This is park number 12 for me this year. Sharbot Lake provincial park is a great little park 3 hours east of Toronto on Highway 7. Even though this park is small it has a lot to offer. The park is situated between 2 lakes, Black Lake and Sharbot Lake. Both of the lakes are crystal clear. We were able to see several fish swimming around while out in the canoe. The park offers canoe and kayak rentals and it is just a short portage from Black Lake to Sharbot Lake. There are 2 small hiking trials, the Ridgeview Trail at 0.5 km and the Discovery Trail at 1.2 km. The Discovery Trail was a moderate trail. Even though the distance was short, it was a little more challenging than I expected. At the top of the ridge you are able to see both Black Lake and Sharbot Lake. There are 2 sandy beaches as well as a sandy dog exercise area.
This park offers many beautiful waterfront sites. Some have direct access to the water, while others are higher on the ridge and just overlook the water. It is located near highway 7 so you are able to hear the traffic in almost every area of the park. The traffic noise didn’t bother me to much as I’m from the city and a few cars driving by wasn’t the end of the world. Our site wasn't directly on the water, but we had a great view.
The peacefulness of sitting and looking out at the lake while having my morning coffee was just what I needed this weekend. Cooking breakfast in the forest just makes cooking so much better. On this trip we decided to have Mac & Cheese one night and Leftover Breakfast Hash the following morning. Throughout the day we had plenty of snacks including some meat and cheeses as well as one of my favourites Campfire Nacho Dip as well as some great craft beers. These last few trips I have just been going into the LCBO looking for beers with catchy names. The marketing on most craft beers is great! A lot of them have a little story on the back or some catchy name. This trip I tried Sawdust City Skinny Dippin' Stout, Whitewaters Last Light and Lake of Bays Low Tide. They were are really great beers. I think my favourite would be the Lake of Bays. It was a 90 calorie beer but didn't taste like most light beers. This years camping adventures have thought me a lot. I have learned to just slow down and take it all in.
This year has been full of adventures with so many friends and family and bringing them in to this part of my life has been incredible. Sharing these moments with the people you love is what it is all about. This was a great park to just go and chill for the weekend and enjoy the fall colours. The weather was perfect and there were very few campers around. It was so nice on October 1st that I went swimming in the lake. I don’t know if there has ever been a time where I was swimming in October!!
The last time I went camping this late in the season was in 2021 when I went to Tobermory National Park. I didn’t swim there but still enjoyed the warm weather. I was very surprised how warm the lake still was at this time of the year.
On our way home on Sunday, we decided to make a pit stop at Mark S. Burnham Provincial Park. This park is a day use only park located just outside of Peterborough on Hwy 7. This park offers a large picnic shelter as well as a nice hiking trail. Rosie and I hiked the trail and then found a table and had some lunch. I had lived in Peterborough for most of my life and never once stopped at this park. I’m glad I finally did. There were a lot of people there taking their fall family photos and just enjoying the 24 degree weather in October.
Overall this was a great weekend! Being able to tackle 2 provincial parks in one weekend was so fun! More places to scratch off my map! Next weekend is Thanksgiving here in Canada and I would like to get in another trip. My family doesn’t really do too many family dinners so getting away to another park might be the way I spend the long weekend. I am going to camp for as long as I possibly can this year. It brings me so much joy getting out of the city and exploring different parts of this beautiful province. This time of year with the cool nights and warm days is perfect for camping. I know a lot of Ontario Parks shut down after Thanksgiving but there are a few that are open all year round so I am hoping to check some of those out!
Until next time, happy camping 🏕️
Love,
Liz
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