Category: Hiking

Hot spots to have a cup of tea in Ontario Parks’ northwest

Today’s post comes from Laura Myers, a tea lover and Marketing Specialist with Ontario Parks.

This blog is dedicated to all of those who love tea and nature.

Whether it’s a cool summer evening, or a chilly winter day, it’s always a good time for tea time. There’s something about having a cup of tea that ignites a sense of stillness and calmness. It reminds you to take a step back, and really take in a moment.

Ontario’s northwest provincial parks provide some stellar backdrops for the most perfect outdoor tea parties. Make a cup of tea, and read on to discover six tea hot spots!

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5 walks through winter woods

The health benefits of hiking are head-to-toe. A walk in the woods can help alleviate mental fatigue, and improve creative thinking. Hiking is also great for cardiovascular health and muscle tone.

But is hiking an option in the winter?

Absolutely. We’ve collected a list of five parks with stellar options for winter rambles:

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5 reasons Sleeping Giant is a backcountry paradise

Today’s post comes from Rachelle Law, Discovery Leader at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park.

Have you been dreaming of finding the perfect park to go backcountry camping?

Well, the secret’s out! With over 100 km of hiking trails and 27 backcountry campsites located within seven backcountry zones, Sleeping Giant Provincial Park is a backcountry camper’s oasis!

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Mississagi: a hiker’s paradise

If you have been to Mississagi Provincial Park, you’ll know that it’s one of Ontario’s best-kept secrets. The scenery is spectacular, thanks to the geology of the area, which forms a series of hills, ridges and cliffs, and valleys with sparkling blue lakes.

Covering the hills and surrounding the lakes are the forests of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Region. Sugar maples, red maples and yellow birch make up most of the trees in the forest, but white pine and black spruce find places along the rocky ridges and lake shores. These forests light up in the fall with red, yellow, gold and orange.

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Under the Volcano Trail at Neys Provincial Park

Today’s post comes from Grace McGarry and Meghan Drake, Discovery Program staff at Neys and Mark Puumala, Resident Geologist at the Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines.

Neys Provincial Park is a special place. It has so many qualities that stand out when compared to other parks.

One of these qualities is the park’s Under the Volcano Trail. This stunning trail is entirely along the coast of Lake Superior.

This trail has some interesting features waiting to be discovered. Let’s take a look at what makes this trail special.

To start, the name says it all. This trail takes you along the route of what was once an active volcano where the coast of Lake Superior is now!

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Hitting the trail at Esker Lakes

This post is written by Dave Sproule, Natural Heritage Education Specialist with Ontario Parks.

If you are looking for a new trail to explore this summer, the Lonesome Bog Trail at Esker Lakes Provincial Park might be just the ticket! This 1.5 km interpretive trail sweeps around Sausage Lake and travels through a variety of habitats, introducing visitors to boreal forest ecosystems and ancient glacial landscapes.

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14 must-see trails to try this summer

Whether you’re reaching new heights or taking a leisurely stroll across a boardwalk, we’ve got the perfect trail for you to explore this summer.

How many of these must-see trails from around the province have you explored?

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Georgian Bay Biosphere Region: biodiversity on the Bay

The eastern shore of Georgian Bay is a pink necklace of islands scattered on a turquoise sea. A freshwater sea, that is.

Georgian Bay is part of Lake Huron, and Huron is one of the Great Lakes, the largest expanse of freshwater in the world.

Eastern Georgian Bay is world class. In 2004, the area was designated as a world biosphere region by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

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Exploring the Great Trail in northwestern Ontario Parks

Today’s post comes from Michelle Halstead, a travel, tourism and eco-adventure placement student with Ontario Parks Northwest Zone.

Canada is proud to be the home of the greatest recreational trail in the world. A 24,000 km trail of land and water that stretches across 10 provinces and three territories.

The Great Trail (formally known as the Trans Canada Trail or TCT) is a project that started in 1992 and with the help of various donors and volunteers working together across the nation has become one of the greatest trails in the world. The trail offers a variety of outdoor recreation activities and scenery throughout Canada’s urban, rural and wilderness areas.

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