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Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Buckhorn, Lakefield and Stoney Lake
Come for 2 nights with a car: base in Lakefield or Buckhorn, boat the Trent-Severn locks, and day-trip the Petroglyphs. Without a car, skip it.
This is cottage country north of Peterborough: three villages (Buckhorn, Lakefield, Bridgenorth) strung along the Trent-Severn Waterway, plus Stoney Lake and Burleigh Falls. There is no town centre to walk; sights sit 15–50 min apart by car on Highway 28. Two nights covers the locks, one lake cruise and the Petroglyphs; a third adds Warsaw Caves or a Kawartha Highlands paddle.
- Country
- Canada
- Best months
- Jun–Sep for boating and swimming; late Sep–early Oct for colour
- Avoid
- Nov–Apr (many lodges and restaurants close; ice and snow)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CAD
- Money
- Currency is the Canadian dollar (CAD, $). Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere.
- Daily spend
- Budget C$90–140 excl. bed · Mid C$150–250 excl. bed · High C$300+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Rogers, Bell and Telus plus cheaper brands (Fido, Koodo, Public Mobile); prepaid SIMs in malls and stores. Canadian data is expensive — an eSIM is often cheaper.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Ontario Parks (Petroglyphs) +1 705-877-2552 · Buckhorn Welcome Centre +1 705-657-3288
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Same as the US.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 15–20% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: CAD 1–2 per drink.; Taxi: 10–15%.; Housekeeping: CAD 3–5 a night.; Guide: 10–20% of the tour price.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable; treat water from lakes and streams (giardia).
- Toilets
- Free in malls, Tim Hortons, stations and park visitor centres.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | C$2–4 |
| Pub burger or fish and chips | C$18–26 |
| Medium pizza | C$14–24 |
| Beer, draught pint | C$7–9 |
| Wine tasting at Kawartha Country Wines | check |
| Petroglyphs Provincial Park day use | check |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | C$20–40 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YYZ · Toronto Pearson
- About 1.5–2 h by car via Highway 407/115/28; the usual gateway.
- YPQ · Peterborough Regional
- Small field, limited scheduled service; check before planning around it.
Typical fares
- The Link bus, Peterborough → Lakefield
- weekdays except holidays, route 31; fare check
- Warsaw Caves day use
- C$19 per car, or C$10 adult / C$6 child walk-in
- Canoe rental, Warsaw Caves
- C$12.50/hr (2 h minimum) or C$50/day
Get around
A car is effectively required: Highway 28 is the spine, Peterborough is about 25–30 min south of Lakefield, and the Petroglyphs are about 50 min northeast. The Link bus (weekdays, no holidays) links Peterborough with Lakefield and Curve Lake (route 31) and Bridgenorth and Ennismore (route 32). Boats use the Trent-Severn Waterway; Lock 31 at Buckhorn, Lock 30 (Lovesick), Lock 27 (Young's Point) and Lakefield Marina take overnight moorings.
See and do
Known for
- Trent-Severn Waterway locks
- Stoney Lake and Buckhorn Lake cottages
- Petroglyphs Provincial Park rock carvings
- Warsaw Caves
- Kawartha Country Wines
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Petroglyphs Provincial Park | Car via County Road 4, 28 and 6 to 2249 Northeys Bay Rd, Woodview | About 50 min from Peterborough; 1 h+ from Lakefield |
| Warsaw Caves Conservation Area | Car to 289 Caves Rd, Warsaw | About 30–40 min from Lakefield |
| Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park | Car to a perimeter access point, then canoe | Varies by access point |
| Peterborough | Car via Highway 28, or The Link bus on weekdays | About 25–30 min by car |
| Bobcaygeon | Car via Highway 36 | About 25 km west of BuckhornAbout 16 mi west of Buckhorn |
| Fenelon Falls | Car via Highway 36 and 121 | About 18 km west of BobcaygeonAbout 11 mi west of Bobcaygeon |
Sleep
- Lakefield
- Only real village with a walkable main street, a marina and a 26-room inn; best base without a boat.
- Buckhorn
- On Lock 31, restaurants and a wine bar within a few minutes' walk; good for one night passing through on the waterway.
- Bridgenorth / Chemong Lake
- Closest to Peterborough (about 15 min); motels and the Chemong Lodge for dinner.
- Stoney Lake / Woodview
- Resorts and cottages on the water; you need a car for everything, and summer rates are the highest.
Language
English is the working language in most of Canada; French dominates Québec and parts of New Brunswick and Ontario. Québec's language law (Bill 96) makes French the language of signs, menus and services; a 'Bonjour' first earns goodwill, and in Montréal most people switch to English easily.
- Metric system: km, °C, litres — but people often give heights in feet.
- 'Eh', 'toque' (winter hat), 'loonie' and 'toonie' (CAD 1 and 2 coins), 'double-double' (coffee with two cream, two sugar).
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; 'Bonjour' first in Québec; avoid: Assuming everyone speaks English
- Queues: Line up and wait your turn; avoid: Pushing in
- Apologising: 'Sorry' is politeness, not admission of fault; avoid: Loud confrontation
- Canada vs US: Treat Canada as its own country; avoid: Calling Canadians American
- Indigenous culture: Buy from Indigenous-owned businesses and ask before photos at ceremonies; avoid: Wearing headdresses as costume
Scams and watch-outs
- No car means no practical way to reach the Petroglyphs, Warsaw Caves or most lakes.
- Many restaurants and lodges close from late November to spring; Cody Inn runs roughly March–November only.
- Petroglyphs Provincial Park: no vehicle access after 4:30PM, and in spring and fall it opens Tuesday–Sunday only.
- No photos at the petroglyph site itself.
- Cell coverage is patchy on the back roads between the lakes.
- Moose and deer on Highway 28 at dusk; drive slowly after dark.
Very safe for a rural area; the real risks are driving Highway 28 at dusk (deer and moose), cold lake water even in July, and no phone signal on back roads.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Buckhorn, Lakefield and Stoney Lake yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Trent-Severn Waterway locks
- Stoney Lake and Buckhorn Lake cottages
- Petroglyphs Provincial Park rock carvings
- Warsaw Caves
- Kawartha Country Wines
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Buckhorn District Tourist Association: buckhorn.ca/
- Ontario Parks — Petroglyphs Provincial Park: www.ontarioparks.com/park/petroglyphs
- Ontario Parks — Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park: www.ontarioparks.com/park/kawarthahighlands
- Otonabee Conservation — Warsaw Caves: www.otonabeeconservation.com/conservation-areas/warsaw-caves-conservation-area/
- Selwyn Township — The Link bus service: www.selwyntownship.ca/en/resident-services/bus-service-the-link.aspx
- Parks Canada — Trent-Severn Waterway: parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/on/trentsevern
- Wikivoyage: Buckhorn, Lakefield and Stoney Lake, revision 4877276 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4877276
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Buckhorn, Lakefield and Stoney Lake
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Ontario Parks (Petroglyphs)+1 705-877-2552
- Buckhorn Welcome Centre+1 705-657-3288
No embassies here; the US consulate-general is in Toronto, and most countries' missions are in Ottawa or Toronto.
Tipping: 15–20% at restaurants and bars, 10–15% for taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/buckhorn-lakefield-and-stoney-lake). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.