Petroglyphs Provincial Park image

Petroglyphs Provincial Park

Tourist attraction Historical landmark Nature preserve

One of the Best Places To Visits in North Kawartha


Address

2249 Northeys Bay Road, Woodview, ON K0L 3E0, Canada

Website

www.ontarioparks.com

Contact

+1 705-877-2552

Rating on Google Maps

4.60 (780 reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Thursday: Closed
  • Friday: Closed
  • Saturday: Closed
  • Sunday: Closed
  • Monday: Closed
  • Tuesday: Closed
  • Wednesday: Closed

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: trails (16) park (12) visit (10) beautiful (10) hike (9) petroglyphs (8) hiking (7) Petroglyphs (7) lake (7) time (6)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 K R. 1 year ago on Google
    Please be prepared for a long drive on winding roads into the wilderness. You better wear hiking shoes because there is a hike from the parking lot to the main entrance to pay, make sure you get your license plate you will need that to check in and then another hike to the site. You are not allowed pictures past a certain point so take all you want around the main entrance. There is no time to waste go and see the drawings before they all fade away. Remember to learn the history behind the site and visit the gift shop.
    11 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Sofia M. 2 years ago on Google
    Beautiful trails! Especially love coming here in the fall, but nice any season. Definitely visit the learning center to see the petroglyphs themselves before hiking. Nice picnic areas (East Day Use) and the lakes are gorgeous. Would recommend wearing hiking boots to keep safe on the uneven rocky portions of the trails.
    6 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Emil B. 11 months ago on Google
    Well worth the visit. Petroglyphs are covered in a dome to protect them. Nice trails, a bit rugged so wear adequate shoes and clothing. Few lakes within properties and picnic areas.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Teresa G. 2 years ago on Google
    Gorgeous hike around a beautiful lake! It’s pretty easy terrain and wasn’t busy at all. The park is closed currently but if you park at the main gate you can walk 4km to get to the main part where the trails start. The hike sound minnow lake is lovely.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Marie J. 1 year ago on Google
    The Petroglyphs centre was very interesting. Staff was friendly and provided us with interesting info of the petroglyphs. Nice and quiet trails/park but plan your visit around late summer to see the lake at its bluest.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Dmitri P. 8 months ago on Google
    The Petroglyphs are a unique and irreplaceable part of Canada's cultural heritage. Everyone with the means to get to the park should absolutely do it at some point. After all, it's something you'll only be able to experience firsthand! FYI - be somewhat cautious with the hiking trails if you have kids or movement impairments. We hiked the Nanabush/Minnow Lake trail after visiting the Petroglyphs and found it narrow and overgrown in many sections, with a fallen tree across one part of the path and a boardwalk over some marshland that was in pretty rough shape. We did go right after a heavy rainstorm in early August, so the plants, fungi and bugs were extremely active. I'd probably recommend going earlier or later in the season if you're coming for the hikes - it'll be easier, more comfortable and you'll get to see more of the trails.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Yuqing W. 1 year ago on Google
    The park is beautiful with very easy trails. It's my first time seeing and learning about the fascinating history of the petroglyphs. The McGinnis Lake is also worth the visit.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Kayo R. 1 year ago on Google
    I had a group trip and hike to Petroglyphs Provincial Park and I had a lovely experience I found it educational, fun and just overall a beautiful place to be outside in nature. The have a good amount of parking, public washrooms available. I had a guided tour and visited the largest known concentration of Indigenous rock carvings (petroglyphs) in Canada, depicting turtles, snakes, birds, humans and more; this sacred site is known as “The Teaching Rocks”. We visied the Learning Place Visitor Centre to discover the traditions of the Ojibway (Nishnaabe) people through the teachings of the medicine wheel. Finishing off my trip with a hike in the park and visited bright blue/green McGinnis Lake – one of only a handful of meromictic (layers of water that don’t intermix) lakes in Canada. Overall I highly recommend visiting this park it's well kept, you will walk away enjoying your experience and for your hike wear proper weather appropriate clothing and shoes!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Vincent C. 8 months ago on Google
    One of the unique provincial parks with a connection to First Nations culture, this is a park to visit to learn more about First Nations history and to understand the culture via the display of petroglyphs. Staff were very helpful in explaining the display to visitors and what many of the references meant. The trails were moderately difficult mainly due to the narrow trail deep into the surrounding forest and uneven surfaces. One other aspect of the challenge were many of the obstacles being fallen trees which blocked parts of the trail or required some slight detouring around to get through. Parking was decent considering the park has a limited operating time daily. It is still recommended to arrive early to complete the trails as the park has a hard closure time.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Nirmala M. 6 months ago on Google
    Really enjoyed learning about the glyphs, seeing them. The park staff was very knowledgeable. Thank you for sharing and teaching us. The meromictic lake is beautiful. The trails are nice and easy a little elevation in some areas.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Effy C. 7 months ago on Google
    Beautiful setting in the Canadian countryside. Well set out with trekking routes and picnic areas which do not intrude on the natural surroundings. The Petroglyphs were fascinating and educational, really making me appreciate the culture. An added bonus was the fascinating Meromictic lake - never seen one, and it was beautiful. As a visitor to Canada, it was an unexpected pleasure. I would recommend a visit if you are in the area.

  • 5/5 Cheryl C. 1 year ago on Google
    The lake looks even more beautiful than the pictures. Nanabush trail is 5.5km and has a lot of ups and downs. Please note you cannot start hiking after 3:30pm and must exit the park by 5pm.

  • 5/5 Parmis M. 6 months ago on Google
    Step into a 6,000-year-old world at Petroglyphs Provincial Park. The staff? Friendlier than a long-lost tribe. Dive deep into the rich tales of indigenous people, all while surrounded by age-old rock art. Be prepared for a 1 km scenic stroll between the structures. No camping or overnight stays here, but they offer a quaint roofed shelter—perfect for a quick bite! A must-visit if you’re keen on turning stones into stories.

  • 5/5 Emily L. 8 months ago on Google
    A beautiful and sacred place to visit. The modern visitor center (with bathrooms!) provides you the context for the petroglyphs you’ll see down the path, while the guides in the building erected around the carvings will answer all your questions! Surrounded by beautiful hiking trails, you can easily spend an hour or several enjoying the space.

  • 5/5 Ronald B. 7 months ago on Google
    An ideal place to get the opportunity to see petroglyphs with ease of access. Recommend to visit at least once in a lifetime. I did this as I was completing the Ride the Highlands - Dynamite Alley loop on my motorcycle. Going to go back some time to walk some of the many trails.

  • 4/5 Tracy 11 months ago on Google
    Beautiful views, interesting native history, hiking trails and picnic tables, gift shop.

  • 5/5 Gina C. 1 year ago on Google
    Beautiful place. So much to learn from the indigenous community. A definite to visit in my book.

  • 5/5 Chris P. 1 year ago on Google
    It wasn't very busy which was nice. The trails were well taken care of and it was nice to staff out taking care of some of invasive species. Next time I would like to hike the trails by the lake it was beautiful.

  • 4/5 G G. 1 year ago on Google
    The hike is pretty standard. There is a really beautiful pond here that's a stunning act of nature. The petroglyphs..... Should probably be kept as a private sacred ground and away from the public. It's really not much to see for the public. The place is quite hard to drive to. Make sure you bring a sturdy ride.


Call +1 705-877-2552 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Activities
    • ✓️ Hiking
  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible car park
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible entrance

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