1) Skating at the Peterborough Lift Lock
Snowy winter setting? Check. Healthy, fun activity in the foreground? Check. World’s largest highest hydraulic lift lock in the background? Also check. Skating on the Trent-Severn Waterway delivers a lot of bang for your buck — especially when you consider skating on it is completely free. Doublecheck the green safety flag is up, then grab your camera and go get creative.
2) Doube’s Trestle Bridge
PLEASE NOTE: Doube’s Trestle Bridge was damaged by fire in September 2024, making it impassible. Repairs are expected to take significant time, so do not attempt this route without verifying the trail has re-opened.
This one’s a winner in all seasons — you’ll see ski tracks on it in the winter and bike treads in the summer. The perspective is interesting from any angle, whether you shoot down its 200m length or out over Buttermilk Valley. A meandering creek runs under the bridge, woodlands grow to the east, and cows graze in the fields to the west. Just don’t forget to add the fact Doube’s Trestle Bridge was built in 1883 to your caption for good measure, and mention that it’s on the Trans Canada Trail!
3) Ranney Gorge Suspension Bridge
Another bridge that’s a winner in any season, the Ranney Gorge Suspension Bridge is touted by Narcity as “Ontario’s most scenic suspension bridge” and it offers a stunning view over the Trent River as well as great access to Ferris Provincial Park and the Trans Canada Trail. Get all the details here.
4) Presqu’ile Provincial Park
There are an infinite number of picturesque places along the shores Lake Ontario, but Presqu’ile Provincial Park is a very good bet for a dramatic Insta shot. In winter ice shelves form along the banks, and waves passing beneath shoot water into the air like whale spouts. The falling water then freezes into cone shapes nicknamed “ice volcanoes.” Catch these ephemeral formations on camera and you’ll be guaranteed a unique shot — just be sure to do it from a safe distance!
5) Kawartha Nordic Cabins
Want to look like a rugged frontiersperson? The log cabins at Kawartha Nordic certainly evoke that feeling. Or pose with a cup of hot cocoa for a rosy-cheeked selfie — your call. Either way these cabins are an extremely photogenic place to warm up. The surrounding trails, of course, are no slouch either.
6) Fleetwood Creek Lookout
Fleetwood Creek Natural Area offers a lookout platform to shoot the rolling landscape from, and this is a gorgeous spot in any season. Your biggest challenge as an Instagrammer will be deciding how to square crop all that beauty. As a bonus, when you’re done several scenic trails wend through the valley below.
7) Lakeside Sunsets
Are the above recommendations a little too specific for you? Go location scouting to find your own secret spots along the shores of the Trent-Severn Waterway, from Rice Lake, up along the Otonabee River, into Chemong Lake & Balsam Lake. Chances are you’ll capture some magical moments that’ll inspire you & your followers long after you’ve gone back home. Take a look at this one we had to share on our Instagram feed:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BrVZ7uFA4LN/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
8) Nature Trails
Our previous blogs and social posts are filled with places to stop for a photo op – you may notice some returning recommendations from our post on fall trails, for instance. While the leaves are down you stand a good chance of conveying the size of the old growth trees at Peter’s Wood, and the trails and wildlife at the Ken Reid Conservation Area will not disappoint. The lookout at Warsaw Caves affords a stunning view of the Indian River and a unique variety of selfie spots that will have you coming back in summer and fall too. (Just remember the caves themselves are closed during winter, for obvious safety reasons.)
9) Night Sky
If you’re used to living in the Greater Toronto Area, or any where else that has a lot of light pollution, you’re in for a treat with the night sky out here. Kawartha Highland Provincial Park is the largest park in southern Ontario after Algonquin, and its camping sites are canoe-access only. That means there are a bare minimum of facilities with artificial lighting in the area, and the results on a clear night are breathtaking. This is, in fact, one of the closest “Dark Sky” sites to Toronto. For photographers with a little extra time and the right equipment, there’s no better place to capture a starry sky.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BsgSqShDZOg/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
10) Food
With so many excellent restaurants offering unique local dishes (see our pieces on The Mill Restaurant and Pub and The Publican House), Kawarthas Northumberland is a foodspotter’s paradise. Take Peterborough’s The Food Forest (@TheFoodForest) mouthwatering shots as inspiration – 100% plant-based, gluten-free & gorgeous.
Share your moments!
We want to hear from you – what spots are your favourites? Did you visit any of the spots we collected above – we’d love to see your pics! Scroll down to find our social handles & tag us!
