By Kristina Smith
The Haliburton Highlands feel like cottage country the way many people remember it—quieter, wilder…and just a little harder to stumble upon by accident.
Across the region, a handful of owner-driven stays are reimagining what it means to spend time in the woods. From treetop forts and off-grid cabins to rustic log stays and modern lakeside retreats, each offers its own way of bringing you closer to the wild… without asking you to leave comfort behind.
FORT Treehouse Co.
With FORT, the experience begins not on the ground, but in the trees.
At Hårtwood, the idea of a treehouse is reimagined. Suspended among the canopy and bordering a protected 500-acre nature reserve, it offers a first glimpse of what “wild” can feel like in this region—immersive, restorative, and just removed enough from the everyday to shift your perspective.
Designed as a small-scale treetop hotel, Hårtwood brings together three private treehouses and a shared gathering space—The Hydda—where a curated wine bar, coffee counter, and general store invite guests to settle in.
For co-founder Lauren Green and her husband, Cam, the vision was to create something that sits outside traditional categories—“not a hotel, and not a short-term rental,” she says, “but a space where people can slow down and have whatever kind of stay they’re looking for.”
From here, days unfold at your own pace: mornings on nearby forest trails, afternoons wandering down to the river, evenings gathered back among the trees.
Guests can book a single treehouse for a quiet retreat, or the entire site to come together with friends or family, sharing meals, stories, and time outside under the stars with curated add-ons like private chefs, yoga, and catered weekends.
“You can get eight to twelve friends together and have this really intimate experience,” Lauren shares.
Each treehouse is carefully built into living trees, shaped first by the natural landscape and then by architecture. Expansive windows make it difficult to tell where indoors ends and the forest begins, while the details, from radiant floor heating to spa-inspired bathrooms, feel intentionally considered.
For Lauren and Cam, that balance is the point. “The goal was getting deep into nature, but having this very comfortable experience,” Lauren explains. “Like a portal to nature for people who don’t always feel comfortable in nature.”
“Hårtwood is not a traditional hotel, and we’re not a short-term rental,” she says. “It’s this middle ground where you can have whatever you want. But really, it’s about giving people time. Time to slow down, and just be together.”
Elsewhere in the region, the experience of “wild” takes a more grounded form—one rooted as much in memory as in place.
Camp Haliburton
For Camp Haliburton owner Cathy Cicchini, that connection started early.
“My father was a scout leader, so every summer we’d go up to Haliburton. My mom would drop off my dad and my brothers, and they’d go scouting for a couple of weeks. I was always jealous—girls weren’t allowed.”
Now, that early pull to the region has come full circle.
Perched above the shoreline of Long Lake, Camp Haliburton offers a different kind of wilderness immersion shaped as much by design as by the landscape itself. A modern Scandinavian-style cabin (from The Backcountry Hut Co.), the space is clean-lined and light-filled, with natural materials and expansive windows that draw the outdoors in.
Here, the rhythm of the day is beautifully simple. Coffee on the deck, followed by reading or perhaps some yoga. Afternoons drift between walking nearby trails and the lake below—lounging on the dock, a swim when the mood strikes—before easing into evenings around the fire.
While the setting feels peaceful and tucked away, it’s not remote in the traditional sense. The surrounding area is gently populated, offering a sense of ease: where a stay in nature doesn’t require forgoing lattes or ice cream cones if the mood strikes, but still leaves plenty of room to disconnect.
What began as a personal retreat from urban life has evolved into something more, drawing not only couples, but families and even solo creatives. “I’ve had a musician stay for a few days just to write,” Cathy says. “That was really special.”
That sense of reset is what continues to shape the experience. “I still go up a few times a year so I can experience each season,” she adds. “You smell the air, you’re in the forest, you hear the birds. It’s a reset.”
At Camp Haliburton, “wild” isn’t about ruggedness, but about presence. A place to slow down, settle in, and return to the basics, comfortably.
Cabinscape
For those looking to go deeper into the woods, Cabinscape offers a more remote kind of stay.
Tiny, off-grid cabins are placed where traditional builds simply can’t go—tucked into quiet clearings, along winding backroads, and in pockets of forest that are otherwise untouched.
Designed by co-founder Laura Mendes’ husband, John, each cabin is built off-site, then transported in and set into place with minimal disruption to the land.
That flexibility has allowed Cabinscape to access locations that most developments can’t ever reach. Solar-powered and intentionally small, the cabins require little infrastructure, opening up a different kind of possibility.
“That gives us the opportunity to put our cabins in areas that most people can’t build on,” she says. “As long as there’s a path to get there, we can usually make it work.”
Across the Haliburton Highlands, cabins are thoughtfully ranked by remoteness—Low, Medium, or High—allowing guests to choose an experience that aligns with their comfort level in the wilderness. Some offer quiet seclusion within reach of nearby roads, while others require a bit more effort: a 4WD drive in, or even a short hike, rewarded with complete privacy—sometimes even a lake entirely your own.
Once there, the experience is simple by design. Each cabin is equipped with just what you need, creating space for long days outdoors and slow, quiet evenings.
For Laura and her husband John, that simplicity is the point. “We really wanted to offer that feeling of a backcountry campsite,” she says, “but with the comfort of a bed and running water.”
Rooted in their own love of backcountry camping, Cabinscape was born from a desire to find solitude that felt increasingly hard to come by—places not just near nature, but fully within it.
“Ultimately, what we offer is that sense of seclusion and privacy,” Laura says.
In a region defined by its lakes and forests, Cabinscape offers a version of “wild” that feels a little more remote, a little more rugged, and deeply personal in its own way.
Elsewhere, the idea of “wild” shifts again—less about going further out, and more about settling in.
Wild Kabin
Tucked into the forest, Wild Kabin’s handcrafted cabins are built using log kits milled right in Haliburton Forest and finished with stone, barn board, and warm wood interiors. Each space carries a strong sense of personality—rustic, but thoughtfully refined.
The design is intentional, created to bring the outside in and allow the surrounding landscape to take the lead. (And each comes with a sauna and hot tub, which never hurts.)
For co-founder Cassidy Frijio, that aesthetic comes naturally. “I’m more of a rustic person—I’m always like stone, wood… bring the outside in,” she says.
At Skelwood, their second build, that connection is especially felt. Set on a quiet, motor-free lake within a designated dark-sky preserve, the experience shifts in subtle yet meaningful ways. “It’s a motor-free lake, so it’s really quiet. There are no boats, just kayaks,” Cassidy explains.
The sound of the occasional paddle cutting across the lake by day; the sky opening up by night—clear, uninterrupted, and full of stars.
There’s a sense of ease to it all. The cabins are welcoming, lived-in (in the best way), and designed for real life—whether that means a quiet couple’s escape or a few slow days with your dog in tow. “We’re dog-friendly—I can’t imagine not letting people bring their furry family member,” Cassidy adds.
That balance—between craft and comfort, nature and stillness—is what defines Wild Kabin. It’s not about going further out, but about settling more deeply in.
And then, there’s the view.
H2H Cottage Co.
At H2H Cottage Co., the feeling of “wild” opens up—most notably at its Kennisis Lake Cottage, a light-filled retreat perched high above Little Kennisis Lake. With floor-to-ceiling windows, expansive decks, and sweeping treetop views, it’s a place where the landscape feels both vast and close, especially in the early morning as the sun rises over the water.
Originally built by owner Laura Jewell as her own home, the space carries a personal imprint shaped by creativity and a desire to create something both grounding and restorative.
Inside, that vision comes through in quiet, thoughtful ways. Natural materials sourced from the region—granite, wood, and locally crafted custom furniture—anchor the space, while a calm sensibility runs throughout.
“When I built it, I designed it to be my home,” Laura says. “I was a yoga teacher, so it’s very Zen and relaxing… there’s lots of areas for couples to snuggle up with a book or with a glass of wine.”
There are places to gather, and just as many to retreat: a chair by the window, a tucked-away corner for reading, a hammock “jungle” suspended among the trees. From nearly every angle, the outdoors remains present—framed, but never separate.
Outside, the experience is layered, literally. A winding path leads down toward the lake, with pauses along the way—a fire patio strung with soft lighting, quiet hammock moments built into the descent—inviting you to slow down rather than rush through. It’s not just about reaching the water, but about how you move through the space to get there.
At the top, many guests find they don’t need to leave at all.
“When people come here, they can literally just sit on the deck and enjoy nature,” Laura says. “You’ll see otters along the shoreline, migratory birds in the trees… you’re right in the treetops.”
That sense of stillness is intentional. Laura designs the experience around couples and families; guests who are seeking something quieter, more connected.
“I offer them a holiday where they can just arrive with their food and suitcase,” she says. “I try to look after everything else so they can just immerse themselves in nature.”
At Kennisis Lake Cottage, “wild” feels expansive and elevated, shaped as much by perspective as by place.
Each of these stays offers its own interpretation of “wild,” but they share the same invitation: step away from the noise, breathe in the forest air, and see just how restorative a few days in the Haliburton Highlands can be.
Photos courtesy: FORT Treehouse Co. Hårtwood Ian Patterson | Cabinscape @Kodagoeswild & Taylor Yap | Camp Haliburton Alyssa Naylor, Wyatt Williams & Danielle Meredith | H2H Cottage Co. @jonanthonyjames, Hugo & Tash & Christine and Sarah McClean: Wellness Travelled | Wild Kabin Co. Cassidy Frijio & Sean Davidson: Davidson Photography