Family friendly activities in Bancroft, Ontario

0 Shares

We’ve been spending our summers at the cottage, located in Bancroft Ontario, for the past 16 years. But it’s taken a pandemic to get us to explore the area. Something we often took for granted because we wanted to spend our days on the dock. But having stayed up at the cottage for the entire summer allowed us to ease our ‘need’ to be lakeside 24/7 and get out and explore the townships’ surroundings.

Bancroft is approximately a 2 1/2 hour drive from the city of Toronto. Here’s some ideas whether you are heading there for a day trip or for an overnight stay.

Eagle’s Nest

One of my favourite spots in the area to take in the views. The best part is that it’s an easy, flat hike from the parking lot (located at the top of the hill) to the lookout point. From there, you can follow various paths through the hill for 180 degree views. I personally love coming up here in the Fall. It’s my favourite spot for family photos. You can spend anywhere from 15 minutes here to over an hour, depending on what you want to do and whether your kids are into trail walks or not. To help motivate our kids, we usually grab some coffee and Timbits at Tim Hortons (located just below the hill in town) and enjoy it at the lookout point.

Rock Hounding

Bancroft used to be a mining town, and often referred to as the Mineral Capital of Canada because because of the variety and quality of minerals that were found there. known for its mining industry. However, there are no more mines in operation and sadly, the government has buried the reminisce of the last remaining mine so you can’t even visit them. Regardless, Rock Hounding is still a huge draw for this area. Besides the annual 4-day rockhound gemboree that takes place on the August long weekend, there’s 3 other locations that you can visit during the 3 seasons.

The first (and our personal favourite) is Princess Sodalite rock farm, where you can both search for your own rocks ($1.50 per pound) or purchase specialty rocks in their store. The second spot is a small rock shop called Lakeside Gems, run by a geologist and offers mineral collecting field trips (most are about an hour away). And lastly, there’s the CN Rock Pile. The pile is made up of materials that were brought in from the Golden-Keene Quarry for the construction of the Town’s railway! Now, anyone is free to collect minerals here.

High Falls

This is one of the spots that we only discovered this year since we had a lot of time at the cottage. The crazy thing is, it’s only about a 10 minute drive from our cottage. The top of the Falls is a dam ( control the level of Baptiste Lake). There’s a little path in the woods that you can take to get to the bottom of the falls where the creek starts. We brought our frog nets with us and spent some time trying to catch them there. It’s a beautiful spot that’s easily accessible just from the parking lot. You could spend as little as 10 minutes here or up to an hour, depending on what you feel like seeing and doing. To get here, make sure you go up High Falls Trail and not Ray Road (according to Google Maps).

Egan Chutes

I can’t believe we’ve never visited this beautiful spot before this year. It’s probably one of the nicest easy hikes I’ve ever been on. A short 10 minute walk on a forest path will take you to the picturesque waterfall of this provincial park. If you keep walking past the Falls, you’ll come to a calm water bed with a sandy beach and some big rocks. It’s a perfect spot to sit and relax or enjoy a snack.

Kawartha Dairy

You can’t visit Bancroft without making a stop at the famous Kawartha Dairy shop. Probably the best ice cream you’ll ever have with some of the best flavours ever made. Be warned: the scoop sizes are off the chart. A ‘baby’ size is basically the equivalent of an large scoop anywhere else. Half of the fun is seeing if you’re able to finish it all.

Next to the Ice Cream shop, you can also enjoy a quick game of mini put. Dimples Mini Putt is run by a group of volunteers to help support individuals with special needs. It’s inexpensive (cash only) and fun. Make sure to check times and days as it’s only open Tuesday – Saturday and only during the Summer season.

Besides the miniature gold place, there’s a chip truck with some amazing fries. Try it with your ice cream; sweet and savory for the win!

Riverside Park & Freedom Skate Park

A perfect pit spot to enjoy some lunch and get the kids to run around and burn off some steam in the playground. You can either bring lunch with you and sit by the river, or grab something from town or from Wattle & Daub Cafe located right at the park.

You can also rent canoes, kayaks, skateboards and roller blades, which you can use at the skate park just past the playground (or bring your own from home; don’t forget the helmets and pads).

Horseback Riding Adventures

Technically not in Bancroft, the Highland Wilderness Tours is only about a 30 minute drive north to Maynooth. My niece went there for Horse riding camp but we found out that they offered 1 and 2 hour tours as well. Kyle and I joined my brother and niece on a two hour horse ride through the woods and ended up in a lake. It was such a relaxing and calming experience, even for beginners. To help Kyle along, the lead guide held his horse with a lead rope which took the pressure off Kyle from riding his horse properly. Apparently kids as young as 6 can enjoy this experience.

Near By – Algonquin Park

A short one hour drive from Bancroft will bring you to the South East entrance of Algonquin Park. After you purchase your day permit, it’s another short drive to the Algonquin Logging Museum. This museum includes both an indoor and outdoor exhibit. The outdoor exhibit is an easy 1.5km hike with exhibits and information along the path. You can purchase a guide but it’s not necessary as there’s signs with lots of information along the path. The hike will take you approximately one hour to complete as you stop and explore each exhibit along the way. My boys, who always complain about hiking, really enjoyed this adventure. It’s informative, outdoor and provides a fun way to learn about the logging industry in this area.