SNC parks welcome visitors throughout the winter
With a blanket of snow covering the Eastern Ontario countryside, many outdoor recreational sites come to a standstill while awaiting the arrival of spring and summer.
But not the network of South Nation Conservation parks that remain open to various winter activities, several of them offering groomed trails.
Winter grooming takes place at the following locations: Two Creeks near Iroquois; Robert Graham Trail near Glen Stewart; Warwick Forest near Berwick; and J. Henry Tweed and W.E. Burton at Russell.
Directions to each park and to others in the network, as well as the individual attractions of each, are available at www.nation.on.ca.
“The trails are available for hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, on-leash dog-walking, birding and geocaching,” said Jim Hendry, SNC Team Lead, Property. Organized group activities are welcome and occur regularly.
“There’s no charge for access to our conservation areas. All we ask is that enthusiasts respect the habitat and wildlife, and stick to the trails.”
SNC owns and manages 154 properties across the 4,382 square-km jurisdiction, some 11,400 acres of land. Of these, 15 properties are designated as day-use parks.
Staff now collects park data from car and trail counters on a weekly basis. The park monitoring program has three main objectives: to gauge use of the parks, to guide improvements, and to build public support. Early indications suggest a growing use of park facilities.
Among planned park improvements this year are a new boardwalk/bridge at Two Creeks, as well as general upgrades in signage, tree planting, new docks and privies, all to accommodate increasing visitor numbers.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Jim Hendry, 877-984-2948, ext. 235. jhendry@nation.on.ca