Harold Town Conservation Area

I couldn't wait to get a chance to make a trip back out to Peterborough this weekend.  We checked out another All You Can Eat restaurant in town and planned on hiking another trail afterwards.

We found the Harold Town Conservation area which was located off of Old Norwood Rd in Otonobee – about 15 minutes from our location, so it worked out perfectly. 

The parking lot didn't have any fee stations, and there are portable washrooms so you can plan to spend the day trying out different routes. 

The one feature you'll notice when you first arrive is this ginormous hill front and centre of the parking lot as you come in.  Your first thought would be no way would anyone ever dare to go down that hill on a bike, let alone hike it!  Unbelievably though, cyclists do this all the time I was told.

This would definitely be a must see for mountain bikers as it offers a network of trails available for off-road cyclists.  Even if you're a beginner, there are over 10 km of trails designed to challenge you with funny names such as Porcupine Pie and Screaming Trees. 

The trails are also well maintained and constructed in accordance with the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) guidelines and standards. 

Yup, they have standards.  You can see trail features like switch-back climbs, small rock drops, and tight turns with some log hops and berms if you’re into that.  

We are just happy to go for some safe-on-the-ground hiking trail called Kessel Run.   It ran through some pretty impressive forestland with lots of wildlife and wildflowers and open meadows.  There's a scenic view from the Meade Creek Drumlin which is part of the Peterborough Drumlin Field as part of the Otonabee Conservation watershed.

I wondered who the

Harold Town Conservation Area was named after and discovered he was a Canadian Painter who made a name for himself after he started a group of 11 artists known as the "Painters Eleven" which dates from 1953 when a group of young artists banded together with the purpose of exhibiting abstract art in Toronto.  

Although I didn't particularly understand his paintings (a lot like Picasso or Jackson Pollack) he made enough money to purchase this land and enjoyed it as his personal retreat until he passed away in 1990.  On April 11, 1994, the property was donated to Otonabee Conservation by Harold Town’s estate. The property was then named in his memory and was dedicated as a park for public purposes, as requested by the estate.

 

Happy Trails

Trent University Wildlife Sanctuary Nature Area (Yellow/Red and Blue Trail)

As Phase III finally began in Ontario during the Covid-19 Pandemic, we were able to enjoy the trails again!

We made the trip east to Peterborough to visit my family and do a bit of hiking on one of the many trails in the

Trent University Wildlife Sanctuary.  

 

The town of Peterborough sits on the Otonabee River in Central Ontario and is known as the gateway to the Kawartha's through the Trent-Severn waterway which moves upward to the Peterborough Lift locks. 

The Trent University Wildlife Sanctuary Nature area has 3 separate trails to choose from.  We went on the blue trail which is the longest of the three, covering a little over 3 kilometres.  

 

The hike is very easy and features a bit of both during the nature walk from dense forests and wildlife to wildflowers in open meadows and farmer's fields.

It is accessible all year round, but with the exception of one slight dip on the trail head (which can become muddy) I would say it is stroller and wheelchair friendly.  I also like that it is a loop trail which will take you out and back to your car again.

Currently as you enter from the parking lot, you will see about a dozen photographs hung from trees taken by the local students of Trent who have won a contest for best wildlife photo.  (the squirrel and the frog) I thought it was really cute to see the photos displayed on the trees like that.

As we went here on a Saturday it was fairly busy but I suspect most were locals as most foot traffic has been somewhat reduced due to the pandemic.  It will be such a relief once a vaccine has been tested and cleared.  2020 has been a crusher for the economy and I suspect it'll take a decade before the country will fully recover.  

In the meantime, we've learned a lot about each other and how to keep safe and have gotten much closer to our families and friends during this time.

 

Stay safe and happy trails!