Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park, Provincial park in Peterborough County, Canada
Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park covers 375 square kilometres north and east of the main Kawartha Lakes, mostly in North Kawartha township, Peterborough County. It encloses Bottle, Sucker and Anstruther Lakes plus many smaller lakes, with cottages and access roads inside its boundaries. The park office is offsite in Bancroft.
The park began as a wilderness tract of 18.6 square kilometres around Bottle and Sucker Lakes, reachable mainly by canoe and portage. In June 2003 it was enlarged to 375 square kilometres, taking in many smaller lakes and all of Anstruther Lake. It became officially operational in May 2011, when ministry permits for camping and parking were introduced.
The area has long been a destination for water-based activities like canoeing and fishing, where visitors practice their skills across different lakes. People use the waterways not just for recreation but to experience nature directly.
Visitors should obtain provincial permits since these are required for camping and parking at the site. Campsites provide basic facilities like picnic tables and fire rings for guests.
The park office is not in the park at all: it sits offsite in Bancroft, Ontario, sharing quarters with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. Some cottages on Serpentine and Copper Lakes still have no land title, and their owners keep using motor boats inside the park.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,108 contributors worldwide.