Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park: Long Lake to Cherry Lake (2 days / 21 km)
This trip starts at the Long Lake Access Point located at the end of Long Lake Rd, off of Hwy 28 south of the town of Apsley Ontario. The access point is technically on the property of Long Lake Lodge so be very careful to use the appropriate provincial park parking and launching spot. DO NOT use the docks for launching canoes as the lodge owners are adamantly against this and instead, use the sandy beach as your put-in. There are bathrooms available to park users but there are no other park facilities.
You will find the standard billboard map of the area located at the put-in and here you will find a form to fill out with basic reservation details to be left on your vehicle’s dashboard. Vehicles are checked regularly by park wardens.
This route is suitable for intermediate paddlers due to long days of travel and some challenging sections during low water conditions.
Trip Completed: September 2022
Trip Summary
Location: Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park.
Traditional Territory: This route takes place on the traditional territory of Anishinabewaki and Mississauga (source).
Maps and Resources
Guidebook: None
Map: Unlostify: Kawartha Highlands
Route Planner: Click here to view and modify this route in the interactive Route Planner.
Permits and Reservations
Campsite Reservations: Reservations are required and can be made through the Ontario Parks Reservation System. Select the ‘Backcountry’ tab, then select “Kawartha Highlands” for the destination and “Long Lake Access Point” for the access point.
Permits: Permits must be printed and brought with you. There is a small form to be left in your vehicle with basic reservation details that can be obtained at the Long Lake access point.
Know Before You Go
Season: The best time of year to travel this route would be in spring and early summer as water levels get low in mid to late summer. We did the route in September and water levels were a bit low.
Cell Reception: Cell reception can be found at the access point and intermittently throughout the area.
Water: There is easy access to water that can be filtered for drinking.
Wildlife Considerations: It is a good idea to hang your food as there are animals like raccoons, mice and other small critters who can chew through some materials in search of tasty treats. There are black bears in the area; the park will provide information to visitors at the access point of any recent activity to be aware of.
Waste: At the time of this trip there were no garbage facilities at the access point so be prepared to take your garbage home with you.
Outfitters and Shuttles
Outfitters: There are canoe rentals available at the access point through Long Lake Lodge. Kawartha Adventure Rentals will also deliver to this and other nearby access points. Wildrock Outfitters in Peterborough have canoe rentals as well as some camping gear such as food barrels and canoe packs.
Shuttle: This route is a loop, so no shuttle is required.
Day 1: Long Lake to Cherry Lake (10.5 km)
We arrived at the access point mid-morning and found it was already busy, which was to be expected for a gorgeous early September weekend. The access area is fairly small so we opted to park our car and walk our gear the short distance over to the put-in on the beach. The rangers were there greeting park users and checking that everyone had a permit, which visitors are required to carry on them while in the park.
We set off paddling down Long Lake, which is of course very aptly named. Due to its long and narrow nature, there is often a headwind in one direction or another and if you have luck like I do, there’s a good chance you’ll have a headwind in both directions! It’s impossible to miss the impressive cliffs along the north shore of the lake not far from the starting point.
You’ll paddle a few kilometres before the lake narrows significantly as you approach Loucks Lake; it’s worth noting that both Long Lake and Loucks Lake have cottages accessible by boat only, so expect motorboat traffic, even through this narrow and shallow section.
Portage from Loucks Lake to Compass Lake (65 m): The portage out of the south side of Loucks Lake (65 m) and is located directly beside a cottage and is a short and easy trail; however during low water seasons, it’s possible to add an additional 600 m. We happened to be out after a very hot and dry summer and while it seemed as if there was enough water for us to paddle through, in reality we had barely enough water and had to dig into the peat mounds and muck with our paddles and push ourselves along very, very slowly. It was tough going and we wondered if it would have been more energy efficient to have done the lengthy portage instead.
The paddle across Compass Lake was uneventful and easy which we appreciated as the day was getting on and we were getting tired.
Portage from Compass Lake to Cherry Creek (160 m): The portage out of Compass Lake into Cherry Creek is located directly beside the portage into Stoplog Lake so be sure to take the appropriate trail which is marked with provincial park signage. This portage is well-worn and easy to follow, made up of fairly flat terrain and takes you to Cherry Creek.
Once on Cherry Creek, there is one more small 30 m portage that finally takes you into Cherry Lake where we would camp on site 540.
Campsite: The campsite itself is small and level, made up of 2 tiers of land with enough room for 2-3 tents, maybe more if you don’t mind getting cozy. There is a thunderbox well away from the social areas of the site itself and a fire pit ring within the social space. There is a perfect rock outcrop that dips into the water making for the perfect place to take a swim. The sun hits this site all afternoon and into the evening so we took advantage of what was left of the hot sun and enjoyed a well-deserved and refreshing swim before setting up our tent and tarp. The weather was expected to turn overnight so we wanted to be prepared for the impending rain.
| Total Distance | 10.5 km |
| Portaging Distance | 255 m |
| Number of Portages | 3 |
| Campsite Reservation | Campsite 540 |
Day 2: Cherry Lake to Long Lake (10.5 km)
The weather definitely changed during the night and we experienced some very heavy rain and a significant temperature drop. We had a quick breakfast and packed up our site before making our departure.
Portage from Cherry Lake to Cox Lake (1.1 km): We left our site and paddled northwest toward Triangle Lake and the approximately 1100 m portage that would take us into Cox Lake. This portage was a more challenging trail with some steep sections to be aware of. Good, supportive footwear is suggested when crossing this trail.
Cox Lake is a small lake with lots of rocky shoreline. There are a few campsites on this lake, all are perched on rock outcrops, providing great views to enjoy. There is one private property on the lake worthy of noting.
Portage out of Cox Lake – East Side (60 m): There is a short and easy portage out of Cox Lake into a marshy narrow, which was about a kilometer before ending at the last portage of the trip.
Portage into Loucks Lake – West Side (115 m): The portage is easy to find at the end of the creek with well-marked signage as well as a floating dock that you can’t miss. The trail is easy to cross but it does have a rocky put-in at the Loucks Lake end due to low water levels. We didn’t have any other issues with low water conditions on this trip other than in this one notorious section.
From here, we simply retraced our route back to the Long Lake access point.
| Total Distance | 7.5 km |
| Portaging Distance | 1285 m |
| Number of Portages | 3 |
| Campsite Reservation | N/A |
Reflections
While it was nice to have some late summer conditions, the water levels we experienced made the trip especially challenging, extending our first day of travel by a few hours. Since we were only out for a weekend and had just one night, we really were hoping for a little more time at camp to relax and enjoy our surroundings. It would be entirely possible to do this trip over 2 nights, with several options for an alternate stay on the first night. It is a very quiet area of the park and with only one other site on the lake, it is worth the effort, especially if you’re satisfied by a challenge or if you’re simply in search of some solitude.
Author Bio
Hi, I’m Katie Boyd! I’m an avid adventure seeker, animal lover, bird nerd and overall outdoor enthusiast who loves whitewater and flatwater paddling and lives for exploring the backcountry with my husband, Jon and our dog Rosie. With a background in adventure tourism and an all-consuming passion for being in nature, I’m truly at my best when I’m in the bow of a canoe, rain or shine. Happy paddling!