With Love, to Lanark County

Lanark County is a land of sweet contrasts, where dense forests of sugar maple border lush, green fields and you’re as likely to come across a cyclist as a farmer on one of the region’s winding roads. Urban and rural unite here to create a region that’s as colourful and varied as the patchwork quilt of the land itself.

Recreation is king, and paddling, hiking, cycling, and lazy days on the river or lake all seep into your soul, while above it all, the faint but lingering scent of maple makes its way into every corner and crevice of the landscape.

Come back to the places you remember and rediscover the moments that are Lanark County. There really is no place like home.

To Our Roads

The winding roads of Lanark County draw us closer, tempting us with the possibilities of freedom, adventure, and connection. These roads can be what you make of them, as long and quiet as a leisurely stroll on a warm summer’s day, or as wild and adventurous as the thrill of a breakneck pace on a downhill cycle. This is what road trips were made for, the chance to throw yourself full force into life and set out on an adventure of discovery.

Rediscover Our Road Trips: Lanark County is a region made for road trips – wander the Maple Trail and combine sweet maple syrup with a roadside adventure. Or take to the road for a Heritage Driving Tour that winds across Lanark County. The Heart of Lanark is a 125-kilometre road trip that starts and ends in Carleton Place.

To Our Maple Trees

Take a few steps into a Lanark County forest and you’ll come across the patriarch of the maples trees that gives Lanark County its much-loved maple syrup – the sugar maple. Wander the woodland trails that crisscross the landscape and listen for the rustling of the leaves that transform the forest into a blinding array of crimson reds, fiery oranges and brilliant yellows each fall. Embrace the forest and all within it.

Rediscover Our Forests: If there’s one place where they know both trees and maple syrup, it’s Temple’s Sugar Bush. Wander their Nature Trail and discover all there is to know about the forest and the birds and wildlife who inhabit it. Maple syrup is available for curbside pick-up at Temple’s or at Fulton’s Sugar Bush, or any number of sugarbushes scattered throughout the countryside. Book a maple-inspired overnight stay at Clyde Hall, a bed and breakfast situated on an mature sugar maple forest overlooking the Clyde River. Waken the next morning to breakfast made with maple syrup produced on site.

To Our Land

Everything tastes sweeter in Lanark County, where food is grown before making its way from farm to plate. More than just a beautiful backdrop for the eyes, the land here speaks to you, sharing the stories of the people who till the earth and tend its crops for us. If the Earth gives back what it receives, rest assured it is given lots of love in Lanark County.

Rediscover Our Land: Taste the flavour of wild apples at Ugly Apple. Lanark County breweries and distilleries here make their brews using grains and ingredients grown close to home. Savour the flavours of Lanark County by visiting a farm stand like Bowness Family Farm or Scotch Line Farm on a farm tour.

To Our Waterways

Time stands still on the lake or river, the hours whiled away to the sound of laughter, the call of the loon, or the gentle splish-splosh of fish leaping from their watery world. Waterside is where we gather to reconnect, to spend quiet moments sharing stories of river or lakeside adventures, dreaming of the next dip, the next wave, the next adventure.

Rediscover Our Waterways: If the Mississippi River is the mighty queen of the region, then the Tay River is its younger sister, lighter and flirtier. Explore the Tay from the home base of Perth Major Outfitters and paddle into Perth for a different perspective. Explore downtown Heritage Perth and dine outdoors under the sun or stars. For longer paddles explore one of Lanark County's many paddle routes that will take you on lakes and rivers, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Rideau Canal.

To Our Communities

Do you remember the stories of community barn raisings back in the good old days? When friends and neighbours stood together in good times and in bad? Those days aren’t long forgotten in Lanark County, where the region is small enough that if someone doesn’t know your name chances are they’ve heard it somewhere. It’s the people here who are the backbone of the community, whose spirit carries the region forever forward. They are #LanarkProud.

Rediscover Our Community: Feel the spirit of the community in the small towns and villages found throughout Lanark County. Stop by 1840s General Store in the village of Pakenham and chat while you pick up some home baked goodies to enjoy in the shelter of the Pakenham Five-Span Bridge, one of the Seven Wonders of Lanark County. Savour an ice cream cone from Scoops for a cool treat. Bring your walking shoes and gain a new perspective of the communities here with an outdoor walking tour.

With love,

From the Wanderer inside all of us XOXO