A Haliburton area business that focuses on nature is attracting thousands of visitors each year.
It is called the Haliburton Forest, a 100,000 acre facility that includes a wolf pack, live moose and a variety of ways to enjoy nature. There are leased camp spaces, cabins, or campgrounds to enjoy the various environments.
Tegan Legge is the manager of tourism and recreation and she says the majority of visitors are coming from the Toronto area to enjoy a day trip and take in the various features of the park.
One of the top attractions is the tree canopy tour. A boardwalk laces through a half kilometre of treetops giving hikers a very different perspective on forest life. And there is an added bonus says Legge.
An eight member wolf pack lives within a 15 acre enclosure, giving visitors a chance to see them up close at the viewing window. While the Forest does not guarantee you will see the wolves, Legge says for some reason they “have been sunning themselves near the viewing window a lot lately.”
She says more and more visitors are coming by way of Europe, incorporating a visit to the Haliburton area, using rental RVs and with a desire to see animals. That is where Hershey comes in.
The guest cabins that can be rented were originally used in the 19th century by area loggers.
While there can be many visitors at the park at any one time, the crowd management style they use means you won’t feel hemmed in.
“We limit the canopy tour to 12 to 15 at a time so you won’t feel crowded,” says Legge.
The sheer numbers of the facility are impressive. There are 340 leased campsites spread out over 17 to 20 lakes. There are 20 campsites to give you a feel of a provincial park and all with lakefront access.
The rental cabins can handle a total of 80 people on top of the other options.
“You can cook in your own cabin or we have a full service restaurant.” she adds.
If you would like more information on the Haliburton Forest – click on this link.