Length of stay: 3 days
Visited: July 2026

We had some pretty extreme weather this past week with record-breaking temperatures followed by poor air quality from recent wildfires in northwestern Ontario. We had planned to spend a few days at the cabin over the weekend and even booked some time off work. Thankfully we got some much needed rain the day before we were leaving which seemed to clear up the heat, humidity and smoky skies.

Day 1: A Bit of Hiking and a Bit of Canoeing

We left home Sunday morning a bit later than we had intended. It’s been awhile since we visited the cabin and we’ve forgotten how much extra stuff we have to pack when travelling with a toddler. There was a bit of traffic on the road, which would only get worse throughout the day. We made a few stops along the drive to pick up some cheese and garlic cheese sticks from the Mapledale Cheese Factory as well as some groceries near town.

By the time we parked at the top of the hill leading into the cabin it was around 2:30pm. We used to be able to drive into the cabin many years ago, but the road has seen better days. So we normally just walk in with all our stuff now. It’s not a far walk, just under a kilometre, and we could use the exercise, especially after sitting in the car all morning. M managed to walk most of the way in with her backpack (full of stuffies).

It was sunny, breezy and 22°C outside. A nice change of pace from earlier in the week when it was in the high 30s and felt close to 45°C with the humidity. While bug spray was needed, it wasn’t too bad down by the shore where the cabin is located.

We lounged around for the rest of the afternoon, enjoying the nice weather. Dinner was pretty simple: a kale salad (using kale from the garden) and a grilled cheese sandwich with homemade bread and some of the cheese we picked up from the cheese factory. Afterwards we went for a long canoe ride around the bay. This was M’s first time in the canoe. She did pretty well and enjoyed dipping her hands in the water. But she also kept moving around a lot, which made it a bit tricky to balance at times.

We returned to shore with plenty of daylight still left. While the cabin typically provides a great view for watching the sunset, M and I settled down to bed before it got dark outside. Next time.

Day 2: Beach Day at Bon Echo

The lake was nice and calm the next morning. There was a light layer of mist on top of the water that quickly disappeared with the rising sun. The forecast was calling for another beautiful day of sunshine and comfortable temperatures.

We planned to spend the day at Bon Echo Provincial Park which is less than a 10 minute drive from the cabin. So after eating breakfast, we got right to it. We arrived at the park around 9:30am and headed to the Paddle Centre Office. Our game plan was to rent a canoe to paddle to the trailhead for the Cliff Top Trail then paddle around the base of the cliffs to look for pictographs. All canoe rentals are available on a first-come, first-served basis. And while there were plenty of canoes in the Lagoon when we arrived, there was an issue with the payment system. Some people had been waiting in line since it opened at 9am.

To kill some time in the hopes that the issue would get resolved, we headed to the Visitor Centre. Except that didn’t open until 11am. So we returned to the Main Beach. We planned to go for a swim anyway. And this way M got to spend more time playing in the water and sand, which she didn’t seem to mind.

After a couple of hours it looked like the issue with the payment system had been resolved, except it was now windy and the water was choppy. We’d have to save our canoe ride along Mazinaw Rock for another time. We ate some lunch at one of the shaded picnic tables near the Main Beach then decided to explore on foot. We walked to the Narrows, a small channel where the upper and lower Mazinaw Lakes meet. It also provided a nice viewpoint of the towering cliffs.

We then walked to the Visitor Centre which was now open. It’s located in one of the original cottages from the Bon Echo Inn, a resort that predated the park from the early 1900s. Inside the building there’s a series of exhibits that explain more about the history of the lake and connection of Mazinaw Rock to the Indigenous people, as well as the history of how the park was created. We didn’t stay long though as little M was getting tired and was in need of a nap.

So we wrapped things up and returned to the cabin. We took it easy for the rest of the afternoon. The forecast was calling for rain the next day so we made another trek to the car to drop off some empty containers, our towels from the beach and other things we wouldn’t need anymore.

After dinner we went for another canoe ride when the water was calmer, this time exploring the other side of the lake.

Day 3: More Time at the Beach

The weather forecast was calling for heavy rain throughout the day so we planned to leave early in the morning. By the time we got up the rain hadn’t started, so I made a couple of trips to the car to drop off our sleeping bags, pillows and bags while K heated up some water for tea and coffee then got started on breakfast. Along the walk to and from the car I stopped to take a few pictures of some interesting fungi found along the road.

While it did rain while we were eating, it wasn’t torrential and it didn’t last long. The clouds even started to clear a bit and we enjoyed a bit of sunshine. But by that point we had already packed up most of our stuff and cleaned up around the cabin. M had such a fun time at the beach yesterday so we decided to return to Bon Echo for a couple of hours before heading home.

It was blustery by the beach and the water was wavy. It definitely looked like a storm was brewing. After about an hour and a half the wind picked up so we took that as a sign to pack up. It turned out to be a good decision as after a few minutes of driving it started to pour.

The drive home took longer than expected. Here we thought Toronto traffic wouldn’t be so bad on a Tuesday afternoon. Turns out it’s just always awful. But it’s a drive we’ll have to repeat soon as we’ll be returning to the cabin in a couple of weeks before embarking on our road trip around the Gaspé Peninsula.

L