Discover Lake Saint Peter

Lake Saint Peter is a good choice for travelers planning a stay centered on the lake and Provincial Park. Camping, beaches, and water activities define the area; nature viewing and destinations elsewhere in Hastings County extend the regional scope.

Time by the lake and in the Provincial Park

In 2026, the season for day use and camping at Lake St. Peter Provincial Park runs from May 8 to October 13. Check the dates before your trip. The park offers 65 campsites, including sites with electrical hookups and sites by the water. These features may factor into your choice of campsite.

The park’s day-use area has a sandy beach, a large picnic area, and a volleyball court. Lake St. Peter has two sandy beaches, both marked by buoy lines. There are no lifeguards at the beaches, and pets are not allowed there. Check beach conditions and notices before visiting.

For a day out, visitors can rent a canoe or kayak in the park and explore Lake St. Peter. Motorboats are permitted on the lake, which is also known for Lake Trout and bass. Lake St. Peter is also the northern terminus of the Hastings Heritage Trail. This destination therefore combines water activities, a specific boating rule, and a distinctive location on the trail.

Birds that live at Lake St. Peter include warblers, thrushes, chickadees, woodpeckers, and Great Blue Herons. These bird groups add a nature dimension to the beach and water activities, which may be of interest regardless of whether you choose camping or day use.

Hastings County: Nature, gemstones, and history

Hastings County lies between Toronto, Ottawa, the Bay of Quinte, and Algonquin Park. In the Vanderwater Conservation Area in Hastings County, a 16-kilometre trail network winds through old-growth forests to the Moira River. There, water flows over a series of limestone steps. Trails, forest, river, and limestone make this a distinct nature and landscape highlight within the county.

Gemstones and minerals are another regional theme. The Rockhound Gemboree takes place every summer in Bancroft. It is Canada’s largest annual gemstone and mineral show, with more than 100 dealers. At the Princess Sodalite Mine Rock Shop, visitors can look for rocks and minerals and discover nearly 100 different types of finds. If you plan to attend the Rockhound Gemboree, check the dates for the relevant year.

The county’s history also has many facets. The Bancroft North Hastings Heritage Museum is housed in the former headquarters of the Bronson-Weston Lumber Company and has ten galleries on the community’s history. In Stirling, Farmtown Park is home to the Hastings County Museum of Agricultural Heritage. It presents the culture of rural Ontario and the history of farming and farmers; cheese- and butter-making are also among its themes. Farmtown Park’s Heritage Village depicts a rural small town in the 1930s.

At Eagles Nest Park, an interpretive trail covers the region’s early Indigenous presence, early European settlement, and the park’s geology, flora, and fauna. Together with the trails at Vanderwater Conservation Area, Bancroft’s mineral attractions, and Stirling’s agricultural history, this illustrates the range of nature and cultural experiences in the wider Hastings County area.

Discover more destinations: Gilmour, Coe Hill, Belleville, Marmora, Madoc, Stirling, Bancroft, Maynooth.

For the broader travel overview: Hastings County.