Halton Conservation Areas
Each of these areas are located just off the 401, in the Milton area, and are not far from each other, making it easy to combine a couple of parks in one day. There are over 100 kms of trails between them, and every park is open all year round. This makes an annual pass worth it.
Crawford Lake This was a fun spot to visit. First, we explored the longhouses and learned about the lives of the Iroquoian people who lived in the village over 600 years ago. Thousands of artefacts were excavated from the area, and you can see many of them on display today, such as animal skins, pottery and canoes made from elm-bark. Next we followed the trail around Crawford Lake itself, a meromictic lake, meaning it’s deeper than its surface area. Along this trail are sculpture of endangered animal species which reside in Ontario, such as The Hooded Warbler, Jefferson Salamander and Algonquin Wolf. They make for a great photo opportunity, whilst spreading awareness about these creatures. There are many trails to explore here, both along the boardwalk and through the forest.
Best for: A history lesson, paired with a fun sculpture-ridden walk
Rita’s rating: 3
Hilton Falls Our first visit to Hilton Falls was in the middle of January, with temperatures of around -12 degrees. We layered up (Rita with coat, scarf and boots), and went to admire the frozen waterfall. There are 33km of trails at Hilton, some reserved for biking. We completed the two shorter hiking trails, the Hilton Falls trail (3km) which led us to the waterfall and the Red Oak Trail (4km ) around the reservoir. The paths were wide with rest stations (picnic tables, restrooms and rubbish bins) along the route. At the falls, a campfire was going, and there was a small crowd taking photos of the spectacular frozen scene.
Best for: Longer hikes without feeling too remote and isolated
Rita’s rating: 4
Mount Nemo We enjoyed a winter walk at Mount Nemo the weekend following a big dump of snow. We merged the North and South Loops, which connect at the viewpoint, to form a decent 5k hike. The snow-laden forest was incredibly pretty. We certainly needed our hiking boots as the snow was quite deep; Goutam even wore his snow spikes. There was a bit of a steep climb to the lookout, from which we got a wide view of the surrounding farms and cities along the Niagara Escarpment. Rita seemed to enjoy the hike too, and there were a few spots to stop and rest her paws if needed, including a covered shelter where the South trail met back with the North trail back towards the car park.
Best for: That “view from the top” photo
Rita’s rating: 4
Mountsberg Read about our visits to Mountsberg during the Winterlit festival and Maple Town. There were 16km of trails for hiking too!
Best for: Family day out with lots of events and activities on offer
Rita’s rating: 4
Robert Edmundson One of the smallest conservation areas we have visited with just 2km of trails, Robert Edmundson (named in honour of the 38 years of service of Conservation Halton’s Director of Watershed Management), makes up for its tiny territory with some stunning scenery. The Main Trail took us through woodland, along boardwalks over wetlands and across Kilbride Creek. Be sure to check out the pond – it was Winter when we visited, but it looks like a nice place to relax after a day’s hiking!
Best for: Tagging onto a visit of another nearby conservation area: try Mountsberg or Fletcher’s Creek
Rita’s rating: 2
Rattlesnake Point With 3 designated sites for it, Rattlesnake Point is popular with rock-climbers. However, Rita wished to keep four paws firmly on the ground today so we stuck to hiking. We did the 3km Buffalo Crag Trail (which encompasses the Vista Adventure Trail). This allowed us to check out the 5 major lookout points over the Niagara Escarpment. It was a bit foggy the day we went but this started clearing towards the end of our visit. We would love to visit again and do the longer (9.4km there and back) Nassagaweya Canyon Trail to Crawford Lake Conservation Area. There were picnic areas and multiple restrooms if you wanted to stop for lunch.
Best for: Scenic views
Rita’s rating: 3
Area 8 This is the newest Halton CA, on the site of the former Kelso Quarry. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau planted a Poplar tree at the trailhead during the park’s inaugural season in 2022. The trail around the lake is just over 2km, and we saw several Sulphur butterflies. There are several spots for picnicking and a newly constructed nature playground for children.
Best for: Avoiding the crowds
Rita’s rating: 2
Kelso This park is first and foremost a ski hill, but in the off-season turns into a hiking and mountain biking trail network. There are hence lots of facilities, like the “Trailhead” shop and Visitor Centre, where I grabbed a map and some directions. I was helpfully instructed to cross the railway tracks via the covered walkway and take a left to start my hike. I roughly followed the suggested Coyote Loop around 5km. There are many interconnecting trail links so we just focussed on going in the general direction we wanted to. Cross referencing the signposts with the map helped. Rita enjoyed trying out the mountain biking ramps too!
Best for: Uphills (rare in Ontario!)
Rita’s rating: 3
