Strong
Best WindowMay through October; year-round at Ken Reid Conservation Area
Variantsday-hiking · rail-trail · family-friendly-walking
RegionKawartha Lakes, Ontario

Hiking.

Ken Reid Conservation Area sits on the headwater wetland of Lake Scugog, with 12 km of multi-use trails on 285 hectares of mixed forest and marsh. North of Lindsay, Balsam Lake Provincial Park's Lookout and Plantation trails work the campground peninsula, and Indian Point Provincial Park's day-use peninsula extends shoreline walking on the same lake — the watershed-summit lake at the highest navigable point on the Trent–Severn Waterway.

Hiking in Kawartha Lakes
01 — What to know

The brief.

The conservation-area and provincial-park trail networks inside the municipality are short-loop, day-hike infrastructure rather than long-distance routes. Ken Reid is open year-round; Balsam Lake and Indian Point are most active during the operating season.

The Victoria Rail Trail's 56 km Lindsay–Kinmount corridor is also walkable and runs along the former Victoria Railway alignment, climbing into the Land Between transition zone north of Lindsay. The Pigeon River Headwaters Conservation Area and the Omemee Wetland Trail sit in the southern corner of the municipality on the Pigeon River.

May through October is the easiest window; Ken Reid's surfaced loops stay walkable through winter.

02 — Locations

5. places.

  1. 01

    Ken Reid Conservation Area

    285 ha and 12+ km of multi-use trails on the Lake Scugog headwater wetland; Kawartha Conservation–managed.

  2. 02

    Balsam Lake Provincial Park

    Lookout Trail and Plantation Trail inside the campground on Balsam Lake — the highest navigable point on the Trent–Severn at 256.3 m.

  3. 03

    Indian Point Provincial Park

    Non-operating day-use peninsula on Balsam Lake; shoreline walking access without campground infrastructure.

  4. 04

    Pigeon River Headwaters Conservation Area

    Wetland day-hike on the upper Pigeon River corridor.

  5. 05

    Omemee Wetland Trail

    Pigeon River wetland walk near Omemee.

03 — Conditions

Today's read.

Air Quality
18
eu-aqi · low
UV Index
1.6
scale 0–11
Humidity
73%
relative
Visibility
22.3 km
clear
Temp
+3.9°
H 13° · L -1°
Sun
05:50 / 20:31
14h 41m daylight
A+
Prime conditions for hiking

Cold but firm — winter-ready conditions · light winds · clean air.