Escape Doesn't Get More Private Than This!
Gather your whole crew and disappear into 187 acres of pure Ontario wilderness. Your own private lake. Kayaks waiting at the dock. A firepit under open skies. A house built for 15 people to fully spread out — six bedrooms, three bathrooms, an open-concept great room and a kitchen that comfortably feeds everyone.
Bear Lake is not a swimming lake — and that is exactly what makes it special. This is a working wilderness lake. Spring-fed, untouched and entirely private, its dark, still water reflects the forest like glass on calm mornings. You will hear loons before you see them. You will watch herons fish from the shoreline at dusk. The lake is yours — every inch of it — for the duration of your stay. No other guests, no public access, no kayaks from a neighbouring cottage drifting past. Just 187 acres of Canadian Shield wilderness with a lake at its heart that belongs entirely to your group.
Take the canoe out before anyone else wakes up. Let the paddles break the silence. Watch the mist lift off the water as the sun comes through the treeline. There is nothing quite like a private lake in the early morning — and this one is all yours.
Nearby attractions
Big Clear Lake — 5 Minutes
Your go-to swimming lake. Crystal clear, spring-fed and genuinely one of the most swimmable lakes in Eastern Ontario — the kind of clarity where you can see the bottom in twelve feet of water. Sandy entry, warm summer temperatures and almost zero crowds. Five minutes from the estate, it feels like a secret that somehow never got out. Pack a cooler, bring the inflatables and plan to stay all afternoon. This is where Bear Lake guests spend their days when they're not on the dock.
Circle Square Ranch — 20 Minutes
A full working ranch tucked into the Ontario forest — one of the most unexpected and genuinely enjoyable half-day experiences in the region. Horseback trail rides through mixed forest and open meadow, suitable for all levels including complete beginners. The trails are quiet, the horses are calm and the guides know every inch of the land. Perfect for a group morning out — book in advance as spots fill up quickly in peak season. Families with kids love it. Adults who haven't ridden since childhood love it even more.
Kick & Push Brewery — 25 Minutes
Craft beer and live music in the heart of Sharbot Lake — the kind of place you stumble into on a Friday evening and end up staying for three hours. Open mic every Friday from 5PM — local musicians, cold pints poured properly and a laid-back atmosphere that is pure cottage country. The beer is brewed on-site and genuinely good. The crowd is a mix of locals and cottagers who all seem to know each other by the end of the night. A perfect Friday evening out for the group — cold beer, live music and a 25-minute drive home through dark country roads back to the firepit.
Sharbot Lake Country Pub — 20 Minutes
Live music every Thursday evening in a proper countryside pub that has been a community institution for years. Country, folk, blues and everything in between — the genre changes weekly but the warmth of the room never does. Cold pints, a solid pub menu and the kind of friendly, unhurried service that reminds you how good a local pub can be when it hasn't been polished into something unrecognisable. Go for dinner, stay for the music. Combine it with a swim at Sharbot Lake beach that afternoon and you have a near-perfect Thursday.
Sharbot Lake Town — 20 Minutes
The nearest proper town and your resupply base for the week. Full grocery store, LCBO, pharmacy, hardware store and a handful of good local spots for breakfast and lunch. The lake itself has a public beach and boat launch — worth a quick afternoon swim if Big Clear Lake is busy. The farmers market runs on weekends in summer and is genuinely worth a visit — local honey, fresh produce, homemade preserves and the occasional very good pie.
Kingston — 55 Minutes
Ontario's most underrated city and a perfect day trip for groups who want a change of pace. A walkable limestone city on the shore of Lake Ontario with a real downtown — excellent restaurants, craft breweries, historic Fort Henry, the Thousand Islands boat tours and one of the best farmers markets in the province running every Saturday morning. If someone in the group wants a city day while others stay at the lake, Kingston is the answer. Drive down in the morning, have lunch on the waterfront, be back at the estate in time for the firepit.
Frontenac Provincial Park — 40 Minutes
Ontario's premier backcountry canoe tripping destination — but you do not need to be a canoe tripper to enjoy it. Day hiking trails wind through ancient Shield forest connecting a chain of lakes that barely anyone outside the province knows exist. The Rock Lake Trail is outstanding — two hours of real wilderness hiking with lake views that would not look out of place in Algonquin. Bring good shoes, a map and enough water. Leave the phones in the car. This is the real Ontario.
Bon Echo Provincial Park — 35 Minutes
One of Ontario's most iconic natural landmarks and non-negotiable for any group staying in Frontenac. The centrepiece is Mazinaw Rock — a sheer 100-metre wall of Canadian Shield granite rising straight out of Mazinaw Lake. Paddle a rented kayak directly to the base of the cliff and look up at over 260 ancient Algonquin pictographs painted into the rock face thousands of years ago in red ochre. Nobody quite knows how they got up there. The Cliff Top Trail gives you the view from above — 45 minutes of hiking through Shield forest that opens onto one of the most dramatic lookouts in the province. There is also a sandy beach inside the park for swimming, and the lake itself is cold, deep and breathtaking. Go early in the morning before the day trippers arrive.
