Highlands East, ON

Highlands East is Haliburton County lake country, reached mainly via Highway 118 or 121 off Highway 35, which connects down to Highway 400 and the GTA. Locals bounce between Bancroft (40 km) and Faraday (34 km) for everyday errands, while out-of-towners heading up for cottage weekends usually come from Peterborough, about 91 km south. Expect winding Shield-country roads through granite and forest, and top up on EV charging in Bancroft or Haliburton village since options thin out further in. The municipality itself was only created in 2001, merging Cardiff, Glamorgan, and Monmouth townships, which is why its 3,343 residents are spread across separate villages like Wilberforce and Gooderham rather than one main town.