Many visitors to the Haliburton Highlands prefer to watch wildlife during the warm summer months. But if you don’t mind the snow and cold, winter can actually be one of the best times to spot wildlife, as white snow, bare trees, and fewer crowds make animals easier to see. Go snowshoeing in the region’s parks and keep your eyes peeled for native Ontario wildlife like white-tailed deer, moose, foxes, and hares. Or cozy up in your All-Season Cottage Rentals property and watch wildlife from the comfort of a private cottage.
Haliburton Forest
Haliburton Forest is a great place for winter wildlife watching near your cottage rental. Rent snowshoes at the Wolf Centre and explore the park’s snow-covered trails while looking for wildlife like wolves, red foxes, snowshoe hares, deer, and moose.
Wolf Centre
Take a break from the cold and stop at the Wolf Centre in Haliburton Forest and watch wildlife in a temperature-controlled setting. Step into the 5,000-square-foot facility and observe the park’s resident wolf pack from the indoor glass observatories.
Yours Outdoors also offers a Track, Scat, & Snowshoe excursion that departs from the Wolf Centre. Sign up and learn to identify animals by their tracks and scat with a knowledgeable guide.
Algonquin Provincial Park
Visit Algonquin Provincial Park for some of the best winter wildlife watching in Ontario. Snowshoe along the park’s breathtaking winter trails and look for deer, moose, martens, fishers, otters, foxes, and wolves. You can also spot hundreds of birds here during the winter. Check the Algonquin Park Wild Bird Cam to see which birds are active right now!
Snowdon Park
Explore the tranquil beauty of winter at Snowdown Park’s snowshoeing trails. Explore the Brenda Chambers Trail and look for moose, white-tailed deer, snowshoe hares, and ruffed grouse during your exploration.
Barnum Creek Nature Reserve
Discover fantastic wildlife watching at Barnum Creek Nature Reserve during the winter months. Snowshoe and look for moose, deer, fox, wolves, beaver, porcupine, muskrats, and a wide variety of bird species.
Book a Winter Cottage Rental in the Haliburton Highlands
Beyond wildlife watching, Ontario’s Haliburton Highlands set the stage for a wide range of winter activities. Fill your time with fun dog sledding, skiing, fat biking, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, ice skating, and ice fishing adventures. We have properties close to the region’s top winter attractions like Sir Sam’s Ski / Ride and Winterdance Dogsled Tours. Browse our cottage rentals in the Haliburton Highlands and find the perfect accommodations for your winter stay.