The Great Outdoors
Visitors describe an ‘unexpected’ charm to our natural landscapes.
Dufferin County Forest (Main Tract)
The Dufferin County Forest is a 1,066-hectare (2,636 acres) multi-tract forested area owned and managed by the county. The forest provides erosion and water control, natural heritage protection, biodiversity and wildlife habitats, recreational opportunities, and employment for the timber industry.
Hockley Valley Nature Preserve
Hockley Valley is part of the Niagara Escarpment, which was created by a long erosion process. The escarpment cuts across the southern heartland of the province. Between Lake Erie and Ontario, the escarpment gives rise to Niagara Falls, curves around Lake Ontario, reaches northward to the tip of the Bruce Peninsula and beyond, and ends at Manitoulin Island. The Nottawasaga River cuts a picturesque gorge across the escarpment. Forested moraines and open meadows lie upstream, and swamp and bottomland forests spread across the valley floor for several kilometres.
Island Lake Conservation Area
Located in the rolling hills of Dufferin County in the Towns of Orangeville and Mono, Island Lake provides four seasons of recreation. Its 329 hectares of lake, wetland, forest, and meadows play a vital role in protecting the headwaters of the Credit and Nottawasaga Rivers. Part of a six-kilometre-long series of wetlands and a source of upwellings of water from underground, this area feeds cool, clean, naturally filtered water to these regional river systems.
Luther Marsh Wildlife Management Area
The Luther Marsh is a biological treasure in the headwaters area of the Grand River watershed. The 5,900-hectare property centers on the 1,400-hectare Luther Lake, created by Luther Dam and built in 1954. Surrounding it are wetlands, fields, and forests that provide habitat to diverse wildlife. It is one of Ontario’s best bird-watching spots and is popular among hikers and hunters.
Mono Cliffs Provincial Park
Mono Cliffs is on the Bruce Trail, offering numerous hiking trails. There is a diversity of ferns and cedars, with an explorable canyon on the spillway trail and 30-metre cliffs on the cliff-top trail.
Monora Park
Located on the west side of Highway #10 behind the Volkswagen car dealership is this 40-acre natural park, complete with 18 kilometres of walking and x-country ski trails, a picnic shelter, a gazebo, an open playing field, and the Monora Park Pavilion community centre.
Pine River Provincial Fishing Area
Pine River is known to be a popular spot for anglers in Ontario. It’s often frequented for its populations of trout, particularly brook trout and brown trout, making it an attractive destination for fly fishing enthusiasts.
The Bruce Trail
With over 900 kilometres of main trail and over 450 kilometres of side trails, the Bruce Trail offers many ways to explore the natural beauty of the Niagara Escarpment on foot. Accessible to explorers of all ages, the Bruce Trail connects you to cobble beaches, open meadows, waterfalls, rocky crevices, old-growth forests, and awe-inspiring views.
Boyne Valley Provincial Park
The Boyne River cuts through Ontario’s southern heartland, about an hour’s drive north of Toronto. Flowing east, the river slices through the Orangeville and Singhampton moraines. The terrain features a range of natural communities, hardwood forests, open fields, bottomlands, and swamps. Reforestation has replenished the forests felled by loggers. Park Facilities and Activities Boyne Valley is a non-operating park with no facilities except hiking trails. Visitors may fish, but hunting is prohibited. Hikers should note that the Bruce Trail gives access to an excellent lookout in the northern part of the park.
Dufferin Rail Trail
The Dufferin Rail Trail is the 38.1-kilometre portion of the former rail corridor running from Orangeville through Amaranth, Shelburne and Melancthon to Dundalk.