We decided to check out the Bonnie’s Pond Trail while we were camping this winter! We had gone up to Silent Lake Provincial Park in the middle of March this year, because we wanted to try out winter camping for the first time.
Silent Lake was the perfect choice because it allowed for a really easy first attempt at winter camping. It had plowed roads and electricity available! It also had a nice, short hike for us to go on. That was perfect, because our dog only likes to go so far in the winter.
The Bonnie’s Pond Hiking Trail is open year round. Dogs are allowed on it all year, so we were excited to check it out after setting up camp.
Lookout on the Bonnie’s Pond Trail.
Getting There
Silent Lake Provincial Park is just east of Bancroft. This area isn’t typically a tourist area, but I’ve actually found there’s a ton to do when it comes to hiking, biking, and paddling in the area so I love it.
Before setting off on our hike, we stopped at the park office. You can use these coordinates to get there: 44.919109, -78.053500. They were able to provide us with a park map, which made it easy to find our way to the trailhead.
The Bonnie’s Pond Trail starts off of a small parking lot right across from the Pincer Bay Campground. When we went, in the winter, the roads were totally plowed up to the parking lot (but no further), so it wasn’t an issue to get there at all. The parking lot really was small, with space for only ten to fifteen cars. Because there were people camping in the yurts who had parked there, it was pretty crowded when we arrived.
There was a sign by the side of the road that let us know we were in the right spot for the trailhead.
Look for this sign when you’re looking for the parking lot.
The Route
Bonnie’s Pond Trail is a snowshoe trail in the winter. Even though there was only a little bit of new snow, we strapped on our snowshoes and we were off!
The Bonnie’s Pond Trail trailhead.
The trail began by bringing us downhill. We got our first awesome glimpse of the pond after hiking only 300 metres.
Looking out over the pond.
Carrying on, we found ourselves walking alongside the pond on a high ridge. The ridge might have been easy to slip down, if it had been icier. There were actually a few spots along the trail that WERE a bit icey. We were glad that we had worn our snowshoes. The crampons underneath allowed us to bite into the ice a bit, and feel a little more confident in our footing.
About a kilometer into the trail, it began to wind away from the pond and head towards Silent Lake.
The entire length of the trail was well marked and easy to follow.
The Lookout
We had been hiking for a kilometer and a half when we came to a split in the trail. We had a decision to make. Turning to our right would return us to the trailhead, but there was a sign letting us know that there was a lookout only 300 metres away. Obviously, we turned to our left and went to go check out the lookout!
To the lookout, or back to the trailhead? An easy decision.
We had to climb up a small hill to get there, but it was totally worth it. It was a really beautiful spot. The lookout was actually on the Lakeshore Trail, and we saw some signage that made us excited to come back in the summer and try it out. We took some pictures and enjoyed the view for a bit before heading back.
Signs making us want to come back and hike the Lakeshore Trail.
Heading Back
We walked the 300 metres back to the split, this time turning to our left in order to continue following the trail. Because the trail had been mostly downhill this entire time, we had a bit of a climb starting around the two kilometer mark, and ending when we reached the parking lot again. Altogether, this hike was only 2.8 kilometres, and not particularly strenuous, even with the climb at the end.
It appeared that during the summer months, the trail would have brought us back to the opposite side of the parking lot from where we started. However, all the snow that had been plowed from the lot had been pushed to this side. We noticed a mountain biking trail nearby and followed it around the lot, then cut through the forest for a few steps to get back to the trailhead where we had started.
Mountain biking trails too? Best provincial park ever!
It took us an hour and twenty minutes to hike this trail, but that included time spent at the lookout. We also had our old, slow dog with us, so we weren’t as speedy as we would normally be.
I think this would be a great trail for just about anyone in the summer months. And, if the area hadn’t experienced any freeze/thaw cycles, I think it would be really fun for just about anyone in the winter too. Plus, any campground that allows for hiking, biking, AND paddling, is, in my opinion, a great place to be.
We’ll be back!
I hope this trip report has enough info to get you there too. Let me know in the comments, or share and tag a friend to start planning your next adventure!
Map and Elevation Gain
Our map of the Bonnie’s Pond Trail. Check out how close it is to the campgrounds!
Elevation loss and gain on the trail.
Gear We Brought
- Hiking boots
- MSR Evo Snowshoes
- Base layers
- Fleece sweater
- Winter jacket
- Snow pants
- Mittens
- Buff Merino Wool Headband
- Wool hat
- Sunglasses
- Cell phone
- Small backpack
- Nalgene 32-Ounce Bottle
- Leash and Harness
- Dog Winter Coat
- Dog Waste Bags
