A famous Nathaniel Hawthorne quote is, “I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house.” There is no better reason to leave your house in autumn than going for a hike.
Meaford offers its residents and visitors many wonderful hiking trails. We have the popular 14 km historic Trout Hollow Trail which follows the Bighead River. The map, which can be found at trouthollow.ca, will indicate points of interest.
An easy hike is to park at the Swarthmore Drive parking area and walk 1.5 km east on the Georgian Trail. You can then turn at the St. Vincent Managed Forest sign and walk just under one km to a look-off with views of Georgian Bay.
The beloved Bruce Trail runs through our municipality and offers the following hikes. All hikes can be found through the Bruce Trail website: https://brucetrail.org/
- Silent Valley (Bognor) has views of the escarpment rock, small caves in the rocks, ancient cedars, ruins of an old homestead, and the ruins of a 1970 airplane crash.
- Bayview Escarpment side trail offers sweeping views of Georgian Bay.
- Bognor Marsh Side Trail, where you can hike the boardwalk around these serene wetlands. This area is good for birdwatching.
- Boyd Crevice is described as a magical place and it truly is. A maze of huge crevices can be enjoyed, along with small caves.
The Tom Thomson Trail (https://tomthomasontrail.wordpress.com/) is a multi-use trail that runs from Meaford to Owen Sound. A hike that is a forest trail with hilly areas can be found where Sideroad 22 meets the 112.
Hibou Conservation Area in the Annan region of our municipality offers four hiking trails. It is known for birdwatching and its biodiversity. A nature interpretive guide can be found at https://www.greysauble.on.ca/portfolio/hibou-conservation-area/
Of interest to those with mobility challenges, the main trail in Harrison Park is now paved, allowing more people to experience the woods.
Tie up your shoes today and go for a hike, and you’ll discover that John Muir was correct when he said, “In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.”
