Year-Round Fun: Cottages in Haliburton for Every Season
Haliburton is a county of Ontario, Canada, known as a tourist and cottage area in Central Ontario for its scenery and for its resident artists. It has three main regions: Algonquin Highlands, Highlands East, and Minden Hills. The county borders Algonquin Provincial Park on the north. With an abundance of beautiful lakes, dense forests, and charming small-town allure, it’s an idyllic destination for cottage getaway. There are many different activities to enjoy, such as fishing, water sports, hiking, and lounging on one of the many beautiful lakeside beaches. Check out one of our beautiful cottages to rent for your Haliburton vacation.
- 1.Reverence on Kennisis Lake
- 2.Princess Margaret Lottery Cottage
- 3.Sunny Pines Cottage on Beech Lake
- 4.Kawagama Lake
- 5.Glamor Lake
- 6.Haliburton Lake
- 7.Colbourne Lake
- 8.Trapper’s Point Lodge
- 9.The Forset Castle
- 10.Grace Lake
1/10.
Reverence on Kennisis Lake
This south facing, log-construction, four bedroom cottage on Kennisis Lake is located 20 minutes from the town of West Guilford and 30 minutes from Haliburton. Called “Reverence,” it is situated in the heart of the 100,000-acre Haliburton Forest, and surrounded by Canadian Shield granite outcrops, soaring trees, elevated views, and clean, deep water straight off the dock. The great room has a wrap around deck attached, with panoramic sunset views, propane barbeque, patio lounge set and sun loungers. There’s also an indoor sauna, gas fireplace, woodstove, pool table, Haliburton room, patio dining table with 6 chairs, an outdoor fire pit, a shoreline deck, a new dock that was installed in the Fall of 2022, two kayaks and one stand up paddleboard.
2/10.
Princess Margaret Lottery Cottage
This 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom Princess Margaret Lottery cottage is on the shores of Horseshoe Lake near Minden and 20 minutes from the town of Haliburton, with walk out access to the water and a large yard. There’s a gas fireplace on the main level, an electric fireplace on the lower level, a 3 season Muskoka Room, a propane barbeque, outdoor fire pit, and a canoe and kayak.
3/10.
Sunny Pines Cottage on Beech Lake
The Sunny Pines Cottage on Beech Lake, 5 minutes from Carnarvon, 15 minutes to Minden or Haliburton, and 30 minutes to Dorset, is a comfortable 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 1500 square foot lakefront retreat with 100 feet of waterfront. Amenities include a gas fireplace, board games, croquet, a barbeque, an outdoor dining table and fire pit, and on the water there’s a dock, lily pad, canoe, two kayaks, and two paddle boards.
4/10.
Kawagama Lake
This 3 bedroom, 1 bath, 1350 square feet Viceroy on Kawagama Lake, 10 minutes from the Dorset and a half hour from Huntsville and Bracebridge, has an indoor fireplace, a wall of windows, Muskoka room, and two decks, an upper and lower, overlooking the lake. There’s a wood fireplace, a barbeque and dining table on the deck, outdoor fire pit, and, on the water, an L-shaped dock with a swim ladder, two kayaks and a stand up paddle board.
5/10.
Glamor Lake
This 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom house, is a 10 minute drive to the town of Gooderham and 20 minutes to Kinmount and Haliburton. It was completed in 2023, and, with a cozy atmosphere created from stone finishes, open concept gathering and outside spaces, overlooks Glamor Lake from its wall of windows. Some amenities include a gas fireplace, barbeque, patio dining table, outdoor fire pit, lawn games, a private dock, a canoe, and two kayaks. There’s a public boat launch on the north side of the lake.
6/10.
Haliburton Lake
40 minutes from the town of West Guilford and from the town of Haliburton, this 7 bedroom, 6 bathrooms retreat sits on a 90-acre property with 600 feet of Haliburton Lake waterfront. Including a great room, a family room, and a Haliburton room, it has been luxuriously furnished with details like a custom Walnut dining table and French hardwood floors throughout. There is an expansive deck with a gas barbeque grill, , patio dining table with 12 chairs, patio lounge set, 8 Muskoka chairs, selection of lawn games, outdoor fire pit with seating for 10 (wood supplied), a gradual entry to the lake, a dock with swim ladder, a canoe, two kayaks, two stand up paddle boards, and sunset views over the lake. Nearby, Haliburton Highlands has mountain biking at Sir Sam’s, white water paddling at the Minden Whitewater Preserve with some of Canada’s best rapids, and five golf courses in the area.
7/10.
Colbourne Lake
Built in 2005, this gorgeous 4-season, 2,600 square foot, 4 bedroom “True North Log Homes” cottage overlooks Colbourne Lake in the Haliburton Highlands. Located about 15 minutes from the village of Cardiff and 30 minutes from the town of Haliburton, to get to the house, you take a long private driveway through the middle of the property’s 26 acres. It is centrally located for day trips to Muskoka, Algonquin Park, and Peterborough.The interior main level of the cottage is a spacious open concept kitchen/dining/living area finished with wood clad walls and wood clad ceilings with rustic wood beams, rich engineered hardwood floorings and comfortable furnishings throughout. Three walls of large picture windows and glass doors fill the entire space with soft natural lighting and the glass doors enable direct walk-out to the cottage’s large covered wrap-around deck and open side deck. There are four fireplaces: a wood fireplace in the main level living room, and 3 propane fireplaces in bedrooms. Outside, there’s a covered deck, patio dining table with 4 chairs and umbrella on deck, and a fire bowl with four Muskoka chairs. By the water, there’s a private boat launch on property, two ramps to the dock with a swim ladder, two Muskoka chairs, a 16 ft. canoe, a 10 ft. kayak, a stand up paddle board and a 5 person pedal boat. The beach consists of shallow hard packed sand and gravel with 300 feet of natural shoreline. Fishing is excellent with bass and trout being your most likely catch. Nearby, there are private hiking trails and an original century old log cabin to check out not too far from the current cottage. In the winter, there is snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, and an E-trail for ATV riding and snowmobiling at the end of the long private driveway.
8/10.
Trapper’s Point Lodge
This custom-built, 4 bedroom, 3,300 square foot log cottage, named “Trapper’s Point Lodge” is on 50 acres of land on the shores of Slipper Lake, 25 minutes from the village of Dorset on the shores of the Lake of Bays. This cottage is extremely private, with only two other cottages on the whole lake, working out to 2,500 feet of private water frontage. It is located on a point of land allowing for all day sun. The spacious interior has plenty of ambient light from the multitude of windows throughout, with pine floors, pine and log walls and comfy furnishings. There is a fireplace in the living room, and a screened-in Muskoka room. On the deck is a propane barbeque, and outside is a fire pit, a lakeside gazebo, a dock with a ramp, a swim ladder, swim raft, five wood chairs, and a rowboat, canoe, two kayaks, and two paddle boards to use.
9/10.
The Forest Castle
The Forest Castle is the name of this custom built, 5 bedroom, 3 storey lake house on 67+ acre property along Otter Lake, 20 minutes to the town of Minden, 25 minutes to Rosedale, and a half hour to Haliburton. Inside, the wall of windows stretching to the peak of the vaulted ceiling in the great room face south, allowing tons of natural light. There is a wood burning fireplace in the living room, and the kitchen even has a built-in espresso machine. The lower level has a pool table, electric fireplace, and walk out access to the hot tub overlooking the lake. The large wrap around deck overlooks the grounds, and has a barbeque and outdoor dining area. Outside, there’s an outdoor fire pit, lawn games, a long dock with four Muskoka chairs, a kayak and a paddle boat. Nearby, the Haliburton Highlands has much to offer nature lovers and adventurers, including the Haliburton Forest and Wildlife Reserve, Haliburton Forest Wolf Centre and Haliburton Skyline Park. For the avid paddlers, check out the Minden Whitewater Preserve with 100 acres of park to walk near some of Canada’s best rapids. There are also 3 km of biking trails available in summer.
10/10.
Grace Lake
This wonderful 5 bedroom cottage is located near town at the end of a quiet lane on a large, flat 2 acre lot on Grace Lake, a 5 minute drive from the town of Wilberforce and 30 minutes from either Haliburton or Bancroft. It has 300 feet of sandy and shallow swimming, and is bordered on one side by a natural creek and wetlands where fish, frogs and other wildlife are often spotted, and tall trees tower overhead providing some shade. Inside, the great room has a vaulted ceiling, tall windows overlooking the lake, large-screen TV, and a lovely stone fireplace. Downstairs, the family room offers its own lake views, with a spacious conversation area, a second TV, woodstove, and games area with a six-person card table, foosball, and shuffleboard table. The large wraparound deck has a barbeque, picnic tables, and Muskoka chairs for you to sit back, relax and enjoy the lake and creek views. Outside, there’s a fire pit, wooden Muskoka chairs, and three picnic tables. By the water there’s a dock and swim raft with ladder, a canoe, and an aluminum boat with oars.
Booking a cottage is the first step in planning your Haliburton vacation. Next is your itinerary and activities. With so much to do, see, and experience, Halibrton has something for everyone. Explore cottage country with ease, and we have lots of information that can help you plan your perfect cottage vacation. If we can help in any way, please send us an email or give us a call.
More Reading on Cottage Vacation Planning:
The Ultimate Cottage Packing List
What to Do When it’s Raining on Vacation at the Cottage
Dog Safety Tips for Cottage Country
Cottage vs Cabin: Differences Between Vacation Homes
Alex Laframboise
Alex is a champion of Ontario’s cottage lifestyle, leveraging her love for nature and years of management expertise to create unforgettable rental experiences. Cottaging near Lake Nipissing, Alex developed a deep connection to cottage country, which inspires her storytelling and marketing work at Cottage Vacations.
