Four major boardwalks have been built over the past 10 years, by a team of volunteers, with support from city staff. These enable the trails to cross the wetter parts of the swamp, and enable the complete network of other trails to be connected. There are about 20 km. of trails to walk. You could walk for several hours without ever retracing your steps!
It's taken me a long time to figure out how to do this; it's not perfect, but at least it works! The area is too large to easily show on one map, so here it is divided into two maps which overlap slightly. Major public access points are shown as yellow stars -
The Northwest Trails of Hanlon Creek
Main entrances from the north and northwest to Hanlon Creek park are from the Dog Park (John Gamble Park) beside the Hanlon Expressway, and on Kortright Ave. at the well known entrance to Preservation Park. There are entrances off Southgate Drive, and off each of the side streets west of Edinburgh Rd.; the main trail off Terraview Cresc. is a popular one.
As the map reveals, a large chunk of the conservation area here is cedar swamp; trails are mainly around the edge. There is one major deciduous patch, southeast of the Preservation Park entrance.
The Southeast Trails of Hanlon Creek
If you live in the subdivisions around the conservation area, you’ll easily recognize these trails. Major public access points include the trail leading west off Clairfields Drive and that leading northwest from Hayward Cresc. as well as the Terraview Cresc. entrance. Boardwalks are indicated in orange dots -
This part of Hanlon Creek is much more diverse, with five patches of reforested pine plantation (the lighter green, more uniform patches, two deciduous forest patches (in the south and northwest), and both a large meadow in the middle, and a smaller meadow between the pine plantations. There are also still large areas of cedar swamp, unbroken by trails.
Hope these maps help some of you enjoy the trails of Hanlon Creek too!
Hey Furry
ReplyDeleteDo you think that there are too many deer in this beautiful spot? Are the deer eating all the wildflowers and other plants? I'm thinking of what happened at Rondeau Prov. Park and Point Pelee Nat. Park.
Maybe we need to do something about all the deer here before things get out of hand.
Sedgy Sam
You're right I think - but how we'd reduce the numbers for an area inside the city I have no idea. We need some predators, but that's not exactly politically acceptable!
ReplyDeleteOr maybe we need to do something about all the people who keep building and paving all over the land resulting in smaller and smaller natural areas like this.
ReplyDelete