Our Canoe was refinished in Ottawa before we left last year. It is once again looking very spiffy and deserves a good paddle. Since we don’t know the nearby lakes and need to do more research on which lakes offer a nice day paddle, we drove to nearby Spider Lake, named thus for all the little tentacle like bays, which is a fairly small lake remarked as a good place for beginner paddlers. There is a day use area with picnic tables and a good swimming area, but we parked at the boat launch with a shallow area for easy in and out. A sign at the boat launch indicates the lake is stocked with trout yearly and does not allow motorboats. Perfect for a quiet day of fishing, or a peacefull cottage life. We paddled around the lake in a short time and then stopped for a picnic lunch before heading out again to check out another lake (for a possible future paddling opportunity).
Deer Crossing? 
Calm waters 
Picnic at Spider Lake 
Horne Lake, 10 km furthur along a dirt road, is a much bigger lake and an active logging area. High cliffs tower over the lake along one side and cottages line the lakefront, along with several campgrounds. The lake appears to be a good lake for paddling but also one that could easily turn choppy with a bit of wind coming off the cliffs. At one end of the lake 1 km. from the lakefront is the Horne Lake caves. We stopped by to check out what they offer and discovered they have a variety of options. A small interpretive centre offers a movie of the caves. Some of the caves can be accessed via self guided tours, others with a guide, and an option to propel down into a cave. After passing through a shoe cleansing area which protects the caves and bats, we did a short hike along an interpretive trail which took us past caves, fossils, sinkholes, etc. and then back to the parking area. We will definitley go back to check those caves out!