What to Do Near Rice Lake: A 3-Day Kawarthas Itinerary

The first time you book a long weekend on Rice Lake, you probably think you’ll fill the time naturally. Three days, big lake, beach, you’ll figure it out. Then Friday night rolls into Saturday morning and you’re staring at a coffee wondering what the plan is.

This itinerary is what guests at Mildred’s Lakefront Resort Cottage actually do over a typical Friday-to-Monday. It’s not over-scheduled. It works because each day has a centre of gravity instead of a packed list.

Day 1 — Resort Day

You arrived Friday late afternoon, drove ninety minutes from Toronto, hauled groceries inside, and the kids found the splash pad before the luggage was unpacked. That’s normal.

Saturday is the day you don’t leave. Coffee on the back deck while the lake’s still glassy. Watch a heron work the shoreline. The kids will gravitate toward the water once they wake up — let them.

Mid-morning, head to the saltwater pool. It opens early and lifeguards on duty mean you can actually relax for thirty minutes. When the pool gets busy, switch to the private beach.

For lunch, the 19th Hole Patio Grill is on-site and lets you stay in swimwear. Burgers, fish and chips, kids’ menu. Sit on the patio.

Afternoon is a choice. Take the free use of canoes, kayaks, and SUPs out for a slow cruise — the shoreline of Rice Lake is full of cottages, herons, and the occasional Trent–Severn pleasure cruiser locking through. Or stay at the beach with a book.

Evening is dock time. Bring a drink, watch the sun drop behind the trees on the far shore. Rice Lake sunsets are the reason people come back.

Day 2 — Peterborough Day

Peterborough is twenty-five minutes from Mildred’s and surprisingly worth a full day.

Start at the Canadian Canoe Museum. It opened a new building in 2024 and has the world’s largest canoe collection — over 600 vessels. Indigenous history, interactive exhibits, easily two to three hours if you let yourself slow down.

Lunch in downtown Peterborough on Hunter Street. A few decent options: – Publican House Brewery for a pint and pub food – Black Honey for coffee and pastries – Rolling Grape Vineyard if you want something slower

Afternoon, pick one:

The Peterborough Lift Lock. Highest hydraulic boat lift in the world. Boats rise twenty metres in about ten minutes. Kids find it more interesting than they expect.

Trent–Severn waterway walk. Flat, shaded, follows the canal. Easy two-hour stroll.

Warsaw Caves Conservation Area. Forty minutes northeast. Genuinely explorable caves, hiking trails, swimming hole. This one’s a full afternoon if you commit.

Drive home around dinner time. The route through the Kawarthas at golden hour is half the experience. Eat back at the cottage — you’ll be tired in the best way.

Day 3 — Rice Lake Day

The whole point of being on a 100-square-kilometre lake is the lake itself. Day 3 is for the water.

Morning fishing. Rice Lake has bass, walleye, musky, pike, and panfish. Off the dock at Mildred’s, you’ll catch sunfish in five minutes if you have basic tackle. Take the boat out into the weed beds for bass. Pick up a one-day Ontario fishing licence online before you go.

Lunch at Elmhirst’s Resort. Fifteen minutes from the cottage. Their dining room overlooks the water and serves food that’s better than it needs to be. Worth the short drive.

Afternoon at Serpent Mounds Provincial Park. Ten minutes from Mildred’s. An ancient Indigenous burial site with short interpretive trails. Most guests don’t know it exists. It’s quiet, historically significant, and a counterweight to a weekend of swimming.

Or just stay on the dock. There’s no wrong call.

Evening on the dock. Last night. The grill is going. Kids are tired. The lake’s going still. This is the part you’ll remember.

Departure

Monday morning, slow coffee, last walk to the dock. Most guests are out by 11 AM and back in Toronto by 12:30. The drive home goes faster than the drive up.

Things to know

• Cell service is solid on Rice Lake. Both Bell and Rogers have coverage.
• Gas up in Peterborough before heading back to the cottage. Sunday gas in small towns is unreliable.
• Stock groceries at Loblaws in Peterborough on the way in. The general stores near Bellmere are fine for top-ups but not a full week.
• Firewood is on-site at the resort. Ask during check-in.
• Wildlife — herons, loons, osprey, the occasional beaver. Keep an eye out.

Book the trip

Mildred’s Lakefront Resort Cottage sleeps six across three bedrooms with a shared resort dock, free use of canoes, kayaks, and SUPs, and full Bellmere Winds resort access. Three-day weekends like this one book up four to six months out.

Check availability for your dates.

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