Balsam Lake Provincial Park is located at 2238 Highway 48, in Kirkfield, ON. The park is made up of 8 campgrounds on ~450 acres of protected land in the Kawarthas. Speaking of the Kawarthas, Balsam Lake is one of the busiest lakes in the whole chain, and it is the largest by surface area. The park is a fisherman and boater's paradise, due to the area and the amenities. I visited in August 2025.
The first people to live in the Balsam Lake area were unsurprisingly the local Anishinaabeg people. Using their birchbark canoes, they pioneered routes on both land and, more notably, water. Said water routes would be used by European explorer Samuel de Champlain, who noted just how pristine the lake and its banks are. And because of the water's prestige, the Europeans took a fine interest in it, and purchased the land in 1923, via Treaty 20. Although this treaty remains controversial, it is generally accepted that the Mississauga and Ojibway community recieve a cash payment to move out of the land, and allow Europeans to own it. The trouble is, two important things were not settled. The first of which was farming rights - i.e., could the natives still farm the land? And the second, which was more important, how much money did the land cost? But regardless, bigger stick diplomacy rules, so the Europeans did as they chose. So by the 1850s, the area was being logged. The main usage of the logs was to assist in the production and distillation of whiskey, by the company Gooderham and Worts.
Yes, that is the same Gooderham and Worts based in the distillery district of Toronto. They used oak for whiskey barrels, and maple to be turned to charcoal. Image Source
Image of George Laidlaw Image Source
After the Gooderham and Worts company ran out of logs to log (which have grown back since, via regrowth and plantations), the parcel of land they owned was sold and split up. Most parcels were bought by farmers, who mainly used the land to grow crops for their cattle. But, other industries did exist, like a sawmill on the water, and two schoolhouses, located closer to modern-day Highway 48. Anyhow, majority of the land (excluding one schoolhouse) was purchased in the late 1800s by a Scottish immigrant named George Laidlaw. Although he worked at Gooderham and Worts for many years, it was his railway planning abilities that brought him fortune, and this is what allowed him to own and maintain the land for the rest of his life. The land was purchased by the Department of Lands in Forests in the 1960s, with the goal of creating a cool place for city dwellers to go, to escape the concrete. The man they chose to bring this vision to life was Bruce Duffin, the first superintendent. After workers built amenities such as outhouses, campsites, roads, and the park office, the park was opened to the public in 1968. If you look at pictures of Balsam Lake in the 60s, it is very clear that it was formerly a farm, and that the staff have done a great job reforesting the land. But that basically brings you to the park today (obviously excluding minor changes).
Balsam Lake Provincial Park is named after the lake, which was noted for its impressive stands of balsam fir, both before and after the logging of the area.
Balsam Lake offers:
- a long sandy beach, featuring 10 parking lots
- a boat launch and innumerable dock/boat slips
- fishing for pike, muskie, pickerel and bass
- paddling along the scenic shorelines
- day tripping to nearby Indian Point Provincial Park
- great birding conditions, especially in the kame areas
- a convenient location on the Trent-Severn Waterway
- dog-free, generator-free, radio-free, and walk-in campsites
- a rentable cottage on the water
- a volleyball court and playground by the beach
There are 5 hiking trails.
This trail is closed as of August 2025, due to the recent ice storm. This trail loops around a plantation and woodland that was planted in the aftermath of Gooderham and Worts' logging of the area. It also shows off rare species, such as the eastern ribbonsnake, and blue-spotted salamander. (no bikes)
This trail winds its way up the highest hill in the park, known as a kame. Kames are relatively rare, but are usually found in bushels, just like at Balsam Lake. At the top, you access a lookout deck, where you can return or take the Lorie's Link Trail to see more. The trail guides you with 12 interpretive panels (see below), telling you the story of this unique area. (bikes are not permitted - but if you do, make sure to take Lorie's Link on the return).
This trail is closed as of August 2025, due to the recent ice storm. This trail is an extra loop of the Woodland Trail. The loop encircles a beaver pond, featuring a wide variety of unique habitat. This trail also shows off the pine and white spruce plantations of the 1960s. (no bikes)
The Lakeshore Legacy Trail is the second guided trail of the park, and it is easily the most popular. This is because up until 2012, this trail was a literal highway, known as King's Highway 46. There are many great informative signs along the trail telling its story, as well as nice views of Balsam Lake. The trail starts near Ash Campground in the south, and traverses north along the lake past the boat launch and beach, to the northeastern edge of the park. (bikes permitted)
This is my personal favourite trail at Balsam Lake. Starting at the lookout point, the trail veers northerly, atop a ridge. The ridge is very scenic, as there is alvar beneath you on both sides. The trail is beaming of life, so much so that wildflowers grow in between the track marks on the floor. There is a sunny section for just over a kilometre, before plunging down into a white birch plantation. This is followed by another short sunny section before entering a dense woodland plantation. This pine plantation is the most scenic one in the park, and it reminds me of the Fire Tower Trail at Restoule. The trail then ends at the main road, with an access to the Pond Loop. This trail has much landscape variation, and shows off all of what the area has to offer. (definitely bikable if you want to, and people do, but technically it is not allowed.
Expand the collapsible groups on the images below to see the full Lookout Trail sign collection.
This park is nice and confusing, so pay attention. After a long drive from the park sign, you'll see Woodland Trail parking lot on your left, followed by the Lookout Trail on your right. The dump is on your left. You'll now reach the park office and a roundabout.
The first exit takes you to a few campgrounds. Firstly, it's Poplar campground on your right, followed by the comfort station. Next it's Cedar Campground on your left, and then Maple Campground after a bend in the road. This road used to loop back to the rest of the campgrounds, but this was closed.
The second exit takes you to more campgrounds. After a long drive, it's the Ontario Parks store, rental cottage and boat launch, before a turn right. Once you've turned, the campgrounds in order are Elm, Oak and Ash on the left side of the road, with Fir and Hawthorn on the right.
The third exit takes you to the ten beach parking lots, as well as the three group campsites. The beach can also be accessed via a road accessed near the Ontario Parks store.
The Lookout and Lorie's Link Trails are accessed via a parking lot just past the store, with the Woodland and Pond trails being accessed from a mirror parking lot about 100m up the road. The Lakeshore Legacy Trail is accessed from numerous places along the shoreline.
The docks and boat slips, near the launch.
Note that the photos in this section are not explicitly from this park, they are good photos of species that live here.
White tailed deer
A globally rare alvar ecosystem (see SPOTLIGHT)
Tall pine and spruce plantations
Birds of prey, such as osprey
I shouldn't be saying this, but I recommend biking the first half of the Lookout Trail to the actual lookout point, and taking Lorie's Link as a loop back to the main road. It's fairly easy to bike (other than a few loose rock spots), and it gets you around quicker, so you can explore this large park.
Swim at the canoe launch. It's a nice rocky bottom, that is not nearly as busy as the beach or boat launch.
Book in Ash or Oak Campground, if you like the water. Book in Cedar, Maple, or Hawthorn, if you like quiet.
Book sites 200 - 207 specifically, as they have designated private water access ladders.
Poplar Campground is very sunny, because it's part of the alvar section of the park. Don't book in the middle of summer.
If you want to play volleyball, there's a court by the beach.
If you want to play soccer, there's a field beside comfort station 2, which is in between Ash and Oak Campgrounds. This field has very few bumps, and is very large. If this field is being used (which is likely), there's one beside site 535 in Hawthorn Campground, right before the Eco Sites.
Not to be confused with the Ontario Parks store inside the park, the Park Store is a convenience store and ice cream shop just outside the park. There is a trail to access it in Ash Campground. Although it's past its prime for popularity, I do recommend getting Kawartha Dairy ice cream from there.
Day trip to McRae Point, Mara, or best of all, Indian Point.
60% of all of the world's alvar is found in Ontario. Now what is alvar? Good question, and one that I didn't know the answer to for an embarassing number of years. Anyways, alvar is a type of prairie, made predominantly of grasses that is characterized for its short structure (also called shortgrass prairie). The reason for the size is that alvar sits atop a bed of limestone, making it impossible for roots to penetrate the earth's surface deep enough to grow tall. This is also why majority of the world's alvar is in Canada, and specifically Ontario. Canada is mostly covered by limestone (the Canadian Shield), and in Ontario, much of the plants that did penetrate the surface deep over time were removed (by deforestation or agriculture). This meant that shortgrasses could thrive once the areas were abandoned, like when loggers run out of logs (see HISTORY). And now, due to forest succession and Ontario's unique position, we are left with lots of alvar. If you want to see alvar, do the Lorie's Link and Lookout Trails, and there's an informational sign at the circle roundabout (which just so happens to be alvar, too).
I like this park, specifically Lorie's Link. It's so unique to me, as a guy who lives nowhere near alvar and ridges like that. Not only this, but the water is pretty clear and warm, and the general amenities were alright. And although I don't like beach - centric parks, this one has other stuff to do alongside a nice beach. I rate it an 8/10, for what it is.
September 2022
August 2025
