Ontario's hidden outdoor recreation, education and entertainment gem. Haliburton Forest and Wild Life Reserve Ltd., or simply Haliburton Forest, is a unique, privately owned forest located on 100,000 acres of rolling hardwood forests, beautiful lakes, meandering rivers and extensive wetlands in the Haliburton Highlands of central Ontario, located three hours north of Toronto. An outdoor lover's pa
radise, Haliburton Forest & Wildlife Reserve Ltd, features wilderness adventure activities including the Wolf Centre, the Walk in the Clouds forest canopy tour, groomed snowmobile trails, mountain biking, fishing, hiking, astronomy, wildlife observation, wilderness camping and accommodations, and an array of educational programs. The following links will provide additional information on wilderness adventures and new outdoor opportunities that guests may want to participate in. This array of exciting activities is rounded off by a diversity of programs from wilderness survival courses and edible wilds excursions to mountain bike expeditions and leadership challenges. Haliburton Forest specializes in providing a wide array of outdoor education pursuits and workshops. Also offered are executive and corporate training programs, which are designed as wilderness retreats and take full advantage of our stunning surroundings, world class infrastructure and committed, professional staff. Bordered by Algonquin Provincial Park to the north and east, Haliburton Forest is a prime Ontario wilderness getaway. It is a unique destination for the outdoor and nature loving enthusiast. The information on the following pages of this site will provide guests with insight into some of the most prominent features and activities available at Haliburton Forest. Please visit our online Wolf Centre pages and follow up with a visit in person to this one-of-a-kind, world class facility. The large, 7 acre enclosure is home to a pack of captive grey wolves. The Wolf Centre has an observation room, numerous educational displays as well as a cinema/classroom with daily presentations. The Centre features "the wolf", the top predator across many of this world's forests and range lands. A visit to the centre is a unique opportunity to observe this elusive animal in its natural surroundings and in as close to natural conditions as can be maintained in captivity. Knowledgeable staff are on site for assistance and interpretation of the resident pack and exhibits. Haliburton Forest is especially proud of the spectacular array of over 400 km of mountain bike and wilderness trails. The respective page relating to mountain biking contains all information on this exciting activity, including the fleet of rental bikes on offer as well as the specific infrastructure available to bikers. Our trails page provides current updates on general trail and road conditions at Haliburton Forest. Over 100 lakes, numerous large ponds and miles of streams and creeks await the ardent angler. Record Speckled Trout have been caught at Haliburton Forest over the past decades. Additional to the native trout, some lakes support Large and Smallmouth Bass, Sucker, Ling and Perch. Join us to spend a day or more enjoying the clean, still head-waters of Haliburton Forest! With over 100,000 acres of forest to explore and being the only wholly privately owned snowmobiling operation in the world, the hundreds of kilometers of trails have quickly become Ontario's Snowmobiling Wonderland. Be sure to visit our trail conditions page before you head out on the trails! Are you considering building your own log home or cottage? Are you concerned about our environment and looking for "state of the art" log construction techniques? Then our unpretentious, yet rustic EcoLog buildings, based on centuries of log construction knowledge, are the right choice for you! Haliburton Forest is a 100,000 acre classroom! This is the only way to describe the concept of Outdoor Education in this unique facility, which uses all resources at its disposal, be it forest management, horse logging, wolf studies or aquatic ecology. All programs are custom designed and your imagination can be your guide. Throughout the year a variety of excellent, year round programs and events are offered at Haliburton Forest. The Base Camp is either the location or starting point and detailed information is available via the Programs and Special Events page. The handy on-line calendar offers important times and dates, as well as registration information. Find out more about the natural history and wildlife programs available to you and your family - and don't forget about the Thursday evening wolf howls during the summer! With to the extent of Haliburton Forest's lands and the diversity of activities offered, extended stays are popular among most visitors. Within this site you will find the information you need regarding the extensive network of semi-wilderness campsites on 17 of the 100 lakes at Haliburton Forest and Wildlife Reserve Ltd. A MUST to visit to wet your appetite: Absolutely spectacular images of Haliburton Forest's landscapes and inhabitants throughout the seasons in our online gallery. This is more than your average guided tour: a Walk in the Clouds is a truly unique experience that will leave you breathless! You will paddle Voyageur canoes before embarking upon the special boardwalk, which is suspended from and winding through the forest's upper canopy, providing a scenic trek 10-20 meters above the forest floor. In order to facilitate the exploring of its natural environ-ment, Haliburton Forest offers unique outdoor experiences throughout the year. Information on specific activities, be they orienteering, wilderness skills, canoeing, dog sledding, snowshoeing, skiing, hiking or anything else Haliburton Forest has to offer, please call or contact us via e-mail. The following is a brief outline and general information on the facilities available at Haliburton Forest:
The Base Camp serves as the main entrance point into Haliburton Forest and provides all the services essential to an enjoyable stay. At the office, visitors can check in, pick up their permits, get the maps and information they need, as well as any necessary updates on the latest conditions and events offered. Haliburton Forest is open year round. Office hours are from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, seven days per week. Weekend hours during July and August as well as from January to March, are extended. Property use permits are required for any entrance and visit to Haliburton Forest. The entrance point into Haliburton Forest is the Base Camp, site of a former sawmill. Gasoline, oil and propane sales are available on site. The type of rental equipment available is dependent upon the season. Snowmobiles are available in the winter; canoes, kayaks and mountain bikes during the summer and fall. The Cookhouse is a licensed restaurant, which also contains a store, and is located on site at Base Camp. It provides visitors with all the essentials - from toothbrushes to chicken fingers. Accommodation is available at Base Camp in two types:
Spacious 3-and 2 bedroom housekeeping units with 3-piece baths, fully equipped kitchens, TVs, some having fireplaces and all offering a comfortable home base for excursions. Two rustic, open loft log cabins with kitchen and washroom facilities. Heating is provided predominantly through wood stoves. These buildings lend themselves to accommodating groups of visitors. For images of the inside of our accommodations, please visit the Accommodations page on this site. Also available as base to explore the forest are semi-wilderness camp-sites, strung along the shores of 17 of the over 50 lakes within Haliburton Forest. Haliburton Forest can be reached via Highways 118, 35, and 121. At West Guilford cross the bridge, and take County Road 7 for approximately 20 kilometers (12 miles) to the Base Camp. For more details - please consult our Directions page. Finally, Haliburton Forest is more than just an outdoor enthusiast's dream: it is a working forest, with a century old tradition of resource use and management: A history of Haliburton Forest and Wild Life Reserve Ltd dating back to the mid 1800's is also provided as part of this website. One of the first questions asked by visitors is: Where did such a unique operation as Haliburton Forest come from ? Please feel free to expand your knowledge of our local history and its conservation traditions. Today we continue our tradition of stewardship and conservation at Haliburton Forest. We carefully and sustainably manage our forests and for this were awarded Canada's first designation as a "certified sustainable" forest meeting the stringent standards of the international Forest Stewardship Council. All of our wood is being processed in our sawmill on site, where guests are welcome to arrange for a sawmill tour. We add value to some of our wood-products in our local Woodshop and the resulting items, many unique and one-of-a-kind pieces of art, frequently featuring our wood's stunning properties.
