Other Trail Systems
In addition to municipal trail systems, the Muskoka area also contains several excellent trails located on private or provincial land. Check out some of the trails below for your next hiking, biking, skiing or snowshoeing adventure!
Trails
The Cranberry Trails
Closest Community |
Distance |
Total # of Steps |
Difficulty |
Volkssport Rating: |
Bala |
varies depending on the trail |
|
varies; easy to difficult |
|
Access to Trail / ParkingJohnston’s Cranberry Marsh is located at 1074 Cranberry Road near Bala, Ontario.
Trail Description / Key Points of Interest:Johnston's Cranberry Marsh maintains a year-round trail system with over 10 km of trails that vary in length from 1 km to 7.5 km and in difficulty from easy to advanced. The property has a rich ecology and is home to many at risk species. There are three self-guided tours available, three geocaches (GPS rentals available), hidden pictographs, and ponds, waterfalls, picnic areas, and scenic views.
Trail Pass:
Adults: $5 or $15 for a Season's Pass
Kids 8-18: $3 or $11 for a Seasons' Pass
Kids 7 and under: free
LEARN MORE AT http://cranberry.ca/johnstons-cranberry-marsh/hiking-trails/.
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Limberlost Forest and Wildlife Reserve
Closest Community |
Distance |
Total # of Steps |
Difficulty |
Volkssport Rating: |
Dwight |
varies depending on the trail |
|
varies; easy to difficult |
|
Access to Trail / ParkingAccess to the Limberlost Forest is available at the main gate located 3 km off of Muskoka Road 8 in Lake of Bays. Just past the gates to Limberlost you’ll find a self serve kiosk on your left-hand side. To protect hikers and wildlife on the woodland roads, vehicles are required to be left at one of a number of designated parking areas. Each of these are a short walk to the start of a major hiking trail. Stop by the visitor kiosk, where you will find a guest parking pass to display in your car, a visitor pass to bring with you on your hike, and the Release of Liability Waiver, which must be read and signed.
Trail Description / Key Points of Interest:The Limberlost Forest and Wildlife Reserve is a publicly accessible private year-round wilderness haven with twenty private lakes and more than 10,000 unspoiled acres of mixed forest. The private forest reserve contains more than 70 km of hiking, biking, skiing and snowshoeing trails made available to the public at no charge.
The trails at Limberlost Forest provide access to innumerable special natural features as well as tours around a number of the larger lakes and include woodland trails and extensive woodland roads, rated as to the grade and quality to cater to evening strollers as well as those seeking more strenuous exercise. More than two-thirds of the trails on the Limberlost Reserve are groomed and qualify as high quality trails, as opposed to rugged hiking paths. As such, they are suitable for joggers as well as individuals who prefer to enjoy nature at their leisure. Furthermore, large sections of the trails have been widened to enable hikers to walk abreast of each other and engage in conversations undistracted by concerns about stumbling and hurting themselves.
LEARN MORE AT https://limberlostforest.com/activities/hiking-trails/.
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Upjohn Nature Reserve Wetland Trail
Closest Community |
Distance |
Total # of Steps |
Difficulty |
Volkssport Rating: |
Bracebridge |
1 km |
|
easy |
|
Access to Trail / ParkingThe trailhead is located on Nicholls Road, which is along Manitoba Street, past the intersection that heads to Bracebridge & Muskoka Lakes Secondary School. Follow Nicholls Road for about 2 kilometers and then park along the road. Parking is at your own risk.
Trail Description / Key Points of Interest:The Upjohn Nature Reserve is owned, protected and managed by the Muskoka Conservancy. The Upjohn Nature Reserve has a public access trail with a number of interesting stops along the way. The trail is only accessible during winter if you snowshoe or ski in, as there’s not much plowing on this section of the road. Please be respectful while hiking within the nature reserve as it is home to a number of native plant and animal species. Please stay on the trail. Don’t leave any garbage along the trail and don’t remove anything from the natural area.
LEARN MORE at http://muskokaconservancy.org/protected-properties/upjohn-nr/.
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Arrowhead Provincial Park Hiking Trails
Closest Community |
Distance |
Total # of Steps |
Difficulty |
Volkssport Rating: |
Huntsville |
varies depending on the trail |
|
varies; easy to moderate |
|
Access to Trail / ParkingArrowhead Provincial Park is located 451 Arrowhead Park Road just north of Huntsville.
Trail Description / Key Points of Interest:Arrowhead Provincial Park maintains 15 km of hiking trails, including a trail leading to a waterfall. Visitors to Ontario Parks need to pay a Day Use Fee to access the trails.
Beaver Meadow Trail - 7 km (2 hours) moderate
Arrowhead’s longest trail passes Porcupine Bluffs, the remnant shoreline of a huge ancient lake. The bluffs are easily visible in the spring and fall but are hidden during the leafy summer months. The trail circles a large beaver pond with large rafts of cattails where you might see otter, moose, Great Blue Heron, Tree Swallows and, of course, beavers. Near the end, the trail crosses a field and you can see evidence of the once successful Oke homestead—old fence lines, building foundations and domestic plants such as rhubarb and apple trees.
Big Bend Lookout – easy
This short walk from the parking lot on Roe Campground Road leads to a panoramic view of the meandering Big East River and the surrounding Muskoka terrain.
Homesteaders Trail - 3 km (1 hour) moderate
In the 1870s, homesteaders cleared this area. Take this trail across moderately rugged terrain and see traces of abandoned farm fields now reclaimed by young forest.
Mayflower Lake Trail – 1 km (30 minutes) moderate
Ten thousand years ago, Mayflower Lake was a small bay in a large glacial lake. Today it is a small, deep, spring-fed lake. Its cold, clear waters provide ideal habitat for cold water fish such as Rainbow Trout. This trail has several lengthy climbs and descents over the hills surrounding Mayflower Lake and can be muddy, so wear your hiking boots.
Stubb’s Falls Trail - 2 km (45 minutes) easy
Take this trail in early spring when wildflowers and songbirds will be your reward. At Stubb’s Falls, the Little East River rushes down a rock chute. Stop here for a pleasant respite.
LEARN MORE at http://www.ontarioparks.com/park/arrowhead.
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