Autumn at Rattlesnake Point Conservation Area, Ontario

October 2010

Rattlesnake Point Conservation Area is a 727 acre park which is situated in the Halton region of Ontario about a 45 minute drive west of Toronto. The park has a trail system that has 5 lookouts that provide beautiful views of the local countryside. In fact, on a clear day, you can see in the distance the Toronto skyline and the CN Tower. The park forms part of the escarpment which extends 725 kms from Queenston near Niagara to Tobermory which is at the tip of the Bruce Peninsula on Georgian.

 A popular trail with hikers is the Massagawega Canyon Trail to Crawford Lake which 14.4 km round trip.

 

The main features of the conservation include limestone cliffs that are a few hundred feet high. These cliffs which are dotted with ancient white cedars are a popular spot for rock climbing. While in the area be sure to visit Hilton Falls, Crawford Lake, Kelso, Mount Nemo and Mountsberg. In fact the Bruce Trail system connects all these parks.

 

 

 

  

For more information visit the ConservationHalton web site.
 

 

French River Provincial Park, Ontario

October 2010

Once a major travel corridor for native Americans, the French River flows for 105 kilometres from Lake Nipissing to Georgian Bay. The park’s landscape consists of rugged hills and dense forests, channels, bays and many lakes that interconnect along this expansive waterway system making it a favourite destination because of the variety of water-based recreational activities such as kayaking, canoeing, sailing and angling.

French River Provincial Park is a nice place to stop if you are on your way to either Killarney Provincial Park or Sudbury. There is a Visitor Centre just 2 minutes off of Hwy 69 with a gift shop and many interpretative displays that provide a history of the area and its geology. From the visitor centre be sure to hike the short trail to the scenic Recollet Falls nearby. It’s a short hike roughly 30-45 minutes return and is a good place to have lunch. Don’t miss the view of the French River Gorge from the 300 ft suspension bridge that crosses it. This cable supported bridge was built by the local snowmobile club. Its span is 300 ft and rises 50 ft above the French River.



View of the French River from the snowmobile bridge

View of Highway 69 and bridge from snowmobile bridge

View of typical Canadian Shield cliffs while hiking along the French River to Recollet Falls.

Recollet Falls

Recollet Falls

 

French River Provincial Park can be assessed by Hwy 69 about 70 kms south of Sudbury.

For more information visit the following related links.
Ontario Parks:French River
Visit French River

Pine Creek Gorge, Pennsylvania: Leonard Harrison State Park and Colton Point State Park

September 2010

The native Americans called Pine Creek "Tiadaghton" which means river of pines.Today most of the area is composed of deciduous trees and only a few pine remain because of overlogging.

Often referred to as the “Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania”, Pine Creek Gorge is a beautiful landscape that is well worth a visit in every season of the year but especially in late September through mid-October when the forest displays beautiful autumn shades of yellow, orange, red and purple. The gorge is 47 miles long and in some sections is over 1000 feet deep. Situated near the small town of Wellsboro in the northeastern section of Pennsylvania, the canyon is straddled by two state parks- Leonard Harrison State Park (East Rim) and Colton Point State Park (West Rim). The views from the numerous lookouts that dot the rims in these parks are spectacular.



Colton Point State Park

In the summer, mornings are often misty due to the warm moist air rising and meeting the cooler air from the mountaintops. Often mist is trapped in the canyon until the sun's rays can burn through.

 

 

Leonard Harrison State Park

Pine Creek Rail Trail follows Pine Creek for most of the way.

The canyon offers many recreational activities such as hiking, biking, horseback riding, camping, fishing and birdwatching. The area has several good hiking trails but the crown jewel of the gorge which attracts thousands of outdoor enthusiasts each year is the multi-purpose Pine Creek Rail Trail. The hard packed gravel trail voted as one of the “10 great places to take a bike tour” spans 57 miles from the towns of Ansonia to Jersey Shore.

 

If you are into hiking here are a few suggested Short Hikes: The Overlook Trail (.6 miles) is situated in Leaonard Harrison State Park. Colton Rim Trail (1.5 mile) is in Colton Point State Park. The Turkey Path Trail is a steep trail that descends 1 mile to the floor of the canyon. There is a waterfall close to the bottom that has a lot flow in the spring but turns into a trickle towards late summer. For a longer and more challenging trail, the West Rim Trail offers a 30 mile blazed trail that traverses the West Rim of the canyon.

 

For more information visit the following related links.

VisitTioga: Pine Creek Rail Trail
Map of Pine Creek Rail Trail
Pine Creek Outfitters
Colton Point State Park
Leonard Harrison State Park
Maps of Leonard Harrison and Colton Point State Parks

Letchworth State Park, New York

July 2010

Letchworth State Park is situated in New York State 35 miles south of Rochester. Dubbed the “Grand Canyon of the East”, the park is 17 miles long from north to south, covers an area of over 14,000 acres along the Genesee River and is noted for its gorge scenery, magnificent waterfalls and dramatic cliffs reaching 600 feet in height.

Within the park there are 3 major waterfalls, Upper Falls, Middle Falls (the highest at 107 feet), Lower Falls all of which are situated in the south section. There is a path that starts at the Glen Iris Inn that leads to the Middle Falls and continues to the Upper Falls.



Middle Falls

Upper Falls

 

There are several nice lookouts along the rim of the park that provide spectacular views of the gorge and Genesee River. The Inspiration Point Lookout provides exceptional views of the Middle Falls ,Upper Falls and the Portage Bridge. The Big Bend Lookout provides an amazing view of the winding Genesee River and carved gorge. The Mt. Morris Dam overlook provides a great view of the Mt. Morris Dam.



View of the canyon gorge and Genesee River from Big Bend Lookout

View of Middle Falls from Inspiration Point

Portage Bridge is 820 feet long and 240 feet high and is still in use today by freight trains. The original wood trestle bridge which was complted in 1852 burned in 1875. Close up views of the Portage Bridge can be accessed from the Upper Falls by climbing a path with a series of steep steps.

The Glen Iris Inn is located on the top of a cliff overlooking the Middle Falls is considered the centerpiece of the park and was purchased by William Pryor Letchworth in 1859 with the surrounding 1000 acres. The Glen Iris Inn provides overnight accommodations and fine dining, has a Victorian Gift Shop and is a popular place for wedding receptions. For those staying the evening you will see the Middle Falls lit up at night with white and colored lights.

 

 

Glen Iris Inn

 

 

Letchworth has over 25 trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding and skiing ranging from ½ mile to the longest, the Finger Lakes Trail, which is 24 miles and spans the whole length of the park. Other activities include rafting and hot air ballooning.

 

Letchworth is beautiful any time of the year but particularly in the autumn when it displays magnificent red, yellow and orange foliage. The park can be entered through Mt Morris, Castille, Parade Grounds and Portageville. Cost to access the park is $8 per vehicle.

For more information visit the following related links.

New York State Parks:Letchworth State Park

NyFalls.com:Letchworth State Park

LetchworthPark.com: General Park Information-Camping Information and Park Maps

BalloonsOverLetchworth.com: Balloon Rides over Letchworth

LetchworthParkHistory.com:Learn about the history of Letchworth State Park








Oxtongue River- Ragged Falls Provincial Park, Ontario

July 2010

Ragged Falls Provincial Pak is located a short distance outside the western gate to Algonquin Park off of Highway 60.

A short trail leads to a lookout of the thundering whitewater falls, one the best in Ontario. Depending on the time of year, you can climb along the rocks (with caution) to the bottom of the falls and vice versa. The view looking up from the bottom of the falls is equally impressive. One great way to access the falls is to rent a canoe at a nearby outfitter (Algonquin Outfitters rents canoes for a reasonable price for the day) and paddle along the Oxtongue River to the base of the falls. The falls are very beautiful, one of the Top Ten waterfalls in Ontario, and well worth a stop while en route to or from Algonquin Park.

If coming by car, a parking permit is required and can be obtained from a meter costing $2 per hour. But if you are staying at the Wolf Den Bunkhouse nearby, it's a nice short 15 minute walk over and you save a few dollars on parking.

 

View of Ragged Falls and the Oxtongue River

For more information visit the following related links.Ontario Parks:Oxtongue River-Ragged Falls Provincial Park

Pelee Island , Ontario

May 2010

In the spring I took a long weekend to visit Pelee Island and Point Pelee National Park. This is a great getaway as it is a 4 hour drive from Toronto.May is the height of the tourist season because of the yearly migration of birds. Pelee Island is part of an important flyway for migrating birds between Ohio and Point Pelee.So it is very popular with birders around this time of year.

Pelee Island is situated in Lake Erie 40 kms south of Canada’s mainland and is the southernmost populated point in Canada at latitude of 41 degrees. It has a permanent population of 256 residents and swells to over 1000 during the summer months. The island which sits on a bed of limestone has one of the mildest climates in the country making it an excellent area to grow grapes and produce wines. In fact the typical growing season is two weeks longer than the adjacent mainland.  The only way to get on the island is by ferry either out of Leamington or Kingsville. The ferry ride takes around one-and-a-half to two hours.

 There are many things to do on Pelee Island such as biking(The 34 km Lakeview Trail circles the entire island and passes the main attractions) , visiting Pelee Island winery, going for nature walks and browsing the local shops and galleries. There are 2 nature reserves which are a must visit: Lighthouse Point Nature Reserve and Fish Point Nature Reserve.

Pelee Island has many bike and hiking trails that provide access to unique environments and provide access to beaches, forests, sand dunes, marshes, wetlands and alvars.

 

Pelee Island trail lined with flowers



Hydrophyllum Appenduculatum is unique to Canada in the Carolinian zone. The flower blossoms on Pelee Island in spring and early summer

Pelee Island Lighhouse



Fish Point Nature Reserve

 

 

 

 

 

Point Pelee National Park, Canada

May 2010,

 

Point Pelee National Park is a triangular-shaped peninsula of land that extends into Lake Erie and is the southernmost point in mainland Canada. It is situated at the same latitude as northern California and is an important migration corridor for birds and butterflies over Lake Erie. Because of this, Point Pelee was established as a national park in 1918. This small national park is a little over 7 kms long by 3.5 kms wide and is composed of mainly marsh and woodland habitats. A good time to visit is in the spring when the park comes alive with hundreds of birds as they pass through on their annual migration. There are over 360 bird species that have been recorded in the park including the Yellow Warbler and Painted Bunting. In the fall, Point Pelee becomes a migration path for the Monarch Butterfly. But one can expect to see much more when visiting the park as it is home to the endangered prickly pear cactus, dragonflies, the eastern flying squirrel, the eastern spiny softshell turtle and Canada’s only lizard, the five-lined skink.

 

There are endless opportunities for things to do in the park including many interpretive programs and exhibits. The park has 8 self guided walking trails that bring you through marshes on raised boardwalks and a 35ft high observation tower that provides 360 views of the park. Canoes and bikes are available for rental.

Marsh Boardwalk