Get inspired with these one or two-night maple-infused getaways
Whether you’re travelling with family, friends, or with a partner, these itineraries will help you get the most out of maple season in Kawarthas Northumberland.
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Discover the art of maple tapping at Elmhirst’s Resort on Rice Lake. Enjoy family-friendly experiences, from syrup tapping and taffy on snow to wagon rides, outdoor fire pits and snowshoeing. Stay in cozy, family-size cottages with fireplaces and enjoy farm-to-table dining at the Hearthside Dining Room, where maple shines in dishes like smoked maple-glazed tofu and red fife wheat bread with whipped maple butter.
While at Elmhirst’s, take a trip to Peterborough to explore the Canadian Canoe Museum. Families can enjoy a canoe scavenger hunt while navigating the exhibits. They offer March Break programming and the Silver Bean Café is conveniently located inside the museum to satisfy your hunger with, of course, maple menu items.
If you’re visiting over the weekend of March 14th – 15th, head to the Warkworth Maple Syrup Festival. This picturesque small town comes alive to celebrate all things maple. Take the free shuttles to the Sandy Flat Sugar Bush for pancakes, sausages, and the famous maple syrup, horse-drawn wagon rides, maple taffy and live music. Back in town, stroll along Main Street to enjoy the beer garden, axe throwing, entertainment, indoor mini golf, artisan show and sale, plus shopping and dining options.
Start your getaway off with a guided tour of a sugar shack and indulge in a maple syrup tasting at Red Mill Maple Syrup just outside of Millbrook. Learn from these award-winning maple producers about the process from tree-to-table. Hike through their trails and pick up maple products to bring home or enjoy at your accommodation.
Next, drive into Millbrook for a romantic stroll through a charming historic village. You’ll feel like the star of your own rom-com walking down a main street so picturesque it’s been featured in several movies, including Let It Snow, Ice Princess and The Music Man. Take a break at the Peddler Bistro, a café in a heritage building, and enjoy a maple-infused butter tart.
For your accommodation, Wildwood Cottage Resort is just 15 minutes from Red Mill Maple. Warm up in your cottage with a wood-burning fireplace and unwind in the outdoor hot tub for a romantic night in.The next morning, tap into some sweet brunch options in Peterborough featuring local maple syrup. The Vine offers vegetarian and pescatarian dishes, The Railyard Café and Taphouse serves its famous “croffle” croissant-style waffle, and Ashburnham Ale House serves a hearty brunch until 2 p.m. on weekends.
The must-visit spot for any group of gals is Ste. Anne’s Spa. In March and April, they offer Maple Renewal, a refreshing day visit that includes your choice of a maple body scrub or a spa and wellness allowance, as well as a three-course lunch, afternoon tea and full access to the spa’s hydrotherapy pools, steam rooms, saunas and more.
After a full day of unwinding, slip into a deep sleep at Ste. Anne’s on-site accommodations or take a short drive to the charming Grafton Village Inn, which has been lovingly restored to reflect its 19th-century charm.
Start the next morning with coffee and a pastry at Ste. Anne’s Bakery, a certified gluten-free bakery just down the road from the Inn. Then, drive to nearby Brighton for shopping at stores like Marions Antiques, The Birdhouse Nature Store, Willow Boutique or Special Effects Lifestyle Boutique and Tearoom, where you can also enjoy lunch or afternoon tea. Then grab a local snack from Northumberland Fine Food, and head home well-fed and well-rested.
Looking for an even longer maple adventure? The Maple Route is a great choice.
This Kawarthas Northumberland itinerary will take you from Buckhorn in the north of the region down to Warkworth in the south, with many maple-themed stops along the way. Since the route features several luxurious accommodations, you may even decide to extend the trip to four or five days, the better to appreciate what each location has to offer.
The Kawarthas Northumberland blog is the place to go for longer stories and additional recommendations. Browse the articles below to find out more about maple in the region.
Maple season arrives this year at a time when people are primed to make the most of local experiences and national pastimes. Tapping trees, boiling syrup, and rolling maple taffy in the snow are annual traditions that can evoke rich, happy memories of Canadian spring—or create new ones for kids on their first trip to
Eliza Braden-Taylor is a cultural interpreter with the Curve Lake First Nation Cultural Centre. As maple syrup season approaches, we asked Eliza if she could share an Indigenous perspective on the history, meaning, and importance of maple season. She responded with a detailed and thoughtful account of the teachings she has encountered as a member
Check the shelves in a grocery store on either side of the country, and you’ll find plenty of foods that taste exactly the same as they do here in Ontario. So many experiences these days are standardized for consistency, it’s a real thrill to find something uniquely tied to a place and a community. That’s