Marmora and Lake.
Marmora and Lake is a 538-square-kilometre central Hastings County municipality on the southern Canadian Shield, formed in 2001 by amalgamation of the Village of Marmora with the Township of Marmora and Lake and reached on Highway 7 midway between Toronto and Ottawa. The village of Marmora sits at the confluence of the Crowe River and Beaver Creek; Crowe Lake spreads four square miles two miles to the northwest.
The Marmoraton Mine viewing platform on Highway 7 looks down on a 850 m × 450 m × 213 m former Bethlehem Steel iron pit (closed 1978) that has filled naturally with turquoise water — pit access and swimming are not permitted, but the public lookout opens onto the most distinctive landscape in the township. Crowe Valley Conservation Authority, headquartered in Marmora since 1958, manages four conservation areas across the Crowe River corridor — Crowe Bridge (weir-dam river swimming and accessible trails), Callaghan's Rapids (three trails to limestone river chutes and Trans Canada Trail iron bridges), The Gut, and McGeachie.
The Hastings Heritage Trail's 156-kilometre Eastern Ontario Trails Alliance corridor passes through the village on its way south from Lake St. Peter to Glen Ross.
Today's read.
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On the record.
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- 01Marmora and Lake is a 538.24-square-kilometre Hastings County municipality with a 2021 population of 4,267, formed January 1, 2001 by the amalgamation of the Village of Marmora with the Township of Marmora and Lake; its four named communities are Deloro, Malone, Marmora, and Marmora Station, and the village of Marmora sits on Highway 7 midway between Toronto and Ottawa.Source ↗
- 02The former Marmoraton (Marmora) Mine — operated by Bethlehem Steel from 1952 to 1978 — is an open iron-ore pit roughly 850 metres long, 450 metres wide, and 213 metres deep, on Highway 7 north of the village; the pit has filled naturally with turquoise water and is viewable from a public lookout, though swimming and pit access are not permitted.Source ↗
- 03The Crowe Valley Conservation Authority, headquartered in Marmora since 1958, manages 1,300 acres across four main conservation areas — Callaghan's Rapids, Crowe Bridge, The Gut, and McGeachie — in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and ten member municipalities.Source ↗
- 04Crowe Lake straddles Peterborough and Hastings counties about two miles northwest of the village of Marmora, with a surface area of roughly four square miles; the Crowe River is both the primary inflow and outflow, and the lake's name comes from the Crowe Anishinaabe First Nation that lived along the shore.Source ↗
- 05Crowe Lake and the Crowe River through Marmora and Rawdon townships sit within Fisheries Management Zone 17; Crowe Lake / Crowe River carry a walleye-season exception (January 1 to March 1 and 2nd Saturday in May to December 31, S-4 / C-1, no fish in the 37–55 cm protected slot) on top of FMZ 17 zone-wide rules.Source ↗
- 06The Hastings Heritage Trail — a 156 km four-season multi-use rail-trail managed by the Eastern Ontario Trails Alliance — runs south from Lake St. Peter through Madoc and Marmora to Glen Ross (Quinte West), and the Marmora Mine viewing area is a featured stop on EOTA's Tweed–Bancroft route.Source ↗
5. activities
worth your time
StrongHiking
Crowe Bridge Conservation Area at 670 Crowe River Road carries hiking and accessible trails along the Crowe River past a weir-dam swimming pool — a Trent Hills / Crowe Valley Conservation Authority partnership with paid admission and parking. West of the village on Highway 7, Callaghan's Rapids Conservation Area sends three short trails from the parking area down to the Crowe River, where eroded limestone slabs form small in-river drops and two iron bridges along the route are part of the Trans Canada Trail. Inside the village, the Brian Goodchild Trail links Memorial Park to Mag's Landing along the river, and Nayler's Common Parks & Recreation Trail follows a marsh edge from 60 Matthew Street.
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StrongPaddling — Flatwater
Crowe Lake spreads four square miles two miles northwest of the village, with a municipal boat launch and lake-shore campground at Booster Park (199 Booster Park Road) and a second launch at Mag's Landing Park where the Crowe River exits the lake into Marmora village. Through the village, the Crowe River runs south past Legion Park's downtown swim and boat launch toward Crowe Bridge Conservation Area and the Trent River system. Beaver Creek joins the Crowe River north of the village near Shanick — a quieter alternative through the marsh-and-meander country east of the lake.
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StrongFreshwater Fishing
Crowe Lake is the township's marquee fishery — walleye, smallmouth and largemouth bass, northern pike, muskellunge, bluegill, and yellow perch under Fisheries Management Zone 17 rules. The Crowe Lake / Crowe River walleye-season exception extends the open season into a January 1 to March 1 winter window plus the 2nd-Saturday-in-May to December 31 main season, with a protected slot prohibiting retention of fish 37–55 centimetres. FMZ 17 sits within the Southern Bait Management Zone — bait restrictions apply on movement into and out of the zone. Municipal boat launches at Booster Park (Crowe Lake), Mag's Landing, and Legion Park (downtown Crowe River) anchor public access.
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StrongSnow Adventure
The 156-kilometre Hastings Heritage Trail passes through the village of Marmora as part of EOTA's flagship rail corridor running south from Lake St. Peter to Glen Ross in Quinte West. The Centre Hastings Heritage Loop links Marmora with Madoc and Stirling on a multi-day rail-trail circuit, and the Marmora Mine viewing area is a featured stop on EOTA's Tweed–Bancroft route. Snowmobile use requires an OFSC permit; ATV passes through the EOTA cost $150 annual / $75 weekly / $25 daily. Walking, jogging, skiing, cycling, and horseback riding on the Hastings Heritage Trail are free.
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StrongHeritage & Culture
The Marmora Mine viewing platform on Highway 7 looks down on the water-filled former Bethlehem Steel iron pit — 850 metres long, 450 metres wide, and 213 metres deep, carved out between 1952 and the 1978 closure and now filled with cyan water. Pit access and swimming are not permitted; viewing is from the lookout area only. The mine is one of four geological sites on the self-guided Miners' Loop Tour, and the historic mining village of Deloro within the township carries a separate gold-and-silver-era heritage. The Hastings Heritage Trail's Tweed–Bancroft route passes the mine viewing area as a featured stop.
Read field guide arrow_outward18. more outings
surveyed.
Activities supported across Marmora and Lake without a featured write-up.
- 01
Trail Running
Hastings Heritage Trail - 02
Walking & Strolling
Memorial Park - 03
Camping
frontcountry · glamping - 04
Horseback Riding
trail-riding - 05
Nature & Discovery
birding · nature-interpretation - 06
Cycling
rail-trail - 07
Mountain Biking
Available - 08
Paddling — Whitewater
Callaghan's Rapids on the Crowe River (riffles and small in-river drops; passive-conservation, not a runnable whitewater route) - 09
Sailing & Boating
motor-boating - 10
Swimming & Beach
lake-swim · swimming-holes · beach-day - 11
Cross-Country & Nordic
classic-xc - 12
Sky Watching
stargazing - 13
Seasonal Phenomena
fall-colours - 14
Wildlife Viewing
Nayler's Common (marsh wildlife) - 15
Motorized Touring
atv-quad-tour · scenic-drive - 16
Indigenous Experiences
Treaty 27 / 27¼ (Rideau Purchase, 1819) territorial framing - 17
Food & Drink
Available - 18
Geology & Discovery
Marmoraton Mine pit (viewing-only; no on-site collecting)
Local operators.
Trusted outfitters, guides, and experience providers in Marmora and Lake.
Muskoka Powersports and Recreation
Lake-delivered boat, Sea-Doo, paddleboard and water-toy rentals across Muskoka, Parry Sound and Georgian Bay.
View on AER arrow_outwardThrill Seeker ATV Tours
Guided ATV tours and overnight stay packages on trails near Kaladar in eastern Ontario.
View on AER arrow_outwardMalinda's Rockhounding Tours
rockhounding/crystal hunting tours
Visit website arrow_outwardOn the map.
Marmora and Lakeand the local operators we've mapped nearby.
Key resources.
- marmoraandlake.caMunicipality of Marmora and Lake — parks, trails, beaches, and boat launches
- ontarioconservationareas.caCrowe Bridge Conservation Area — fees, swimming, trails
- thetrail.caEastern Ontario Trails Alliance — Hastings Heritage Trail and Centre Hastings Heritage Loop
- ontario.caOntario Fishing Regulations Summary — Fisheries Management Zone 17
- crowevalley.comCrowe Valley Conservation Authority — Callaghan's Rapids, Crowe Bridge, The Gut, McGeachie conservation areas
- visitmarmoraandlake.caVisit Marmora & Lake — Marmora Mine viewing area and Miners' Loop self-guided tour
- thetrail.caEastern Ontario Trails Alliance — passes (ATV/dirtbike) and OFSC permit information