Back Roads, Forest Rides, and Starry Skies: 2 Nights, 3 Days Around Cloyne

Morning

• Start in Kaladar with a stop for lunch at Kaladar Station Restaurant, a straightforward, no-frills eatery where you can sit down, take your time, and ease into the day before heading further north. Sit on the patio and watch the traffic flow past on Highway 7.
• From here, the terrain begins to shift — more rock, more forest, and a sense that you’re moving deeper into a changing landscape.

Afternoon

• Make your way into Cloyne and stop at Milligan Meats to pick up what you need for the evening meal at your accommodation or campsite. Choose from fresh cuts of meat, house-made sausages, and simple prepared items that make it easy to put together a meal later without much effort.
• From there, continue on to Deerock Conservation Area, a quiet access point on Skootamatta Lake where the landscape opens up into exposed Canadian Shield and clear, calm water. A short trail leads from the parking area to the shoreline, with rock outcrops and natural clearings that make it easy to find your own space.
• This is the perfect place for an impromptu picnic or if you have your own canoe, kayak, or SUP, a paddle on the calm waters of the lake. Canoe/kayak rentals are available from Bon Echo Provincial Park, a 20-minute drive from the lake.

Evening

• Head into Bon Echo Provincial Park to settle in for the night, where Mazinaw Lake and the towering Mazinaw Rock set the tone for the evening. The rock rises nearly 100 metres straight out of the water, marked with Indigenous pictographs visible on the rock face. 
• Explore the trails at the park before dusk, then settle around the campfire and watch the stars appear one by one.

Morning

• Start the morning inside Bon Echo Provincial Park with a hike along the Shield Trail, a roughly five-kilometre loop that moves through hardwood forest, low wetlands, and stretches of exposed rock. 
• Consider booking a boat tour that takes you out to the 100-metre click face of Mazinaw Rock to see the Indigenous pictographs, and to learn more about the history of the place.
• Rent a canoe or kayak from the park to paddle the lake at a slower pace.
• Stop for a picnic lunch at your campsite dining on the goods you purchased the day before at Milligan Meats.
• On your way out of the park, stop at the Cloyne General Store to refuel — whether that’s gas, coffee, or anything you didn’t think to bring with you the day before.

Afternoon

• Continue toward Flinton Falls, where the water cuts through the rock in a compact but accessible setting just off the road. Located on the Skootamatta River, these falls have been altered with the addition of a concrete dam, but are still fun to see. Parking is available on Flinton Road for the Flinton Conservation Authority and the falls are only a short walk away. 
• Walk the the path around the falls, finding different vantage points, and taking in how the water moves through the landscape. 
• Head to the nearby L&A Forest Trails, a 10-kilometre network of single track and technical mountain biking trails that wind through the forest. Hiking or mountain biking are permitted. 

Evening

• As the light begins to fade, make your way to the Lennox & Addington Dark Sky Viewing Area, where the absence of light pollution changes the experience entirely. The sky opens up fully here, revealing constellations, the Milky Way, and the night sky that’s a challenge to find in more populated areas. 
• Stop for dinner at Lakeside Inn Restaurant & Bar, a local favourite known for their pizzas and hearty, homemade food. 

• Plan to stop for a final coffee from the Cloyne General Store. 
• Drink in a little more of the landscape in the park before you head out.