Algonquin Highlands and Buttermilk Falls

We avoided the busy Highway 11 and Highway 400 traffic and returned home along the east side of Lake Simcoe, traveling through a forested, magical land called the Algonquin Highlands. It was a pleasant day to check out some of the sites in the area and the first place we stopped was at Buttermilk Falls.

The river runs from Halls Lake to Boshkung Lake and is controlled by Halls Lake Dam at 1609 Highway 35 where the water tumbles over the control logs and splash down a concrete sluice way. On the day we visited the heavy rains from previous days made the flow exceptionally strong down the sluice and onto the lower river bed. This used to be the route for logs and the concrete sluice replaced a wooden chute in 1927 and at the nearby town offices you can find a tall statue of a lumberjack cutting a log.

Crossing the dam you can find signs that point to the Buttermilk Falls portage and trail which follows the river downstream and provides great views of the rumbling waters.

See more of the highlands after the jump.

At Buttermilk Falls a large sign shows a map of the area along with points of interest in the highlands where we found information on a number of hiking trails and the James Cooper Lookout.

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