Haycock referred to paintings done within driving distance of his Ottawa home as "local" sketches. This included eastern Ontario and western Quebec. In latter years he stayed at the Eganville area home of his daughter, painter and weaver Kathy M. Haycock for regular spring and fall sketching trips.

In addition, a much loved spring painting location was the "North Shore" (Charlevoix region) of the St. Lawrence in March or early April, where Haycock first painted with A.Y. Jackson in 1944. In fact, the spring thaw with softly mounded snow, warm highlights and blue shadows was Haycock's favourite season to paint.

A special fall painting destination was the Agawa Canyon north of Sault Ste. Marie, accessed by the Algoma Central Railway.

In the 1950's Jackson showed the fascinated Haycock the actual locations where many famous Group of Seven works had been painted.