Winter Activities

Cross-county skiing, snowshoeing, and other pastimes make winter something to celebrate in Kawarthas Northumberland

Come & fully experience the winter season. Find the perfect balance between city and country in Peterborough, enjoy some frosty Arts & Heritage Trail touring, or experience the quaint Victorian charm of Port Hope and Cobourg. Kawarthas Northumberland is a winter wonderland full of activities that you can enjoy in the great outdoors. The culinary scene in the region is one to excite and warm up your taste buds with traditional home cooking fare to fusion dishes and world wide inspired cuisine. Warm up with a fresh pasta, pot pie, spicy curry or a piping hot phở.

After a day of snowshoeing, hiking, cross-country skiing, or snowmobiling, relish the satisfaction of warming up next to the fire with a hot cup of cocoa and some freshly baked goods as you watch the sun set over a frozen lake.

Interested in ice fishing? See our dedicated Fishing page.

Find the Perfect Winter Activity

Enjoy snowshoeing, skiing or snowmobiling along our beautiful trails. Warm up with delicious feasts. Visit one of the many quaint small towns and villages just a short drive from one another, or just book a place to stay, stoke the woodstove, and curl up with a good book.

The links in the section will give you an overview of what’s on offer throughout the region during the winter season.

Skiing, Snowshoeing, and More

Kawarthas Northumberland offers access to many outdoor winter experiences, all within an hour or two of Canada’s biggest city. With plenty of trails, natural spaces, and outdoor activities, your winter getaway wouldn’t be complete without getting outside. Each activity and winter resort comes with countless pristine snowscapes to discover.

Grab your snowshoes or your cross-country skis and trek through kilometers of winding trails. Have your skates? Feel your blades slice into the ice on the Trent-Severn Waterway beneath the worlds highest lift lock. Or try the truly Canadian experience of pond hockey or curling on the doorstep of one of our all-season, lake-front resorts.

Drop your line into the hole and take in some of the best multi-species ice fishing in the province. Soak up the magic of the night sky in the Kawartha Highlands Signature Site, one of the closest dark sky sites to Ontario’s major urban centres. Whatever you choose, you will be left breathless in more ways than one.

Plan Your Winter Staycation

In Kawarthas Northumberland, we know outdoor winter experiences aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. Winter is traditionally a season of comfort and warmth, of great food and unwinding.

Quaint town like Port Hope, Bobcaygeon or Lakefield offer quaint Inns and B&Bs where you can get away from it all unplug and enjoy a warm meal or browse local and unique shops on the historic main streets.  Or you can escape into the silence at one of our lake-side resorts. Indulge yourself with the warmth of a wood fire, a cozy blanket, a good book & great company as you soak up the serene view of a snow-covered lake. Watch the snow fall around you and gaze at the constellations while submerged in a bubbling outdoor hot tub after a relaxing day at the resort’s spa. Winter Staycations can be this blissful.

Other Resources

Read More

The Kawarthas Northumberland blog is the place to go for longer stories and additional recommendations. Browse the articles below to find out more about winter in the region.

A child plays with blocks of coloured ice
Peterborough and the Kawarthas

Polarfest: A Selwyn Township Tradition Comes Roaring Back

Forty-three years ago, a group of brave souls jumped into Chemong Lake on a chilly February weekend. Little did they know the tradition would not only be alive and well four decades later, but their little gathering would grow into a community-wide festival featuring dozens of events and businesses in and around Selwyn Township. On

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A person bends to fix their traditional snowshoe
Day Trips

Where to Snowshoe in Kawarthas Northumberland

People who don’t like winter probably haven’t tried snowshoeing—there’s a quiet beauty to the woods on a snowy day that makes the season all worthwhile. If you’ve already got a pair of snowshoes, you’re ready to strike out for any one of Kawarthas Northumberland’s hiking and skiing trails. For those who want to give the

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