Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park: Buzzard Lake Loop (3 days / 20 km)

Kawartha Highlands is a mostly wild park on the Southern Edge of the Canadian Shield. It has some impressive rock cliffs and deep lakes with opportunities for trout fishing. Some of the Park has the occasional cottage or house, but the rugged terrain will quickly distract you as you paddle the lakes and traverse the, sometimes challenging, portages.

This short route was a beautiful paddle in the fall. With one slightly challenging portage and some beaver dams to navigate over, this could be challenging to a beginner, but not impossible. Taking three days to complete this loop gives you plenty of time to travel from camp to camp and navigate these hurdles at a slower pace.

Trip Completed: Late September 2020

Trip Summary

Starting Point: Long Lake

Ending Point: Long Lake

Total Distance: 20 km

Duration: 3 days

Difficulty: Beginner

Location

This route is located in Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park, just north of Peterborough. The access point on Long Lake can be reached from Long Lake Rd, just off of Highway 28.

Traditional Territory: This route in the Kawartha Highlands is located on the traditional territory of the Mississauga, Anishinabewaki and Haudenosaunee (source).

Maps & Resources

Guidebook: N/A

Map: Kawartha Highlands by Unlostify (Paper Map) and Kawartha Highlands by Unlostify (Digital Map useful for planning)

Campsite Permits: Campsites need to be booked ahead of time. You can access the parks reservation system here. Unlike Algonquin, where you book a site on a specific lake, in Kawartha Highlands you must book the specific campsite you want.

Outfitters & Shuttles

Outfitter: We did not use an outfitter for this trip, however there are a few outfitters in the area if you need to rent gear:

Land Canadian Adventures in Apsley

Adventure Outfitters in Lakefield

Kawartha Adventure Outfitters in Burleigh Falls.

Shuttle: A shuttle is not needed as thi...