By Dorothy Mitchell — Last week we spent three amazing days exploring Bon Echo Provincial Park. If you’ve never been you’re missing out on something very special.
The most well-known feature of Bon Echo is Mazinaw Rock on the east side of Mazinaw Lake. We did not have any way to get up close as the park ferry was not running but we still were able to see great views from various stops along the Narrows and Beach Trail.
We started our first day hiking around the campground after we set up camp. It was very nice to see families able to finally enjoy getting back to nature. The campsite lots are beautiful and very private. Just walking around the campground we covered just over 5 km. A good start to our hiking plans.
The following morning we headed towards the Visitor Centre and decided to try the High Pines Trail first. After some ups and downs on the trail and some tricky footing we managed to complete the whole trail, ending the loop back at the parking lot. The trail was very well marked, and according to the trail map it is about 2 km.
On the way back to our site we also completed the Bon Echo Creek Trail. Luckily the bugs were not too bad. A few mosquitoes but that was about it. I did forget my hiking poles so had to create them. If you have any balance issues make sure you use hiking poles and of course proper footwear is a must.
After a full morning of hiking we worked up an appetite. It was time to get some lunch.
After a big campfire meal we decided we needed more exercise so we headed to the South Beach and Pet beach area. This hike took us along one of the beaches found in this wonderful park. We sat and watched many dogs enjoying their free time on the pet beach. It made me miss our dog. Sadly, he went to doggie heaven in 2020.
We headed to the end of the point thinking we were headed for the Narrows. None of my friends were interested in swimming across. Oh well, we did have fun watching new kayakers venture onto the water. Once we got back on the main trail we found our way to the Narrows. This is one of the best spots to see the magnificent Mazinaw Rock. After spending 15 minutes or so we decided it was almost happy hour so back to our campsite we went. This hike was 3.3 km.
On our last morning we did another walk around the campground before heading back to Napanee. We said good bye to our friends that were continuing their camping adventure. One hour later we were back home.
It’s so great to have an amazing provincial park like this practically in our back yard! We will go again again as there are many more trails to be explored. We can’t wait to get back.
About Dorothy Mitchell:
Dorothy grew up in Ajax, Ontario and moved to Napanee in 2016. She loves to hike, bike, kayak and explore beautiful L&A County. She retired in 2009 after 33 years with Canada Post and enjoys travelling with her husband to exotic places around the world.
