Frontenac County encompasses an area of almost 4,000 square kilometres from the northern stretches of untouched crown land to the sandy southern shores of Wolfe Island. There is a sense among the people who live in Frontenac — this area is special. Special for its recreational opportunities, its highly skilled food producers, and its growing number of high-quality events.
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Drop Your Line And See What You Find
Drop Your Line And See What You Find
Trails & Beaches
Trails & Beaches
Shanti Retreat Centre
Shanti Retreat Centre
Shopping At Trousdale’s General Store
Shopping At Trousdale’s General Store
History And Nature Intertwine At Gould Lake Conservation Area
History And Nature Intertwine At Gould Lake Conservation Area
Drop Your Line And See What You Find
Some of the world’s greatest fishing and boating opportunities can be found here. Try your hand at kayak fishing. The calm, clear lakes of Frontenac Provincial Park provide the perfect environment for kayak fishing. Rental shops like the Frontenac Outfitters can set you up with a kayak and all the fishing gear you need. Glide through the water while angling for smallmouth bass, lake trout, perch and pike.
The Beach at Big Sandy Bay on Wolfe Island
It takes a ferry ride and a small hike to get there, but the journey to Big Sandy Bay on Wolfe Island is one of the reasons why this beach so great. Once you arrive it’s all sand and sun on the magnificent St. Lawrence River.
To get to the bay, take the Ferry from Kingston across to the island and then travel by bike or car on Highway 95 to Reed’s Bay Road to 3rd Line Road. Park in the lot or lock your bikes at the gatehouse. The 1.3-kilometre nature trail takes you to the beach. There is a small park entrance fee for adults, with discounts for bikes, families, children and frequent visitors.
Explore Frontenac’s 5,355 hectares on the southern edge of the Canadian Shield. This beautiful park is open all year and has 48 interior campsites.
Canoe routes are available through 22 lakes and there is over 100 km of looped backpacking and hiking trails. This is a wonderful place to fish, view wildlife, hike or enjoy the water.
Shanti Retreat Centre
Leave feeling completely blissful after your stay at the Shanti Retreat Centre. This secluded 11-acre waterfront property will have you feeling recharged in no time. Take part in yoga and meditation programs, outdoor activities, and healthy meals to nourish your body.
Shopping At Trousdale’s General Store
“Ever-changing and never changing” is the motto Trousdale General Store lives by. Step into a building that has been standing since 1836 and has been owned by a member of the Trousdale family ever since!
Walking through the door at Trousdale’s in Sydenham is like stepping back in time. The wooden floor creaks in just the right way, the long century-old counters still greet customers and there’s even a spool of string still hanging from the tin ceiling, used for wrapping brown paper parcels long before plastic bags existed.
Not only is Trousdale’s known as the nation’s oldest general store – but what makes it remarkable all these years later is that it has kept safe a treasure trove of history. From the old brass crank cash register to a collection of yardsticks which now adorn the door to the old meat cooler, it’s almost a social museum nearing two centuries old.
Gould Lake Conservation Area located just outside of Sydenham in Frontenac County is a natural summer haven. This day use area begs to be discovered with more than 20 km of trails across rolling and rugged terrain. The wetland, woods and shoreline are perfect for wildlife viewing along the way. Another neat feature is the throwback to another time when mica mines operated near Gould Lake.
In fact, a number of old pits and a large boiler can still be seen on the Mica Trail on the Conservation Area property and mica I easily spotted sparkling from rock faces or along the trails edge! It’s for this reason that the Frontenac Arch Biosphere named the Mine Trail Loop at Gould Lake as an Amazing Place – a special place of historic and cultural significance. Cool off at the sandy pristine beach area after a day of hiking!