Fenelon Falls

Fenelon Falls, "the Jewel of the Kawarthas", is a community of about 1,800 permanent residents that grew up around the 23 ft (7.0 m) waterfalls that were used to power a flour mill. Lumbering and agriculture were important for the village. Fenelon Falls is home to lock 34 on the Trent-Severn Waterway between Sturgeon Lake and Cameron Lake. It is primarily a tourist town and therefore is most active during the summer season.

Understand

History

Fenelon Falls, originally named Cameron's Falls, was renamed after the township, which was named after François de Salignac de la Mothe-Fénelon, who founded a mission on the Bay of Quinté. In 1876, the Victoria Railway reached Fenelon Falls. In 1885, construction of the lock between Cameron and Sturgeon lake began.

In 2001, the municipal governments of the Town of Lindsay and the Village of Fenelon Falls were dissolved and merged, with Victoria County, into the new City of Kawartha Lakes.

Get in

Fenelon Falls is 157 km from Toronto east along Highway 401 and north along Highway 35/115.

Get around

Highway 28 forms a central spine through the Kawarthas and attractions such as Petroglyphs Provincial Park and Stoney Lake are easily accessible from the highway.

• Kawartha Lakes Taxi, 28 N Bayou Rd., ☏ +1 705 928-1413. in Fenelon Falls. 

See

Fenelon Falls' main street

• 1 Maryboro Lodge, The Fenelon Falls Museum, 50 Oak St, ☏ +1 705 887-1044. Spring and Autumn: Sa Su 1-5PM; Jul Aug: daily 10AM-5PM. Housed in the 1837 squared timber home of James Wallis. The permanent exhibit showcases early life in the Kawarthas with a variety of native and settler artifacts. (updated Aug 2018)
• 2 Fenelon Falls. If you're in Fenelon Falls, you must stop to see the falls for which the village was named. They are lovely. (updated Sep 2019)
• 3 The Horseless Carriage Museum, 1427 County Road 8 (midway between Bobcaygeon and Fenelon Falls), ☏ +1 705 738-9576. May-Nov: call ahead for an appointment. A privately-owned museum specializing in pre-1914 transportation and early mechanical technology. It has five century-old vehicles and a 1895 Sawyer & Massey steam traction engine, rare mechanical music machines and an 1890s General Store. by donation. (updated Sep 2019)
• The Fenelon Falls Fair. Third weekend in July. Agricultural fair with animal shows, exhibits, midway rides, tractor pulls, demolition derbies, bands and a dance. Daily pass: adults $7, teens $5, public school children $3, pre-school children free, parking $3. (updated Sep 2019)

Do

• 1 Balsam Lake Provincial Park, 2238 County Rd 48, ☏ +1 705-454-3324. A large park on the Trent-Severn waterway, offering a wide variety of sites for car camping, including private and treed tent sites on the edge of the forest, and large pull-through sites with services for RV's. Several campsites accessed on foot are available for a more rustic experience. A large sandy beach is walking distance to many campsites, and paddlers can rent canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards. A boat launch and trailer parking is available for overnight campers and day-use visitors. (updated Jul 2023)
• Victoria Rail Trail. A 55-km trail that stretches from Lindsay 22 km through Cameron to Fenelon Falls, then 33 km to Kinmount. The trail is used year-round for hiking, horseback riding, cycling, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. The trail follows the former CN rail line. During the summer months the bridge crossing this waterway is swung open to allow boater traffic through. Therefore it is necessary to detour through the downtown and along highway 121. North of Cameron the trail travels towards Ken Reid Conservation Area. (updated Sep 2019)

Buy

• 1 Grr8 Finds Markets, 27 Colborne St, ☏ +1 705-887-4778. Daily 10AM-5PM. A multi-vendor market with over 5,000 ft² (460 m²) of antiques, collectables and vintage finds. Lots of quality furniture, china, glass and silverware, vintage decor, nostalgia, advertising signs, jewellery. (updated Aug 2018)
• 2 Curious?, 10-B Water Street, ☏ +1 705 887-7712. Tu-Sa 10AM-5PM, Su 11AM-4PM. Fine art, home décor, body products, jewellery, pottery, toys, bedding. (updated Sep 2019)

Eat

• 1 The Locker at the Falls, 9 Lindsay Street, ☏ +1 705-887-6211. Su-W 11:30AM-10PM, Th-Sa 11:30AM-11PM. Burgers, wings, wraps, fish and chips, with a great view of the falls. (updated Aug 2017)
• 2 The Cow and Sow Eatery, 38 Colborne St. Summer: Su-Th 11AM-midnight, F Sa 11AM-2AM; Winter: Su-Tu 11AM-10PM, W Th 11AM-11PM, F Sa 11AM-midnight. Salads ($9-13), wings (1 pound $13), ribs ($16 half, $28 full rack), hot dogs and hamburgers ($13-15), poutines ($13-15), sandwiches ($13-14). (updated Aug 2017)

Drink

• 1 Fenelon Falls Brewing Co., 4 May Street, Fenelon Falls, ☏ +1 705-215-9898. Taproom: M-Th noon-7PM, F Sa noon-10PM, Su noon-5PM. Hand-crafted premium beer made in small batches in a Canadian-made brewhouse in the old village blacksmith's shop. It was founded by a Vietnamese immigrant who arrived in Fenelon Falls in the 1970s with no English, and his Polish-Canadian wife. Available in Fenelon Falls at the LCBO store, Sobeys supermarket and some restaurants. (updated Nov 2019)

Sleep

• 1 Fenelon Inn, 36 Helen Street, ☏ +1 705 887-9000, toll-free: +1 877-617-2396. (updated Aug 2017)
• 2 Bridgwood Manor Bed & Breakfast, 1277 County Road 121, Fenelon Falls, ☏ +1 705 887-4936. Double: with shared bath $90, private bath $100. Free Wifi. (updated Sep 2019)

Stay safe

Blue-green algae is a toxic form of algae that can be an occasional problem in this region. Do not swim or wade in water where this algae is present, do not drink the water, and do not let pets in the water. Blooms most commonly occur in late summer and early fall. They thrive in areas where the water is shallow, slow moving and warm, but they may be present in deeper, cooler water. Dense blue-green algae blooms may make the water look bluish-green, or like green pea soup or turquoise paint. Very dense blooms may form solid-looking clumps. Fresh blooms often smell like newly mown grass, while older blooms may smell like rotting garbage.

Poison ivy is common in wooded areas. All parts of poison ivy, including the roots, contain a poisonous substance which causes an irritating inflammation of the skin of most people, the inflamed areas frequently developing blisters and accompanied by intense itchiness.

Go next

• Bobcaygeon
• Buckhorn, Lakefield and Stoney Lake
• Lindsay — the main population centre of the City of Kawartha Lakes, 27 km south on Highway 35
• Quinte-Northumberland
• Haliburton Highlands

Routes through Fenelon Falls

Toronto via ← Clarington ←

S  N

→ Haliburton Highlands → ENDS at W E