This is Your Sign to Take That Road Trip and Explore Ontario's Highlands

Music up, windows down, discovering unexpected hidden gems and ticking adventures off  your bucket list. These are only a snapshot of the beauty of road trips. 

We set out on a four day, three-night road trip that took us across Ontario’s Highlands through Bancroft, Deacon, Cobden, Killaloe, Carleton Place, Smiths Falls, Perth and Maberly. Our story begins as we escape the hustle and bustle of the city and start our drive through the beautiful Ontario Highlands. 

Fresh air and trees for miles, we couldn’t wait to arrive at our accommodations for the next two nights: Deacon Escarpment Cabins & Camping.

We made our first stop in Bancroft at the Kawartha Dairy because no trip through Bancroft is complete without a Strawberry Ice Cream Cone. We were almost there when all of a sudden there was an unexpected waterfall to my left. On the first day, my favourite part of going on a road trip happened: discovering a hidden gem.

Enter Crooked Slide Park…a true hidden gem.

Crooked Slide Park on Byers Creek  is a reconstruction of an original log chute used by loggers in the early 1900s. Loggers would float logs from Hopefield, Brudenell, Wilno and Barry’s Bay to the Madawaska River. Since the creek had many narrow bends, the chute was built to divert water through the chute through a control dam. 

The logs would float along the chute and then fall into the water, and continue to the river. This was the perfect place to stretch our legs– toddler and doggo approved! We spent about 30 minutes here enjoying the unique log chute and learning about the history before we continued on to Deacon, ON.

Deacon Escarpment Cabins, Camping & Trails

Zac and Steph are the wonderful hosts at Deacon Escarpment Cabins, Camping & Trails. Together they built the 6 cabins and 30+ km of trails that show off the rocky outcrops, oak savannah forest, pines, ponds and stunning views of Golden Lake in the Bonnechere Valley below. 

The cabins are open for all four seasons. We were lucky enough to stay in the Sarah Lesley Cabin, a 2 bedroom, solar powered log cabin with our own private lookout with sunset and lake views.

We chose to have our belongings (and ourselves) carted up via the UTV (utility task vehicle). When travelling with a toddler and two dogs, we don’t exactly pack light so having the option of the shuttle was much appreciated. Once we got to the top we unpacked as quickly as possible and raced to the lookout for sunset. It was fairly cloudy but we were graced with some light and pretty colours.

The next morning we hiked from the cabin along the Rubber Boots Trail down to Rattray Lake where we spent the morning enjoying the 2 canoes provided (adult life jackets included). This hike was about a three kilometre round trip.

Getting Hungry…

The cabin has a full kitchen and barbecue but we wanted to adventure into Cobden to check out the Chip Pit, renowned for its poutine and hamburgers. It did not disappoint and we walked down to Cobden Beach to have a waterfront lunch view of Muskrat Lake. Our son loved playing at the park and Cobden Beach afterward.

We stopped at Grounded Brew Co. on our way out of town to grab a treat to enjoy on our second hike later that day. Grounded Brew Co. just opened earlier this summer and its apple fritters and coffee were delicious.

Time for Another Hike…

Located in Bonnechere Provincial Park, just east of the Algonquin Provincial Park Boundary, is Egg Rock. The trailhead is located on Turner road, 14.7 km from Cty Rd 58. Although it's only a 0.6 km hike, the hike up was very steep and I’m glad I put on my hiking shoes. We were rewarded with a bird’s eye view of Stringer Lake from the beautiful Whispering Winds Lookout.

Killaloe Station Park

Killaloe Station Park was the perfect spot to stop for dinner. Creekside Grill and the Original Beavertails location are situated right on a little creek where there is a small waterfall and covered bridge. We couldn’t resist the brownie beavertail and posing behind the photo wall.

The next morning it was time to say goodbye to the Deacon area and head east. We were shuttled out in the UTV by Zac and we truly appreciated the amazing hospitality and little touches like cold beverages in the fridge, fresh bedding and a wildflower bouquet that they provided for us during our stay.

Trains, Trains & More Trains

On our way to Smith’s Falls we stopped at Carleton Junction, Carleton Place’s newest multi-use community space. The train-themed park was a big hit with our son and the only way we could get him to leave was with the promises of more trains later that day. 

C’est Tout Bakery, Smiths Falls

But first…lunch! C’est Tout Bakery is located in Smiths Falls just minutes from the Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario, which we were headed to next. C’est Tout creates all menu items from scratch, fresh each day using as many locally sourced ingredients as possible.  The housemade lemonade quenched our thirst and we enjoyed the mushroom sourdough toast and chicken pesto sandwich. Best part was, they have a dog friendly patio so Penny and Zia got to come too.

The Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario

Located on 10.5 acres in the heart of Smiths Falls, The Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario was built in 1912 and is a National Historic Site. We explored the Canadian Northern 1112 Steam Locomotive, Canadian Pacific 6591 Diesel Electric Locomotive, the caboose, dining car, Dental Car CNR 150095, operator’s bay and the train station house during our visit. 

We felt like we were transported back in time, especially while inside the dental car, which is the only remaining dental car in North America. 

The dental car was first used as a sleeping car in the early 1900’s and travelled more than a million miles. From 1951-1977 it was used to service remote Northern Ontario for children’s dental visits. If you are so inclined, you can even book an overnight stay in one of the museum’s 3 cabooses for a unique glamping experience.

The museum offers something for everyone, no matter their age. Our son loved climbing aboard each car and pretending like we were riding on the trains. There was even a toy train and corn table that kept him entertained. My husband and I liked learning  the history behind the Operator’s Bay and how telegrams were sent on the trains. The outside grounds of the Museum are dog-friendly, which was so convenient for us as we could walk with them to the next train we were going to explore and then take turns going inside.

The Best Western: Parkside Inn & Spa

As we drove from Smith’s Falls to Perth we saw a few trees that had started to turn red, a reminder that while it was still very much summer, fall was on its way. But for now we were going to enjoy the last planned trip of the summer before going back to school! 
We checked into the Best Western: Parkside Inn & Spa right around dinner time which was perfect timing because we had heard from a number of people how delicious the on-site restaurant The Locks was. 

Our dog-friendly room was spacious and even had swan towels on the bed, which our son got a kick out of.

Whether you're a seasoned foodie or a casual diner, The Locks has a diverse menu that caters to all tastes and preferences. We kicked off the meal with Bacon Wrapped Scallops and Calamari and for the main courses we opted for the Blackened Chicken Penne and Beef Short Rib. The combination of flavourful dishes and aesthetic patio vibes guaranteed that we will definitely be back next time we are in Perth. The attentive wait staff even brought our dogs their own bowl of water.

Pool Party!

After Dinner we headed down to the pool where we relaxed and played in the water. There was ample space for both lap swimming and casual splashing around.

Stewart Park

Steps from the hotel is Stewart Park, a gorgeous green space full of bridges that cross the meandering Tay River. We spent the whole morning here taking in the tranquility while seeing wildlife such as monarchs and even a turtle.

River House Winery

A whirlwind adventure in Perth left us definitely wanting to come back one day to explore more. But for now we were off to Maberly to the River House Winery, a family farm turned into a stunning winery and most recently a wedding venue. As we drove up to River House the landscape was nothing short of picturesque. The charming entrance was marked with a classic sign and river views and as we got closer to the winery barn buildings we took in the sprawling vineyards. If we weren’t already married I would have loved to get married here! The stained glass windows were breathtaking.

We were fortunate to meet the owner John who was most hospitable and set us up with a tasting. We had small samples of a variety of diverse wines, my favourite being the Riesling. The ambiance of the outdoors was so fun, complete with lawn games, chess and other games. A must visit if you are in the Maberly area. Please note: the winery is not dog friendly.

Silver Lake and Sharbot Lake Provincial Park

When I saw how close we were to Silver Lake Provincial Park and Sharbot Lake Provincial Parks, I knew we had to stop for hikes at each of them. We have a goal of going to all 115 Ontario Provincial Parks and on this trip we were able to go to three of them (Bonnechere included). The hike at Silver Lake “Marsh Trail” was only 0.5 km but it winded through a wetland area and had a scenic boardwalk. We even had a snake visitor!

At Sharbot Lake we did the “Discovery and Ridgeview Trails” totaling 2.2 km. At the lookouts we were greeted by views of both Black Lake and Sharbot Lake. These two parks brought us to Park #58 and #59 that we have visited.

After taking in the golden hour we started our journey back home. The wide open roads, unique towns and unexpected adventures we encountered will hold a place in our hearts for many years to come and we can’t wait for our next trip back to Ontario’s Highlands.