Cottages For Sale in Bancroft & Hastings County

Buying a cottage in Bancroft & Hastings County

Hastings County is a long, narrow county in eastern Ontario. It stretches about 160 kilometres from the Bay of Quinte to the edge of Algonquin Park. The cities of Belleville and Quinte West sit on the bay at the south end. Farm country fills the middle around Stirling, Madoc and Tweed. North of Highway 7 the land turns to Canadian Shield, with Bancroft as the main service town.

Cottage buyers mostly look north. Baptiste Lake, Papineau Lake, Limerick Lake, Wollaston Lake and Steenburg Lake are rocky, forested lakes with a mix of older cabins and newer four-season homes. Further south, Moira Lake, Stoco Lake and Crowe Lake are warmer and shallower, with easier road access. The Bay of Quinte adds a different kind of waterfront, with larger boats, marinas and year-round houses near city services.

Many northern properties are on private or seasonal roads, and some lakes have water-access cottages. Ask who maintains the road and if it is plowed in winter. Expect a septic system and a drilled well or lake intake on almost every rural property. Large areas of the north are Crown land, so some lakes have long stretches of undeveloped shore. Cell coverage and internet service vary a lot from one bay to the next.

Getting there: About 2 to 3 hours from Toronto.

• Baptiste Lake
• Bay of Quinte walleye
• Canadian Shield lakes
• Crown land
• Rockhounding in Bancroft