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Spring Joy! Cosy Canoe Cottage

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· Bancroft, Hastings, Ontario
20 acres hosted by Paul W.
1 lodging site
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Best cabins: Finalist
Named one of the best Hipcamps to visit in 2023.
Paul is a Star Host
Star Hosts are highly rated, responsive, and committed to providing incredible experiences.
Off-leash friendly
Pets can be off-leash at this Hipcamp.
All to yourself
100% of recent Hipcampers say this Hipcamp felt private.
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!
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58 ratings · 46 reviews
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Kurt V.recommends
October 24, 2023
Canoe Cottage Summer & Fall Joy!
Spent an incredibly cozy fall weekend staying at Paul's cabin. It has everything you need to get away and enjoy some time off-grid. The canoe ride in was an amazing experience and the cabin is extremely private. We were also left very detailed notes on how to use everything around the property, which simplified the stay a lot. Overall it was a magical experience that created memories we wont soon forget! Highly recommend that anyone stay here.
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Stephanie G.recommends
September 22, 2023
Canoe Cottage Summer & Fall Joy!
What a lovely cabin and getaway! We absolutely loved the canoe ride in and the lake is beautiful to paddle on. The cabin itself is so quirky, charming, and cozy! It had everything we needed and it was exactly the type of off-grid (but comfy) getaway we needed. Don’t hesitate to stay here!
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Claudia G.recommends
September 11, 2023
Canoe Cottage Summer & Fall Joy!
Cozy Weekend Getaway
We loved staying at Pauls cabin. It is a very unique space nestled on a small and quiet lake. It is a perfect camping alternative, and the cozy and intimate atmosphere. There is a fantastic outdoor kitchen and fire pit, and a great doc for swimming and spending the day tanning. Paul was a great host, that made communications very easy and clear. My fiancé and I really enjoyed ourselves and this makes for the perfect romantic getaway.
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Nicky M.recommends
September 7, 2023
Canoe Cottage Summer & Fall Joy!
We loved our stay and had the most wonderful weekend disconnecting from the busy day to day routine. We definitely recommend taking the canoe out for an adventure to explore the lake and the marsh. We even took a packed lunch and spent the day on the water, enjoying our picnic on the little island in the middle of the lake. Gorgeous! The cabin is the perfect place for chilling out, reading a book, and watching the world go by. The kitchen is super well stocked with any tool you could need. We loved using the outdoor kitchen each night as we watched the sun set. Can’t wait to go back again.
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Ellen B.recommends
August 21, 2023
Canoe Cottage Summer & Fall Joy!
Amazing!
Paul's place is the best. It's a quiet lake and you feel like you have it all to yourself. It's a beautiful canoe over and great for people who want to get off-grid but with some helpful aid for the beginners (lights, plug-in cooler).
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Flora W.recommends
August 7, 2023
Canoe Cottage Summer & Fall Joy!
View Halloo
I loved Paul’s eclectic cabin in the woods. The lake was warm and the canoeing easy. It is up a rather steep hill so, if you have any mobility issues, it may be tricky but the view is spectacular and the home is cosy and inviting.
Location
Bancroft, Hastings, Ontario, CanadaTraditional, ancestral territory of Anishinabewaki ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯᐗᑭ First Nations according to To respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking
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Hosted by Paul W.Joined in May 2021
Response rate: 100%Response time: Within 5 hours
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