We’ve visited Silent Lake a few times now and love it more and more each time. There’s so much to see and do at this little provincial park- so far, we’ve gone winter camping, paddling, snowshoeing, and now hiking! Next up? Maybe hitting the bike trails that wind through the forest.
On our last trip, at the beginning of July, we finally hiked the Lakeshore Trail that goes all the way around Silent Lake! In total, this trail is 15 km long. It’s not terribly rugged, but the length made it a bit of a challenge for us. On the north side of the trail there are tons of lovely spots to stop and sit by the lake, with great views across the water. On the south side of the trail, you spend your time deep in the forest, with no lake views at all! Which side you’ll prefer really depends on what you enjoy in a hike- the north side was a bit “busier,” bringing us close to campsites and beaches, but on the south side we didn’t see a single person.
There are also two shorter trails at the park- the Lakehead Loop Trail, which still gets you some cool views across the lake at only 1.5 km in length and the Bonnie’s Pond Trail which is a little longer at 3 km but brings you to an awesome lookout.
There were a bunch of lovely views across Silent Lake along the trail.
Getting There
Silent Lake Provincial Park is near Bancroft. You can use these coordinates to get there: 44.924738, -78.072640. Don’t forget to stop for milkshakes from Kawartha Dairy on the way back!
The entrance to the park is just off Highway 28. There were signs along the side of the road letting us know we were approaching, and a big sign at the entrance to the park that let us know we had arrived.
Driving into the park, the main office came into view almost immediately. We parked just behind the office and headed in to purchase a day pass. We also grabbed a trail map from the office before setting off.
The Trailhead
The trailhead for the Lakeshore Trail starts just behind the day-use beach. So, we drove to that parking lot and hopped out. Here, there were public washrooms for us to use.
At the very start of the trailhead was a big sign, letting us know we were in the right spot. Starting here had us completing the trail going clockwise.
Immediately, we passed over a small footbridge and in front of us was a sign directing us off to our right. The biking trails headed off to the left. Another day!
Sign at the trailhead letting us know what to expect.
The Lakehead Loop
After hiking just over half a kilometer, we reached the split for the Lakehead Loop. There was a blue sign posted letting us know that if we wanted to head back on the Lakehead Loop Trail we needed to turn to the left. Sticking with the Lakeshore Trail, we went right. Here there was a little bench built right by the lakeshore, a great destination if you were out on the Lakehead Loop.
So far, the terrain had been quite manageable, and well worn into the dirt, making it easy to follow. There were also a ton of trail markers that we were easily able to spot in the trees.
The beginning of the trail felt much easier than the end (although doesn’t it always?).
We passed behind a few campsites, and then started up our first little incline. As we hiked along, we passed another bench, and then a beach with picnic tables. Here there was a water tap with potable water. We crossed the beach to stay on the trail- it was easy to see where the trail re-entered the forest because there was a blue marker posted in the trees.
The Best Lookout
Just after 2 km we passed the section of the park where there were kayaks and canoes for rent. At 2.5 km we reached the split where the Lakeshore Trail connects with the Bonnie’s Pond Trail. Turning to our right, we got to one of the best lookouts along the trail, high above Silent Lake. This view is also why hiking the Bonnie’s Pond Trail is totally worth it.
An awesome lookout at the intersection of the Bonnie’s Pond Trail and the Lakeshore Trail.
After the lookout the trail thinned out and began to feel a bit more rugged. It’s likely that far fewer people bother with this section of trail, already having seen the good stuff at the lookout.
After a bit, we noticed that we were no longer on the trail, and instead had accidentally followed a herd path. The trail marking tends to be so good in Ontario Provincial parks that fi you haven’t seen a marker in a while… you’ve absolutely lost the trail.
Looking at our map, we decided to stick with the shore of the lake for a bit. Then we got lucky and saw someone hiking on the ACTUAL trail, so did a short bushwhack in that direction. Please know that this was NOT a smart move. It can be very difficult to find a trail once you’ve lost it, and the odds of just stumbling upon it are not good. It’s always best to retrace your steps and get back to where you originally lost the trail, to avoid getting even more lost. If we didn’t have the lakeshore beside us to help guide us, that’s definitely what we would have done.
Moving Away from the Lake
After about 4.5 km the trail starts to take us away from the lake and then back again. The trail continued to be more technical than it had been before, with a few more rocky sections, and some overgrown sections as well.
There were some spots that were physically demanding along the trail!
Just before the 7 km mark the hiking trail reconnected to a biking trail. We turned right and followed the wider trail for just a bit, until we arrived at a bridge where it was clearly marked to indicate that the bike trail went straight. We turned left, following the signs for the hiking trail, and headed up a short but steep little hill.
We passed by a huge beaver dam and skirted the edge of the beaver pond it had formed. Continuing through the forest, we crossed back over the bike path just before the 8.5 km mark. This section of the trail started to get SUPER buggy, and we thought maybe we had come too early in the season. We hadn’t seen the lake in forever, and there were no good spots to stop and rest on this section of the trail. With the bugs, we had no desire to stop on the trail because then they could get us!
Lookouts on the South Side
Fortunately, we came to a great lookout spot over a small lake around the 10.25 km mark. Here there was a rocky outcropping and fewer trees, which meant that a breeze could help shoo the bugs away.
Where we stopped for lunch.
We got to another lookout around the 11 km mark, where a bench had been built near the shoreline. This also would have been a great spot to stop and rest, or even swim!
BUT THEN, there was absolutely nothing good for the rest of the trail. Just bugs. Fortunately, there were only 4 km left, but we were getting tired, and feeling grumpy. Near the 13.5 km mark we caught a bit of a break from the terrain as we rejoined the bike path which was wide and very easy to navigate. The trails remained joined for the rest of our trip, and eventually it spat us out of the forest near a group of cabins close to the public beach. A posted sign directed us over to the beach, and we approached the parking lot from behind the public washrooms.
Trail Thoughts
By the time we had arrived back, we had hiked a total of 14.8 km, according to our GPS. It took us 4 hours and 45 minutes to cover that distance. At the trailhead, the sign posted said the trail took about 6 hours to complete, so we were happy enough with that!
The Lakeshore Trail was a good fit for us because we wanted to hike a long distance. There were some nice lookouts along the way, and the terrain was just difficult enough for it to be a challenge (especially when combined with the distance). If I were going to do it again, I would go later in the season to make sure there were fewer bugs.
Section of trail on our way back.
Definitely, the best part of the trail was the salted caramel milkshake I got from Kawartha Dairy on the way home. Ha!
Map and Elevation Gain
Our GPS tracked route along the Lakeshore Trail.
Whenever I’m hiking somewhere new, I tend to wonder about who was on, and who took care of that land before me. I’ve enjoyed using this website as a place to start learning more about the indigenous people whose land I’m on: Native-land.ca.
Elevation gain along the trail!
