Weekend Escape: Calabogie Peaks Resort #WinterWander

80 acres of skiable terrain,  24 runs and the tallest mountain in Ontario. Need I say more?! Located an hour outside of Ottawa and about 3.5 hrs north of Toronto, Calabogie Peaks Resort is a skiers’/snowboarders’ paradise in Ontario’s Highlands. With ski-in, ski-out accommodations, a plethora of winter activities and delicious eats in the area, it is the perfect place to escape for the weekend. Here’s how…

Stay At The Resort – Whether you book a standard room in the main building or splurge on a private lodge perched on the hill, you’ll be steps away from the freshly powdered slopes — exactly where you’ll want to be for your weekend escape. Calabogie Peaks Resort has everything you’ll need for a relaxing and fun getaway: spacious rooms (some have kitchens, fireplaces and balconies), indoor saltwater pool, outdoor hot tub (which I took full advantage of with my travel buddy), restaurant, theatre and friendly staff who will welcome you with open arms.

Day 1 

Have Breakfast At Canthooks Restaurant – Served daily from 7- 11 am, you’ll want to fuel up with a solid breaky before kicking off the day. There are tons of great menu options to choose from: I loaded up with carbs and sprinkled in a few healthy items. The parfait was divine — not overly sweet and layered with just the right amount of berries and creamy vanilla yogurt. Yum!

Hit The Slopes – Founded by an Ottawa group in the 70s, the mountain now boasts 24 trails. And get this: only 50%  has been developed so you can expect the resort to keep introducing new terrain year after year! That’s great news for those looking for a bit of variety. Oh, and these guys are serious about their snowmaking: they use leading technologies to lay down the white stuff so you can happily ski/snowboard down their hills…

Grab Lunch At Canthooks Restaurant – You’ll want to head right back to Canthooks to devour lunch. Although their menu has a great range of salads, burgers and sandwiches to choose from, I highly recommend ordering the Butter Chicken Poutine from the Starters/Shared Plates menu. Pomme frites topped with cheese curds and loaded with a signature butter chicken sauce (expertly developed by a previous Indian chef at the resto). Trust me, this dish is a must. Oh, and if you head to Canthooks for dinner, you can also get your fix by ordering the Punjab Butter Chicken with basmati rice and naan.

Spend The Afternoon Cross-County Skiing – Rent skis at Calabogie Peaks Resort and head to the breathtaking trails maintained by the Madawaska Nordic Ski Club. Located behind Peaks Village, the trails have been marked by the volunteer group (green for easy, blue for moderate and red for difficult) so you can explore over 18 km at your own pace and ability level. Take a toonie with you: there is a $2 fee and a collection box at the east entrance.

Enjoy Dinner At Blackbird Cafe – You’ll find this charming restaurant about a 15-minute drive from Calabogie Peaks Resort. The food is top notch, service is friendly and the eclectic decor had our eyes darting from wall to wall in amazement. The restaurant is cozy, unpretentious and serves up mouthwatering cuisine. I loved the Great Big Greek Salad which was loaded with feta, olives, artichokes and capers (my faves!!). I’m not sure where they source their ingredients, but it was the freshest-tasting salad I’ve had in a long time. Oh and the Maple Dijon Salmon Filet was cooked to perfection and glazed with a heavenly sauce. Do yourself a favour and make the short drive over — you won’t regret it.

Day 2 

Have Breakfast At Canthooks Restaurant – Start the day fireside with a breakfast chorizo wrap. It’s the perfect blend of scrambled eggs, chorizo sausage, tomatoes and shredded cheese. Served with a side of hashbrowns, it’s a hearty meal that will give you a morning boost! If you prefer a light breakfast (then we can’t be friends — joking!), the hot oatmeal or breakfast smoothie will also hit the spot.

Spend The Morning On the Mountain – Whether you’re a novice or a pro, Calabogie Peaks Resort is a winter playground for all! I go downhill skiing a couple times a season so I decided to skip out on snow school this time around, but I stuck to beginner hills to make sure my limbs were intact upon departure. Lucky for me, these guys have a 2.5 km run with incredibly scenic views. I may or may not have stopped a few times on the way down Ole K&P to snap photos on my phone. I mean, who can resist?!

Devour Pancakes At Wheelers Pancake House – Who said pancakes are just for breakfast? Not I. And when they’re this good, I can eat them for every meal and will drive just about anywhere to devour them. Located an hour from Calabogie Peaks Resort, this family owned and operated pancake house serves up some of the tastiest pancakes I’ve ever had. The best part? You can top the fluffy disks with as much of their maple syrup as you’d like. Yup, these guys have 200 kilometers of pipeline collecting sap from over 20 000 trees in their sugar bush. It’s basically maple syrup heaven…

Spend The Afternoon Snowshoeing – After feasting at Wheelers Pancake House, you’ll want to strap on some snowshoes to explore their serene sugar bush. There are six trails on the 700+ acre property ranging from 1 km (Ridge Trail) to 7.6 km (Maple Trail) to help you work off the calories you devoured at the pancake house. Blanketed with snow, the sugar bush is a beautiful place to spend a few hours. Bring your own snowshoes or rent a traditional pair for $5. Oh, and make sure to stop by the teepee!

What a beaut winter escape right?! If you’re looking for a fun weekend away with friends or the fam, I highly recommend heading to Calabogie Peaks Resort. Spend your days on the mountain, nights at restos (on and off resort) and explore the area via short road trips. There’s so much to do in the region! But most importantly, make sure to pause and take it all in…

Our food, accommodations and activities were paid for by Ontario’s Highlands Tourism Organization as part of a press trip. As always, all reviews and opinions are entirely my own. For more photos, tweets and videos check out #WanderOH and #WinterWander on social media!