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Canada
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Bancroft

Natural Joy! Cosy Canoe Cottage

Hosted by Paul · Bancroft, Ontario

4 guests max · 2 bedrooms · 2 beds · 1 toilet

100%

72 reviews

Best cabins: Finalist

Named one of the best Hipcamps to visit in 2024.

Romantic

Recent Hipcampers say this Hipcamp is romantic.

All to yourself

100% of recent Hipcampers say this Hipcamp felt private.

Boat-in

This Hipcamp is accessible by boat.

The cottage is at the edge of a large wilderness area. We supply an ultra-safe large canoe with paddles and lifejackets. It's an easy and fun 15 minute paddle to reach the cottage. The cottage is an artistic gem on a safe and quiet lake with beavers and loons and numerous bird species -- owls, herons, hawks, ospreys, and many migratory songbirds. In over 20 years of experience on the lake, we've seen no bears. It's a cosy three-room place with a small bedroom (8x12) with an antique double bed; a main room (16 x12) with a single bed; and a kitchen (8X12). Sleeps 3, max. Access to the cottage is up a short set of irregular stone stairs from the lake. This could be an impediment for elderly or frail people. The lake is not a private lake. There are other cottages. But it's a very quiet lake and often there's no one else there. The landscape is very similar to Algonquin Park's. North Kawartha is famous as the birthplace of the canoe. This is a thinly-populated landscape of rugged granite bluffs, thickly-forested hills and valleys, and gorgeous lakes that remain quiet and peaceful even during the hottest summer weeks. This place was made by and for lovers, artists, poets, musicians, dreamers, writers, environmentalists, ecologists, escapists...and their children. Enjoy!This is an ideal cosy semi-wilderness getaway place for a couple, or a couple with a kid, or for a couple of friends who want separate rooms. Come and smell the pines! The cottage is accessible by canoe (we provide an ultra-safe Grumman 17 foot canoe, paddles and life jackets) after the lake thaws in late April. In the Spring, there are wonderful clear vistas and there's forest walking with great visibility. The woodstove keeps it totally cosy indoors. There is often perfect seclusion with no one else on the lake. In summer, it's a magically rustic summer escape with fabulous swimming in a warm lake. In the fall the colours come alive! The cottage is an artistic gem on a safe and quiet lake with beavers and loons and numerous bird species -- owls, herons, hawks, ospreys, and many migratory songbirds. In over 20 years experience on the lake we've seen no bears. It's a cosy three-room place with a small bedroom (8x12) with an antique double bed; a main room (16 x12) with a single bed; and a kitchen (8X12). Sleeps 3, max. There's a cheery, pleasant and kid-friendly outhouse about 15 feet from the back door of the cottage. Groups of 2, or 2 people and a child, maximum. No big dogs, and no more than one small dog per group. There are beavers active nearby as well as porcupines and lots of other wildlife that we don't want disturbed by dogs. Access is by canoe only. It's a simple 15-minute paddle from the car park (except on the rare days its extremely windy, in which case canoeing steering skills and paddling strength are needed). We provide an ultra-safe very-hard-to-tip Grumman 17 foot aluminum canoe as well as life jackets and paddles. Or, bring your own canoe, but no motorized craft, thanks. The place is great for swimming, hiking, sailing, fishing, landscape painting, writing poetry, making music, napping, and lazing on the dock in the afternoon sun. (Kitchen dancing has been known to happen from time to time as well). There's a campfire pit with cooking counters and benches and a set of pots for small campfires and cookouts by the dock. So, depending on the weather, and your inclination, you can cook indoors on gas, or outdoors on the fire. The cottage has a fully-equipped indoor kitchen, put together by people who love to cook, and eat, and socialize over food and wine and music. There's solar-powered lighting, and a solar-powered cooler that keeps drinks and food cold. There's mininal phone service - texting works fairly reliably, but phone and email/mobile internet connection is sporadic at best. There's a wood stove for cool nights (bring some wood). We have 20 acres of forest so lots of room to roam and gather wood for your outdoor campfires. If you're burning our cut logs in the woodstove indoors please leave us a few bucks to pay for our wood cutting costs. The lake has about 15-20 cottages but we're in a secluded cove with open forest for miles to the south and east behind our cottage. There are no roads anywhere near us. However, there's a small cabin about 150 metres to the north, and every once in a while the owners use it and that does break the seclusion. They're respectful and friendly, and they seldom come. From our dock there are half a dozen docks visible along the forested southeast shore of the lake. If you come on weekdays you will likely have near-total seclusion. But the summer weekends are much busier, especially the holiday weekends. After Sept 1 the whole lake is completely quiet. If you want near-total seclusion come anytime between Sept 5 and May 24. This place was made by and for lovers, artists, poets, musicians, dreamers, writers, environmentalists, ecologists, escapists...and their children. Enjoy!

What to expect

Boat access only

Site is only accessible by boat

Cabin

You'll have this Hipcamp all to yourself.

4 guests max

Campfires allowed

Firepit, wood burning fireplace. summer outdoor fires are mostly banned except small cooking fires

Toilet available

Pit toilet. Arguably the most elegant and classy outhouse on earth

Pets allowed

Off leash

Potable water available

Bottled water or jugs

Bins available

Trash bin

Cooking equipment present

Grill over firepit, bbq, private, stovetop or hot plate, cookware, cooking utensils, dishware, cutlery, basic seasoning and oils

Picnic table present

No showers

Bathe in lake

No wifi

Laundry absent

Things to know

Getting there

Check in: After 2:00 PM

Check out: Before 2:00 PM

On arrival: Head straight to site

Access: By boat

Cancellation policy: Strict (21 Days)

Minimum nights: 2 nights

Accepts bookings: 12 months out

No wheelchair access

Max 1 vehicle

During your trip

Follow the

Leave it better

Inclusion policyWe have a zero-tolerance policy against discrimination at Hipcamp. We are committed to helping our Host and Hipcamper communities be inclusive.

Lodging

1 site

Canoe Cottage Summer & Fall Joy!

100%

(86)

Cabin · Sleeps 4 · 2 bedrooms · 2 beds · 1 toilet

This is an ideal cosy semi-wilderness getaway place for a couple, or a couple with a kid, or for a couple of friends who want separate rooms. Come and smell the pines! The cottage is accessible by canoe (we provide an ultra-safe Grumman 17 foot canoe, paddles and life jackets) after the lake thaws in late April. In the Spring, there are wonderful clear vistas and there's forest walking with great visibility. The woodstove keeps it totally cosy indoors. There is often perfect seclusion with no one else on the lake. In summer, it's a magically rustic summer escape with fabulous swimming in a warm lake. In the fall the colours come alive! The cottage is an artistic gem on a safe and quiet lake with beavers and loons and numerous bird species -- owls, herons, hawks, ospreys, and many migratory songbirds. In over 20 years experience on the lake we've seen no bears. It's a cosy three-room place with a small bedroom (8x12) with an antique double bed; a main room (16 x12) with a single bed; and a kitchen (8X12). Sleeps 3, max. There's a cheery, pleasant and kid-friendly outhouse about 15 feet from the back door of the cottage. Groups of 2, or 2 people and a child, maximum. No big dogs, and no more than one small dog per group. There are beavers active nearby as well as porcupines and lots of other wildlife that we don't want disturbed by dogs. Access is by canoe only. It's a simple 15-minute paddle from the car park (except on the rare days its extremely windy, in which case canoeing steering skills and paddling strength are needed). We provide an ultra-safe very-hard-to-tip Grumman 17 foot aluminum canoe as well as life jackets and paddles. Or, bring your own canoe, but no motorized craft, thanks. The place is great for swimming, hiking, sailing, fishing, landscape painting, writing poetry, making music, napping, and lazing on the dock in the afternoon sun. (Kitchen dancing has been known to happen from time to time as well). There's a campfire pit with cooking counters and benches and a set of pots for small campfires and cookouts by the dock. So, depending on the weather, and your inclination, you can cook indoors on gas, or outdoors on the fire. The cottage has a fully-equipped indoor kitchen, put together by people who love to cook, and eat, and socialize over food and wine and music. There's solar-powered lighting, and a solar-powered cooler that keeps drinks and food cold. There's mininal phone service - texting works fairly reliably, but phone and email/mobile internet connection is sporadic at best. There's a wood stove for cool nights (bring some wood). We have 20 acres of forest so lots of room to roam and gather wood for your outdoor campfires. If you're burning our cut logs in the woodstove indoors please leave us a few bucks to pay for our wood cutting costs. The lake has about 15-20 cottages but we're in a secluded cove with open forest for miles to the south and east behind our cottage. There are no roads anywhere near us. However, there's a small cabin about 150 metres to the north, and every once in a while the owners use it and that does break the seclusion. They're respectful and friendly, and they seldom come. From our dock there are half a dozen docks visible along the forested southeast shore of the lake. If you come on weekdays you will likely have near-total seclusion. But the summer weekends are much busier, especially the holiday weekends. After Sept 1 the whole lake is completely quiet. If you want near-total seclusion come anytime between Sept 5 and May 24. This place was made by and for lovers, artists, poets, musicians, dreamers, writers, environmentalists, ecologists, escapists...and their children. Enjoy!

Boat access only

Campfires allowed

Toilet

Potable water

Pets allowed

No showers

Reviews

100% Recommend87 ratings · 72 reviews

Recommends

· July 2026

Natural Joy! Cosy Canoe Cottage

Things to know

Lodging

Canoe Cottage Summer & Fall Joy!

Reviews

Location

Hosted by Paul W.

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