Finding a cottage or resort that genuinely welcomes your dog — not just tolerates one — takes more planning than the rest of your booking. Kawartha Lakes is a region built around outdoor life: lakes, trails, docks, and open space that make it a natural fit for pet owners. The good news is that a solid number of waterfront properties here actively advertise pet-friendly accommodations. The considerations worth checking before you commit include pet fees, any breed or size restrictions the property may impose, whether there’s off-leash space, and how close the cottage is to the water’s edge. What follows is a property-by-property rundown of every pet-welcoming lodging in our guide.
A family-run resort with nine individual cottages on Upper Chemong Lake, just south of Buckhorn. The property includes a sandy beach, docking facilities, and watercraft rentals — fishing boats with motors, kayaks, canoes, and pedal boats. Pet-friendly accommodations are explicitly listed among the resort’s services. The Buckhorn area nearby offers additional draw for active visitors, including Petroglyph Provincial Park and Warsaw Caves.
Operating since 1996, this 15-cottage resort on Big Bald Lake charges a pet fee of $50 per dog. Cottages range from two- to three-bedroom configurations, with overnight cabins also available. Kayaks, canoes, and pedal boats are included free for guests; motorboat and pontoon rentals are available at extra cost. There’s an on-site restaurant (Belly’s Lakeside), shared campfire pits, a volleyball court, and a horseshoe pit. In July and August, weekly bookings are required for cottages.
A year-round inn and restaurant operating since 1859 on Burleigh Island. The inn offers rooms and suites with a two-night minimum stay and accepts pets. Beyond lodging, the property serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, hosts live music and comedy nights, and offers transient boat dockage — making it a viable stop for boaters travelling the Trent-Severn Waterway as well as road-trip visitors. Seasonal packages and bed-and-breakfast add-ons are available.
A full-service cottage and RV resort on 120 acres along Lake Scugog, open May to mid-October. The property runs the gamut from seasonal RV sites to cabin lodging, and it includes an off-leash dog park on site — a practical amenity that sets it apart for pet owners travelling with dogs that need room to run. Other amenities include a restaurant, recreation hall, kayak launch, propane exchange, and kids’ programming.
A combined marina and cottage property between locks 30 and 31 on the Trent-Severn Waterway. Three fully equipped three-bedroom cottages sleep up to six guests each, with docking for two small boats and canoe use included per cottage. The pet fee is $10 per day per pet, and the minimum stay is two nights. The on-site marina adds practical value: fuel, pump-out, mechanical repairs, a convenience store, and a boat launch are all available.
A full-service marina below Lock 32 in Bobcaygeon with origins dating to the late 1800s. The marina offers two cottage units for rent alongside a comprehensive set of marina services — transient and seasonal docking, an ethanol-free fuel dock, pump-out, shore power, laundry, and a chandlery store. Pet-friendly amenities are listed among the property’s services. The marina operates seasonally, 9 AM to 7 PM seven days a week.
A family-oriented cottage resort on Pigeon Lake, open from the May long weekend through October. Pet fees run $50–$75 per stay depending on the booking. The resort includes a heated saltwater pool, playground, complimentary kayaks and canoes, and boat and Sea-Doo rentals. Docking is available for an additional fee. Weekly rentals are required in peak season for select cottages; weekend rentals are available for others.
Nine cottages plus a four-bedroom apartment on Sturgeon Lake, with units ranging from one to four bedrooms and sleeping two to twelve guests. The pet cleaning fee is $40 per pet per stay. The marina side of the property offers an extensive rental fleet — fishing boats, pontoons from 16 to 24 feet, kayaks, canoes, and pedal boats — as well as transient overnight docking, seasonal slip rentals, and winter storage. On-site amenities include a playground, fire pit, and lawn games.
A waterfront resort with over 800 feet of shoreline on Sturgeon Lake, offering cottages in one- to four-bedroom configurations plus RV accommodations. The pet fee is $25 per night. On-site rentals include fishing boats and pontoons, and there’s a boat launch with trailer parking. Common outdoor areas include a fire pit and swimming pool. The resort caters to fishing clubs and group trips as well as families.
A heritage estate resort on 50 hectares of waterfront between Fenelon Falls and Bobcaygeon, offering a notably different experience from the cottage-resort model: rooms, suites, cottages, a nine-hole golf course, a full-service spa, fine dining, and a sports bar. The dog fee is $25 per dog per visit when declared at booking; it rises to $75 per dog if discovered after check-in. Protected boat docking accommodates up to ten vessels.
A seasonal family resort and trailer park on the south shore of Buckhorn Lake, connected to Pigeon Lake and Chemong Lake. Two- and three-bedroom cottages are available alongside trailer sites, and the property includes a sandy beach, free canoe use, a playground, coin-op laundry, and showers. Boat rentals range from aluminum fishing boats to a Bowrider, Bass Boat, and Sea-Doo Sportster. The resort operates May through October.
A privately rented four-bedroom waterfront cottage sleeping up to eight guests (ten with a pull-out sofa), with private dock access and kayaks and a canoe included. The cottage is equipped with a full kitchen, air conditioning, fireplace, washer and dryer, and streaming TV. Weekly bookings are preferred in July and August; a two-night minimum applies otherwise. This is a single-unit rental rather than a resort, suited to groups wanting their own space.
Ten furnished two- and three-bedroom cottages on Shadow Lake in Norland, with a pet fee of $45 plus HST per dog. Silent watercraft — canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, and pedal boats — are included with each stay. Other amenities include a sandy beach, beach volleyball, playground, board game and DVD sign-out, and an on-site gift shop. The property also has a meeting room available for rental. Rates vary across three distinct seasons, with year-round availability possible.
Seven self-catering cottages on Canal Lake, operating seasonally from May through October. Individual units range from five to nine people in capacity, with named cottages including The Birch, The Hummingbird, The Pine, The Heron, The Cedar, The Lake, and The Canal. On-site motorboat rentals (aluminum boat with 9.9hp motor, $100/day) are available for guests. Canal Lake is known locally for walleye, bass, pike, and muskie fishing.
A three-season waterfront resort and marina near Peterborough offering marina slip rentals, destination trailer sites, and LeBoat houseboat rentals. The property includes an off-leash dog park alongside a kids’ playground, laundry facilities, and park Wi-Fi. Serviced slips run $85 per foot; non-serviced slips are $55 per foot. This is the only property in this guide offering houseboat rentals, which includes both short-term rentals and an ownership program.
A resort with nearly a century of history in Buckhorn, offering one- and two-bedroom suites as well as three-bedroom cottages. Complimentary watercraft include kayaks, canoes, pedal boats, and stand-up paddleboards. The property also has boat rentals, a concrete boat launch ramp, fishing docks, a fish cleaning hut, a convenience store (seasonal), and a playground. Fishing tournaments and community events are hosted on site throughout the season.
A family-owned resort and campground on Upper Buckhorn Lake, open May 1 to October 8. The dog fee is $100 per week or $50 per weekend. Seven cottages ranging from two to four bedrooms are available, along with a trailer unit, glamper, and one transient RV site. Complimentary watercraft include kayaks, canoes, SUP boards, and pedal boats; boat rentals (14′ aluminum and 18′ pontoon) are extra. July and August bookings are weekly only, Friday to Friday.
A 12.5-acre lakeside property with 450 feet of shoreline near Lakefield, offering one-bedroom and two-bedroom cottages plus the Kawartha Suite across eight units sleeping three to six guests. The property stands out for its on-site pet sitting and dog walking service (available for a fee), in addition to standard pet-friendly accommodations. Complimentary watercraft include canoes, kayaks, paddleboats, and rowboats; powered watercraft and captained sunset pontoon cruises are also available. An outdoor heated pool, EV charging (Level 2), and wooded hiking trails round out the amenities.
| Property | Lake / Waterway | Pet Fee | Lodging Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birch Bend Cottage Resort | Upper Chemong Lake | Not advertised | Cottages / resort rooms |
| Catalina Bay Resort | Big Bald Lake | $50 per dog | Cottages / cabins |
| The Burleigh Falls Inn | Stoney / Lovesick Lake | Not advertised | Rooms / suites |
| Scugog Landing | Lake Scugog | Not advertised | Cottages / cabins / RV sites |
| Reach Harbour | Lower Buckhorn Lake | $10/day per pet | Cottages |
| Gordon Yacht Harbour Marina | Trent-Severn (Bobcaygeon) | Not advertised | Cottages |
| Blue Pigeon Resort | Pigeon Lake | $50–$75 per stay | Cottages |
| Myriad Fins Cottage and Marina | Sturgeon Lake | $40 per pet per stay | Cottages |
| Fish and Rest Cottage Resort | Sturgeon Lake | $25/night | Cottages / RV |
| Eganridge Resort | Sturgeon Lake | $25/dog (declared); $75/dog (undisclosed) | Rooms / suites / cottages |
| Poplar Grove Camp | Buckhorn Lake | Not advertised | Cottages / trailer sites |
| Across the Pond Cottage | Sturgeon Lake | Not advertised | Single cottage (4BR) |
| Lakefront Hideaway Resort | Shadow Lake | $45 + HST per dog | Cottages |
| Dunromin Cottages By The Lake | Canal Lake | Not advertised | Cottages |
| Del Mastro Horseshoe Bay Resort Marina | Trent-Severn (Peterborough) | Not advertised | Marina slips / trailer sites / houseboats |
| Sunrise Resort | Buckhorn area | Not advertised | Cottages / suites |
| Oak Bay Resort | Upper Buckhorn Lake | $100/week or $50/weekend | Cottages / camping |
| Lake Edge Cottages | Katchewanooka Lake | Not advertised | Cottages / suite |
For families with dogs who want the most space and structured amenities, properties like Scugog Landing | A Parkbridge Cottage & RV Resort (with its dedicated off-leash park) or Lake Edge Cottages (which offers on-site pet sitting and dog walking) go beyond simple pet tolerance. For groups looking to minimize extra costs, properties that charge a flat per-stay fee rather than a nightly rate — or that don’t advertise a pet fee at all — are worth a direct inquiry. Whatever your priority, the variety across these eighteen properties means the Kawarthas has a workable option for almost any pet-owning traveller.
Scugog Landing | A Parkbridge Cottage & RV Resort in Port Perry has a dedicated off-leash dog park on its 120-acre property. Del Mastro Horseshoe Bay Resort Marina near Peterborough also lists an off-leash dog park among its amenities.
Reach Harbour on Lower Buckhorn Lake charges $10 per day per pet, which is the lowest published per-night rate among properties that advertise a specific fee. Fish and Rest Cottage Resort & Boat Rental Marina on Sturgeon Lake charges $25 per night per pet. Several other properties welcome pets but don’t advertise a specific fee — it’s worth calling to ask.
The Burleigh Falls Inn is open year-round. Most other pet-friendly properties in this guide operate seasonally, typically May through October, though some — like Lakefront Hideaway Resort and Lake Edge Cottages — appear to accommodate guests outside summer months as well.
Blue Pigeon Resort on Pigeon Lake has a heated saltwater pool (open from the third week of June through mid-September). Fish and Rest Cottage Resort & Boat Rental Marina on Sturgeon Lake includes swimming pool access. Lake Edge Cottages on Katchewanooka Lake has a heated outdoor pool, noted as seasonal.
Yes — several pet-friendly properties sit directly on the Trent-Severn Waterway or connected lakes. The Burleigh Falls Inn on Burleigh Island, Reach Harbour between locks 30 and 31, Gordon Yacht Harbour Marina below Lock 32 in Bobcaygeon, and Del Mastro Horseshoe Bay Resort Marina near Peterborough all welcome pets and offer waterfront or dockside access along the waterway.
Details verified as of July 2026.
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