Maple Shores, Maple Lake

The cottage was as described, very comfortable and well equipped, a bit closer to the road than expected. It was lovely to be right on the water. A very nice weekend getaway.
~ Christine Berkowitz

Date of stay: May 2023

~ Nadia

Date of stay: August 2023

A thank you to Sarah & Peter for sharing your lovely cottage with us. Your cottage is cozy, inviting and well equipped .The sunrise over Maple Lake in the morning was stunning and we enjoyed the view from your spacious deck. We also enjoyed all of the wild life that stopped in for a visit ( Heron, 2 x Muskrats, Red Squirrel, Chipmunk, Ducks, Eagle and a territorial Seagull that gave us a few laughs. My husband had some luck fishing from the dock, his catches even included a 12" Bass ( catch & release ) that he was happy to take pictures of for proof to share with those in the party that were napping at the time...lol. The Cottage location was convenient for attending the events that we had signed up for while in the area and the Friday Night Prime Rib meal at The Mill Pond Restaurant was just 15 minutes away! Also a BIG thank you to Mr. J.T. Lowes for helping us find this alternative cottage after our first booking fell through. Sometimes things in life happen for a reason it seems and you just can't get much better then this! :)
~ Cindy

Date of stay: August 2023

Pros: - lake steps away from the dock - worth the rental price 100%, right there. - comfortable beds - steady DSL wifi - it maxes at 6mb but its a very steady 6mb - well stocked kitchen - plates were hard to find though - great views from the dining room - value - cottage prices are still high due to high demand - and you won't beat this value for 10 people Cons / suggestions / things for other cottagers to know - this cottage retains heat like a champ; if its supposed to be hot, bring portable fans for upstairs; ceiling fans do little - 1 bathroom for 10 people can prove difficult - the deck is great but it's probably got one more summer left and that's it - a few exposed staples due the wood wearing away - We've stayed on Maple Lake multiple times, and this waterfront is no different than others; expect a more natural environment at the waterfront; there's no dredging happening; your feet sink a little when you walk around, and weeds are here. Don't expect Grand Bend style beach and lakefront - Decently private as there's only one neighbor, but their dock is a little close; sound travels like a champ - as others said, in the morning, North Shore Road is a bit of a speedway, little ones should be careful when crossing
~ Andy Knapp

Date of stay: July 2022

Our stay at Maple Shores was very nice, there was a lot of rain the week that we were there, but overall the cottage was alright. The 3 large bedrooms offer plenty of space for families to stay together. This is a large and clean cottage on Maple Lake, with beautiful scenery and a well maintained access road. A couple of notes for feedback: The coffee maker took a very long time to brew and the coffee was luke warm The French Doors on the lake facing side of the cottage would benefit from a screen in the doors A couple of well marked empty cupboards that are completely separate from the owners food and other provisions would be helpful, we kept most of our food etc on the counter for the week The furniture in the family room was not very comfy The deck, outdoor table and bench seating were a little rough and could perhaps use some updating
~ Diane Gruber

Date of stay: August 2021

Enjoyed a week relaxing at Maple Shores this summer and would definitely recommend this cottage. Love how close it was to the water, easy access to water and fully stocked cottage. Others have written it is close the road but this isn't a problem and the lake was quiet. Good for all ages, there is a kayak and canoe for renters. The only suggestion would be to bring a couple fans as it can get warm ..otherwise enjoy your time!
~ T Hancock

Date of stay: August 2021

We truly enjoyed our time at "Maple Shores". Peter and Sarah have done a wonderful job of maintaining the true natural state of this property. Although the property is not huge, there are tons of areas to explore, and lots of wildlife to experience. Along the one side of the cottage is a creek you can explore with the Kayak, many frogs and crayfish reside there. More frogs and toads can also be found all over the property, meeting these creatures kept our 6 year old twins and their 14 year old cousin very busy. The views from the cottage are breathtaking, and in the early morning the Herons visit, as well as a Kingfisher daily. The lake is abundant with fish, you can see them from the dock or while swimming in the water, just out from the property seemed to be the many fisherman's favourite place to fish. The water at the dock is very shallow, and there are stones nicely placed that lead you to a beach area. The beach area is a great place for little kids to play, as you go deeper it becomes very weedy ... but then there is a big drop off that is great swimming. Although our kids are strong swimmers it was helpful to use lie jackets or the 2 noodles to help them (and us) float while out there. A swim dock or mat would benefit swimming here, but all and all we still enjoyed ourselves. We used the canoe and kayak to explore Maple Lake and its neighbouring lakes. We highly recommend making the trek to Beech River to play in the rapids under the bridge, it took us about 4 hours round trip and includes a bit f a portage through a shallow river between Maple and Beech Lakes, but it is worth the trip ... or you can drive to Beech River as well ... just bring your lifejacket as the current is strong. We found the location of this cottage good, as we were able to easily get to Buttermilk Falls (easy trail with Boshkung as a reward at the end) to do a short hike and to Circuit of 5 Viewpoints trail (a bit challenging - but great exercise). Being located on North Shore road makes the cottage conveniently located, but also means that there is a lot of traffic driving by, and quickly. The cottage is very close to the road. The interior of the cottage is comfortable. There was lots of space for the 5 of us. The couches need to be covered or updated. The kitchen was very well stocked and was nice to work in. It was extremely hot the day we arrived (42) and the upstairs of the cottage was extremely hot, but knowing there were only ceiling fans we brought a couple fans that made sleeping more tolerable that 1st night. The rest of the nights were fine as the temperature dropped in the evenings. All and all Maple Shores was great and we made lots of fun memories visiting here!
~ Melissa Rose Caufield

Date of stay: July 2020

We enjoyed being at the cottage very much. We enjoyed all that it had to offer as a cottage with all the things necessary to live. the only thing we were not able to do there was swim as there was a beautiful sand bar through the cottage.We still enjoyed playing in the water and did that daily. We were able to see many wild life creatures with joy. Great place to go and relax away from city life...thanks so much!!! We enjoy checking out different cottages each year but would recommend this cottage to anyone.
~ Mary Camilleri

Date of stay: July 2020

We had a great two weeks over the summer at Maple Shores and agree with much of what other reviewers say. We liked how the owner was responsive over text, to questions that came up once we were there. The cottage is very close to a road but the upside is that its very easy to get to on pavement and if you're a bike rider, it's on the doorstep to a great network of circuits. The waterfront is shallow but then drops off quite deep; upside here is that if you have younger kids, it offers stress-free swimming given the large sandbar a few meters off the end of the dock. And, the Wi-Fi was superb, supporting HD streaming for us. How can a great cottage be even better? The large furniture on the main floor does need to be recovered in order to be more comfortable and match what you'd expect at this price point. We'd also suggest more floor/table lighting besides the two ceiling lights, on the main level. There's nowhere to comfortably read after dark. Finally, the dock. The cottage can accommodate up to 8-10 people however the narrow, rickety dock groans under more than two people, and can only fit 2 chairs. Docks are the gateway to the lake at cottages so an investment here would pay dividends down the road, I'm sure.
~ Colleen Younder

Date of stay: August 2020

Maple Shores overall is a pleasant cottage. The inside of the cottage we had no complaints, clean, organized and comfortable. The outside, the water in front of the cottage was shallow and not good for fishing off the dock. The weather was not good for swimming so we did not swim from the dock. I think swimming would be easy from this dock for kids. Overall a nice cottage!!
~ Robert Mitchell

Date of stay: September 2020