the terrain is simple and the lakes are calm. It's well worth it to spend the extra time trekking to the more secluded areas, specially if you plan on fishing

• The water level will lower as the season progresses, and affects the routes you can take. There has been a lot of rain this August so water levels are still high but as the season comes to a close some portage routes will drain and become a sloppy mess to traverse

• Bears are rare but critters are plentiful. Make sure to keep your site clean & plan your bear hang before it gets too dark