Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park

Infobox_protected_area | name = Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park
iucn_category = II


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location = Ontario, Canada
nearest_city = Peterborough, Ontario
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area = 375.9 km²
established = 1999, expanded in 2003
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governing_body = Ontario Parks

Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park (officially called Kawartha Highlands Signature Site) is a 375 km² area of preserved wilderness and recreational areas in south-central Ontario, Canada. It is located to the north and east of the main belt of the Kawartha lakes. It is the largest single area of preserved land in the southern part of the province (not including Algonquin Park, parts of which are in Northern and Southern Ontario).

The park was expanded from its original size of 18.6 km² to its current size in June 2003. It was previously a mostly-wilderness tract enclosing Bottle Lake and Sucker Lake, and accessible primarily by canoe, many by portage routes only. It now encloses many more small lakes as well as all of Anstruther Lake, and has many cottages and access roads. As of 2008, the park is not officially operational; trails, campsites and entry infrastructure have not been completed, and official provincial maps do not yet indicate the expanded area.

Municipally, the park is completely within Peterborough County; about two-thirds of its area is in the township of North Kawartha, and the remaining western portion is in the township of Galway-Cavendish-Harvey.

Unfortunately, as the park grows in popularity, so does the amount of garbage being left at campsites, especially on Bottle, Sucker and Cold Lakes.

External links

* [http://www.ontarioparks.com/english/kawa.html Official Park Website]
* [http://www.kawarthahighlandspark.ca/ Park supporters' site]
* [http://www.outdoorwiki.info/index.php?title=Kawartha_Highlands_Provincial_Park/ Outdoorwiki.info page for Kawartha Highlands]