Field Guide / 034 / 134

RegionGreater Madawaska, Ontario

Best WindowLate June through September for padd…

Drive · Ottawa60 min

Verified2026-05-05

Greater Madawaska.

45.27° N76.74° WGreater MadawaskaOntario25 activitiesVerified · 2026-05-05

01 — Abstract

Greater Madawaska is a Renfrew County township strung along the Madawaska River between the Algonquin Highlands and the Ottawa Valley, anchored by the village of Calabogie at the eastern end of Calabogie Lake. The township was formed in 2001 by the amalgamation of five former townships and covers 1,018 km² of Canadian Shield bedrock — the largest township by area in Renfrew County.

Calabogie Peaks Resort, founded in 1969 on the slope above Calabogie Lake, has the highest vertical drop among public ski hills in Ontario at 238 m and runs 24 trails plus the longest beginner trail in Ontario; about four kilometres east of the village, Calabogie Motorsports Park lays out the longest road course in Canada at 5.050 km, hosting CASC-OR regional racing through summer and the Calabogie Summer Classic in August. The Eagle's Nest / Manitou Mountain / Skywalk lookout — a 120 m quartzite cliff above Calabogie Lake — is the township's headline hike.

Downstream of Aumonds Bay toward Griffith, the Lower Madawaska River Provincial Park's 36 canoe-in campsites turn the river itself into a multi-day flatwater route through 1,200 ha of waterway-class Crown land. The K&P Rail Trail's western terminus is in Calabogie, on the former Kingston & Pembroke Railway corridor.

02 — Conditions

Today's read.

Air Quality

23

eu-aqi · low

UV Index

0.9

scale 0–11

Humidity

52%

relative

Visibility

35.4 km

clear

Temp

+3.3°

H 15° · L -1°

Sun

05:40 / 20:26

14h 46m daylight

A+

GOOD DAY TO BE OUTSIDE

Real-time conditions updated; AI field notes unavailable.

9-day high · -1° → 15°

03 — Claims

On the record.

Every claim sourced. Click through to the original.

04 — Featured

7. activities
worth your time

▲ signature · 2strong · 5also available · 18

Strong

01Late May through October; lookouts w…

Hiking

The Eagle's Nest / Manitou Mountain / Skywalk lookout network sits on a 120 m quartzite cliff above Calabogie Lake. Eagle's Nest itself is a 1.5 km approach on an old logging road climbing gradually to the principal lookout; combined with the Manitou Mountain and Skywalk trails, the loop strings together several rim viewpoints over the lake and the Madawaska valley. The Township of Greater Madawaska maintains the trails and the trailhead is free to park. The 6 km Griffith Uplands Trail, inside Lower Madawaska River Provincial Park at the western end of the township, adds a quieter forest hike.

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Strong

02May through October

Cycling

The K&P Rail Trail's Renfrew–Calabogie section runs roughly 32 km on the former Kingston & Pembroke Railway corridor, terminating at the village of Calabogie. Land purchased by the County of Renfrew from Canadian Pacific Railway in 2001 forms the basis of the rail-trail, which carries a flat gravel surface through wooded country and lake margins. The Calabogie end is the western anchor of the long-distance K&P system that runs south through Lanark Highlands and Frontenac County toward Kingston.

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Strong

03Late May through September; July and…

Paddling — Flatwater

The Madawaska River through the township threads a chain of dammed lakes — Centennial, Black Donald, Norcan, and Calabogie — that paddle as flatwater between dams. Lower Madawaska River Provincial Park, between Aumonds Bay and Griffith, is a non-operating waterway park with 36 canoe-in campsites scattered along the riverbanks (first come, first served) — a multi-day flatwater route through 1,200 ha of Crown land. Calabogie Lake itself supports day paddling, kayak rentals, and SUP from the village waterfront.

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Strong

04Late June through early September

Sailing & Boating

Calabogie Lake — created by damming the Madawaska in the village — is the township's primary sailing and motorboating water, with public and resort launches and the Calabogie Peaks lakefront dock. The lake supports day sailing, motorboating, and waterskiing through summer; the township's larger lake chain (Black Donald, Centennial) adds quieter cruising waters.

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Strong

05Late May through September for warmw…

Freshwater Fishing

The Madawaska River and its lake chain — Calabogie, Black Donald, Centennial — sit in Ontario Fisheries Management Zone 15. The waters carry smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, walleye, and northern pike, with lake trout in the deeper reaches of Black Donald. The Lower Madawaska River Provincial Park canoe-in campsite system makes multi-day boat-camping fishing trips practical along the river between Aumonds Bay and Griffith.

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▲ Signature

06Mid-December through March

Downhill Skiing & Snowboarding

Calabogie Peaks Resort sits on the slope above Calabogie Lake, four-season operations on a hill founded in 1969. The vertical drop measures 238 m (781 ft) — the highest among public ski hills in Ontario — across 24 trails served by two chairlifts and a carpet, with Ontario's longest beginner trail running off the upper hill back toward the lake. Ski-in/ski-out condos and hotel suites at the base put lodging directly on the lake.

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▲ Signature

07April through October; Calabogie Sum…

Motorized Touring

Calabogie Motorsports Park's 5.050 km circuit, four kilometres east of the village, is the longest road course in Canada. The track opened in September 2006 and ran the Castrol Canadian Touring Championship from 2007 to 2009 plus opening rounds of the Canadian Superbike Championship in 2008–2009; it now anchors the Ontario club-racing calendar with CASC-OR regional series, BMW / Porsche / Viper club track days, the high-performance driving school, and the August Calabogie Summer Classic — the biggest weekend of the year on the circuit.

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04b — Also available

18. more outings
surveyed.

Activities supported across Greater Madawaska without a featured write-up.

01
Trail Running
K&P Rail Trail (flat gravel)
02
Walking & Strolling
Calabogie village waterfront
03
Camping
backcountry · frontcountry
04
Horseback Riding
K&P Rail Trail (multi-use; horses permitted)
05
Nature & Discovery
nature-interpretation
06
Mountain Biking
cross-country · downhill
07
Rock Climbing
Eagle's Nest / Manitou cliff (informal local routes)
08
Paddling — Whitewater
Madawaska River through township (largely flatwater between dams; isolated rapids on Lower Madawaska section)
09
Diving & Snorkeling
Black Donald Lake (drowned village curiosity dives)
10
Swimming & Beach
lake-swim · beach-day
11
Cross-Country & Nordic
classic-xc
12
Snow Adventure
snowshoeing
13
Seasonal Phenomena
fall-colours
14
Wildlife Viewing
Lower Madawaska River corridor (moose, beaver, waterfowl)
15
Indigenous Experiences
Algonquins of Ontario settlement-area context (Pikwakanagan First Nation reserve at Golden Lake is in adjacent North Algona Wilberforce, not in-township)
16
Food & Drink
Village of Calabogie restaurants and cafes
17
Heritage & Culture
heritage-historic-site
18
Geology & Discovery
rockhounding