Located south of Woodstock, this small nature reserve was a fantastic stop on our way into Toronto. It was a bit of a drive off the 401, but it was definitely worth it. As we were following the directions we followed a horse and wagon full of people straight to it and Jackman’s Maple Farm. The buckets were hanging everywhere, collecting the precious drops of maple syrup that would eventually cover someone’s morning pancakes.

There was only one trail through the ten-hectare park but with the snow and fog, it felt magical. We did this hike some time ago, and so our lovely little Maya was still with us to enjoy that walk. The trail was easy to follow and it was mostly flat with ‘gently undulating’ sections. We haven’t been back, like we had hoped, to check out the five different variations of while trilliums that come up in the spring. The park’s management plan says that they have learned that the “five aberrant forms, or colour variations of the common white trillium. It is now recognized that these aberrant forms are caused by a fungal infection.” Have any of you seen them?

We will definitely have to make another trip to the park, but since it’s only a short trail we would have to find other hikes to enjoy in the area to make the drive worth it!