My daughter loves being in the water all summer long. She also loves trails to hike on to support her constant hunt for the coolest walking stick. With these passions in mind and a beautiful day ahead, we packed up for a fun day of girl's adventures. Our goal was to scope out some ideas for tons of family fun.
The best adventures always start with a place you've never been so it was off to the Crowe Bridge Park (day use fees apply, passes to be purchased in advance) just north of Campbellford. Rumour had it the park was home to a peaceful swimming hole, places to have a picnic and trails to hike. We were not disappointed.
The river is a perfect habitat for minnows and crawfish - make sure you bring a net to do some catch-and-release minnow fishing! Unfortunately, we were not successful with our small leftover container as a makeshift net - although my persistent girl did try very hard! When our minnow hunt did not prove successful, we found a perfect rocky outcrop to stand on. As my daughter so gracefully shows in the video, you can have lots of fun while looking at the bridge, trees and rapids all at the same time! After a sweet swim, we had just enough time to get an ice cream cone and some super squeaky cheese curds from Empire Cheese.
We arrived at the park mid-morning and it was so quiet! We were awed by the scenery and in love with the stone river base and the small waterfalls. The stones gave us plenty of areas to climb and we had fun hopping from rock to rock in an attempt to keep our feet dry.
If you're looking for other places to swim, there are plenty of places to enjoy in the area. There are also lots of other fun activities happening:
- Port Hope has a lovely sand beach with a playground and washrooms (some closures for 2020 due to COVID-19). Just north of Port Hope, you can visit Laveanne Lavender Farm, particularly in July when the fields are purple with blooms.
- Rice Lake has a small parkette on the south shore at 110 Sandy Bay Road, Roseneath. The swimming area is sandy and shallow. This is a good spot for a picnic with tables and swings in place.
- Little Lake, (closed for 2020 due to COVID-19), at Lake Road between Colborne and Brighton, has a grassy, sloped beach with a warm, safe swimming area. Bring some water shoes or flip flops if you've got them as it is a rock base. Lake Road is part of the Presqu'ile Promise signed cycling loop.
- Presqu'ile Provincial Park has a fantastic beach. The park also features a lighthouse and interpretive centre, great walking trails that take you through a variety of habitats and camping options. The Friends of Presqu'ile Park also host their annual "History Weekend" on the August long weekend so be sure to check that out for old-fashioned games, and a Sunday night ghost walk.
- Campbellford has the Lion's Park Beach (as well as Crowe Bridge Park as mentioned above).
- Ferris Provincial Park in Campbellford offers campsites, trails to explore, birding opportunities, a boat launch for fishing and launching canoes or kayaks (you can swim, but it's not shallow), and the Ranney Gorge Suspension Bridge (closed for 2020 due to COVID-19).
- Cobourg's gorgeous beach is also an option (closed for 2020 due to COVID-19). The beach hosts the annual Sandcastle Festival that takes place every year on the Saturday of the August long weekend. On the same weekend, downtown Cobourg has their annual sidewalk sale and street festival. Events include live entertainment, children's activities, a movie on the beach and - of course - the fantastic wares of downtown merchants.
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