The Grotto, up north of us, in the Bruce Peninsula National Park, has become one of Southern Ontario’s most popular tourist destinations in the summer. Located near Tobermory, it’s close to lots of other tourist destinations such as Fathom Five National Marine Park, where you also find Flower Pot Island. The Grotto is located close…
The Nottawasaga Bluffs Conservation Area is a 400-acre jewel on the Escarpment. The unique geology has created a veritable land before time, as deep crevasses cut their way through the hardwood and coniferous forest. During the hike, you can expect to find open fields, limestone bluffs and woodlands carpeted in green undergrowth, which provide the…
The name of the island, Manitoulin, is the English version of the Ojibwe name Manidoowaaling, which means “Cave of the Spirit”. It was named for an underwater cave where a powerful spirit is said to have lived. I’d been wanting to visit for several years now and recently, we managed to coordinate some sunshine with the fall…
Known locally as “The Mingay,” after the family who originally owned and donated the land in 1987, the Creemore Nature Preserve is an important part of the local community as this area was long inhabited by both Indigenous peoples and more recent settlers. The Nature Conservancy of Canada manages the Creemore Nature Reserve to promote…
The Duncan Caves Trail is a 12.4 kilometre moderately trafficked loop trail located between Ravenna and Kimberly that features a waterfall, Mills Creek and Metcalfe Rock and is rated as is a moderate hiking trail. For our visits, we parked at the entrance along 9th Side Road. There’s a small parking lot there but people…
Pretty River Valley Provincial Park is located along the highest point of the Niagara Escarpment. It is open for day-use and is a non-operating park, so besides offering a few trails for hiking and mountain biking, there are no other facilities, services or activities. This 9.2-km loop trail near Nottawa, Ontario is very close to…
Silent Valley Trail is a 5.5 kilometre moderately trafficked loop trail located near Chatsworth, Ontario, that offers wonderfully scenic views and is good for all skill levels. Tucked between the gentle slopes of a long-vanished glacial landscape and the cliffs of the Niagara Escarpment, it is an oasis of peace and tranquillity. On our visit,…
The Crack is Killarney’s premier hiking trail, showcasing the area’s 1.8 billion year old La Cloche Mountain Range of white quartzite and offers an amazing view of the inland lakes. The mountains are believed to have once been higher than today’s Rocky Mountains and were eroded down to their current altitude. In the fall, when the…
The Chikanishing Trail Chikanishing Trail is a lovely hike that provides you with beautiful high views over Chikanishing Creek, Georgian Bay, several small local islands and the gorgeous granite shoreline. It is a three kilometre hike that meanders across rock ridges all the way out to the bay. We had planned our trip to Kilarney…
The Old Baldy Trail is a 4.3 kilometre out and back trail located near the Village of Kimberley with some spectacular scenic views. Getting there, however, requires a drive up a very twisty dirt road. Once you are settled into the parking lot, the hike begins through a grassland then turns right sharply and enters…
