Hiking at Silent Lake Provincial Park

Just because it’s cold outside, there’s snow on the ground, and the days are short, doesn’t mean you have to stop camping. On the contrary, it’s one of my favourite times of the year to go camping and we did just that this past weekend with our first visit to Silent Lake Provincial Park near Bancroft, Ontario.

We arrived at the park after dark, which comes far too early at this time of the year. Thanks to the incredible directions of a staff member at check-in, we had no problems finding our site, or any of the other amenities we’d need over the weekend.

Setting up camp is a pretty quick process now that we have Fish Finder, our Gnome Homes Teardrop Trailer, and before long we were ready for dinner, Darrell’s special Cheesy Rice and Veg.

Sitting in the light of the trailer, surrounded by darkness, it was hard to see just what our site and the others around us looked like. There was a couple camping with a tent in the site next to us, and a couple with a trailer in the site across from us, but many of the other sites appeared to be empty.

It was a cool night, feeling close to -10C, but it was a perfect evening for enjoying the peace and quiet and letting my mind relax.

That night we learned two important lessons about sleeping in the trailer in the cold:

1. ALWAYS keep the fan running, no matter how cold. We didn’t at first and the condensation built up in no time.
2. A little heat goes a long way. We bought a very small space heater from Canadian Tire and alternated between having it on low and having it turned off. We had no problem staying warm.

We woke to sunshine on Saturday morning and had a perfectly slow start to the day. The campground was quiet, despite a few people out for morning walks. It was the type of morning where no one is in a hurry and you can just be at peace.

After a breakfast of toasted western sandwiches, we all climbed into the truck and took a drive around the park.

Silent Lake offers camping at two campgrounds, with some electrical sites in the Granite Ridge Campground we were staying in. Only a portion of sites remain open through the winter. There are also Camp Cabins and Yurts available for those looking for roofed accommodations. During the summer there are also walk-in camping sites available.

In the winter the campground comfort stations are closed, but campers can make use of the comfort station in the day use area for heated washrooms, showers, a dish washing area, and potable water. After being outside in the cool air, getting to use the heated washroom with warm water for washing your hands is an absolute dream! The privies in the campground also have water turned off at this time of the year, so no handwashing, but you can still use the vault toilets.

While exploring the park I was walking across a parking lot back to the truck and managed to find enough ice for my feet to disappear and for me to hit the ground. Hard. My knees took the brunt of it but my whole body ached as I quickly pushed myself to my feet and limped back to the truck in absolute agony.

Despite Darrell’s insistence that we should return to camp, I knew the sting of the fall would wear off quickly and I really wanted to go for a hike.

The dogs were ecstatic to get out of the truck and start the Bonnie’s Pond Trail. A short 3km hike, the trail only takes an hour or so to complete. While you definitely have to go down the trail and then climb back up, there really wasn’t anything too strenuous. The hardest part was staying on the actual trail as it was really hard to spot in places.

Molly made friends with a couple of hikers we came across on the trail. That was probably the highlight of the weekend for her. The aussies, on the other hand, stayed behind us and made it clear that they trusted no one. They’re very protective of their family.

My favourite part of the hike was coming across a little waterfall in the rocks. It was a beautiful little spot, but what I’ll remember most was Panda deciding to leap over the entire creek while I was picking my way across the stones.

After our hike we returned to camp and while sitting in the truck, a Pileated Woodpecker managed to poop on me through the open window. That was unexpected.

We had lunch and a lazy afternoon of reading before deciding we should explore the Bancroft area a bit. Of course, we got distracted by the possibility of checking out some lakes and a wrong turn later we found ourselves at the type of unmaintained road we would normally love to drive down, but the recent snow melt made that a bad choice so late in the afternoon. We turned around and headed back to camp.

The next day we decided to hike part of the Lakeshore Trail. Fortunately, there was a trail running right beside our campsite that took us down to the lake. It was such a peaceful spot that morning. We sat on a bench while the dogs laid at our feet, and we took in the view. Silent Lake is an incredible place.

We followed the trail along past the beach, checked out some of the walk-in camping sites, and made our way to the lookout, before hiking back up to our site. That hike back up to the campground sucks when you’re overdressed and already panting! But it sure makes you feel good when you’re done.

Lunch was delicious BLTs on buns that were warmed up in the open. Honestly, they were SO good. We ate a lot of great food on this trip. I think we eat better when camping than when at home.

By the time our weekend was over, my brain had settled and I was feeling better than I had in weeks. I struggle greatly with my mental health at this time of the year and my brain hasn’t been in the best place lately. A weekend at Silent Lake Provincial Park, full of hiking and relaxing, made all the difference for me. I can’t wait to return when winter is in full force to take advantage of snowshoeing, skiing, and ice fishing opportunities!